How does the freight train system work?

Hey people I have a question, something I am really interested in;

How does the freight train system work, you know for example CSX, how does it all work? How do companies who don't have traintracks running next to their buildings get stuff on trains to ship across the contry? How much does it usually cost?

Also, how do train crossings know when trains are comming so they can put the gates down?

Thanks for any information you can provide.

 

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Well, I can answer a couple of those questions.

How do companies get their goods to the train?
Shipping containers. They can be transported by truck, ship, and train. They also make pretty good cells as they were used in Afghanistan.

How do train crossings know when a train is coming?
I believe that there is a current running through the tracks. When it short circuits (because a train is there), it signals the gates. Sometimes, practical jokers will throw some type of conductive metal on the tracks to trick them. I'm not sure where the power comes from. It certainly wouldn't be much. I'd guess that each gate would put out enough power to electrify the tracks at enough range to be safe.

 

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How do train crossings know when a train is coming?
In towns they send what is called a 'cab signal' along the rail. Depending on the distance of the train a different amount of current comes back along the other rail. This allows any gate devices to determine the speed of the train so that it doesn't close the gate to early or too late. It also is used to turn the signal (basically a stop light for trains) red behind the block the train is in... cause it kind of sucks if they get too close.

They are now starting to use GPS outside of cities as well. The US has a HUGE rail system and GPS is much more economical.

Advanced systems like parts of the North East Corridor (Metro North, New Jersey Transit, Amtrak, and possibly MBTA) also send speed limit information over the rail. It's an extra safety device and actually allows trains to run closer together.

How do companies get their goods to the train?
Like invert said, mostly by truck. It's commonly know as 'the last 15 miles' problem. You are almost always close to rail, but that doesn't make it any easier to get large quantities of stuff on it.

 

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Ahh ok, thanks guys.
So the companies put goods on a truck and send the truck to where? A train station where they load them onto a train a schedualed time? And then when it arrives at it's destination the recieving company has to arrange to get the good off the train at their own expense aye?

 

depends on the contract/item. Usually shipping is on the buyer.

 

Freight yard. And yeah, I would assume that you pay to transport your own goods. I would imagine in certain cases the cost might be shared between the manufacturer and the buyer. A bit of incentive to do business. Then you also have to pay someone to unload the container at it's destination. Also, manufacturer has to pay someone to load it to begin with.

 

Sounds like allot of work just to ship by rail, so I assume the trade off or advantage is that rail is cheap? How cheap is cheap?

 

Don't have specific prices... it depends on what you are shipping.

For instance, we currently have locomotives being shipped over from Europe to Texas. It is cheaper to unload the stuff off a boat at the East Coast, truck it to rail, and ship it Texas then it is to have the boat drop if off in Texas directly at the rail.

In this case they are charging us by the pound. I don't know if that is only because it is a vehicle.... but basically, this is economies of scale at it's finest. You can make some damn long trains.

 

Ahh.. Alright, Thanks.