Do freight trains still go even if its raining?

Question

Do freight trains still go even if its raining?

Answer 1

yes

Answer 2

yeah .. the locomotives shoot sand on the wheels  to give us traction.. sort of like traction control in a car ..

Answer 3

It don't rain on the railroad, everyday is the same -work,work, and more work.

Answer 4

yes. snow, sleet and all weather conditions

Answer 5

Of course, unless the water is up over the tracks, LOL!

Kent in SD

Answer 6

Just like postal employees........ 'cept we don't go off and start shootin' people.

As a point of interest mentioned above, water over the top of a rail is not considered 'impassable' until the level of the water is in excess of 4" above the top of the rail.  Any deeper and the traction motors, which are electric, really don't like it.

Answer 7

About the only way rain would bother a train is on a very hard pull, the rail is slippery just as a highway is so traction is reduced. And of course there is the danger of washouts and flooding but there are track patrolmen and signal system safeguards to watch for that.

Answer 8

Remember last Christmas when the Denver airport closed because of snow, and thousands of travelers were stranded?  Amtrak's California Zephyr was on time.

So yes, they run in rain, even if it freezes on the way down.

Answer 9

Yes. Much like a car, they are equipped with headlights, windshield wipers, two-way radio and safety equipment both on the train and on the tracks so they can travel in almost any bad weather (except for excessive snow which can block the tracks).

Answer 10

yes why wouldn't they