How many miles per gallon does a diesel Train do. Cheers.?

Question

How many miles per gallon does a diesel Train do. Cheers.?

Answer 1

An Australian NR class locomotive http://locopage.railpage.org.au/sra/pn_n...

hauling 1300 tonnes will use 11,500 litres of diesel on the 852 mile trip between Melbourne and Brisbane which equates to 3.56 US gallons per mile or 2.96 Imperial gallons per mile.

Answer 2

A UK train with six carriages will use between 1.5 to 2 gallons of fuel per mile. Given it could be carrying 300 people thats not bad even at two gallons.

For example a car travelling 100 miles at 33 miles per gallon  would take 3 gallons to move one person 100 miles.

On a train it would take 200 gallons at two miles per gallon to transport 300 people which works out it would take two thirds of a gallon to move one perso 100 miles.

So a train is four and a half times more fuel efficient than a car.

Answer 3

Surely that should be "how many gallons to a mile".

Answer 4

The formula is 'Ton Miles Per Gallon' of fuel.  This of course is widely variable and there is no set answer.

But, your older GE and EMD engines will burn up 196 gallons of fuel per hour, at full rack (run 8, full power).

Newer, more fuel efficient models, have cut this by a significant amount to around 160 gallons per hour.

Most locomotives are equipped with a 4,200 gallon fuel tank, and this is usually enough to cover 1,000 miles on the older equipment.

It goes without saying that the most fuel is burned when accelerating the train up to speed.  Once at that point, a much lower throttle position can keep the tonnage rolling well.

Answer 5

Or even how many gallons in an hour!

It has to vary - depends what its pulling, whether its at standstill, speed it runs at.

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/6564172...

Interesting article there - but I don't think it gives actual fuel usage.

Answer 6

I think about 200 tonne miles per gallon  is a ballpark figure,

Automobiles manage 20 tonne miles per gallon as a ballpark , like 1960 Mini 1/2 Tonne 40mpg, Range Rover 3 Tonne 13 mpg.

Answer 7

It depends on weather or not there climbing hills or not. it also depends on the load it is hauling. In any case not very much!

Answer 8

Most British main line locomotives of the 1960's and 1970's could manage almost 1 mpg average. This would typically be pulling 400 tons at up to 90mph.

Deisel multiple units would manage anything up to 12 mpg or more.

These days the modern trains have far more fuel-efficient engines but they also have all manner of electronic equipment and air conditioning, power doors, super bright lighting etc. to run. It's probably still more than 1 mpg but not as much as we would hope.

The Canadian built EWS freight locos are also very thirsty beasts.

Having said that, their pollution emissions are far better than they used to be.

PS I mean Imperial gallons, not the smaller US variety.