How many seconds and feet for a typical unladden freight train engine to stop when travelling full speed?

Question

I'm doing research for a book, and in one scene I want to have a steam locomotive stop suddenly. The locomotive uses air breaks (not vacuum) and is unladden (not carrying any cars). I expect the weight to be around 500,000 lbs. Travelling at top speed at around 65 MPH.

Answer 1

I leave the actual distance to more experienced answerers...

However, an "unladden" locomotive would be running "light". Known as a "light engine" movement.

Typically, such moves are under a speed restriction due to the necessity of using the locomotive's independent brake. Those tend not to be overly effective - especially in the steam days, from the stories I've heard. The "independent" brake as the name implies are seperate from the train service brake that would control all the brakes on an entire train. Chances are, it wouldn't be traveling at 65mph or even close to it.

Answer 2

Yes steam engins had air brakes.  

There are a lot of factors in that question.  The track conditions, type of engine.  On a main line a freight can get up to 80-90 mph.  Acella can travel at 150+ mph.  However those lines don't have rr crossings.  Service lines, which would be what you see in most movies usually have a speed limit of 25-50 mph.  Figure something w/ that much mass is going to take a while to stop.  And I have yet to hear of a situation were a car/truck/or person has won against a train.

Answer 3

I think you guys need to do a little more research before you start spewing out false information. A "lite locomotive" is no cars, and depending on if its a switcher, North American Cab or Wide body they weigh up to 425,000 lbs. i dont know why on earth you would run a "lite locomotive" that fast but if you were,it would probably take 1/8 to a quarter of a mile to bring to halt if that far without flatspoting the wheels. As far as train if you had say 5 to 9 thousand tons which is  a typical manifest train running at 65 mph, and you knew how to bring the slack in right and knew how to use your dynamics you could get it stopped in a half mile without dumping all the air. A coal train at 65mph about 10-12 thousand tons and you had a good Distrubted Power Unit on the rear and a good Engineer you could get her stopped in a mile or mile and half without  puttting half of the cars in the dirt and wiping out a whole town in the process

Answer 4

1 to 3 miles to stop.

Answer 5

The gentleman above is exactly correct.  

Light engine movements, even with todays' diesel electric locomotives equipped with dynamic brake, have speed restrictions that must be followed and they are particularly restrictive to engines running light with no dynamic, just as would your steam locomotive.

250 tons is pretty light for a steam loco.  Your heavy road engines often tipped the scale at 500 tons or more, wet.  Given the technology of the time, at the speed you suggest, I would venture a guess at a stopping distance of over one mile, on the flat, running light.

Answer 6

I didn't know steam locomotives had air brakes.

Answer 7

the average 100 ton loco can stop pretty quick around 300 feet and the brakes are going to smoke and stink from the excess heat from the weight they are not used to doing stops as you think