My 9 year old daughter wants to know.?

Question

Ok, I have a very weird question, however my daughter asked me this question the other day and I found it kind of interesting and I told her I would find out the answer for her. What better way than yahoo answers. I tried finding the answer online through a search engine but I must not be phrasing my words right. 10 pts to the first person who can give me the right answer with either a link to the answer or math that shows how you got the answer. This way I can explain it to her.

Kids are our future and an "I don't know answer won't teach them anything"

Thanks Everyone

Answer 1

So after all that you have no question?

Answer 2

Hoghead is right. Usually a mile of train is very close to 105 cars. When I need to calculate the length of my train prior to a trip, I multiply the number of cars times 60 feet. There will be some car types that are 50 or 65 feet, or some that are even 76 feet. But it averages out, and the actual train length is with the conductor's paper work. I try to get my conductor to hand over his Wheel Report so I can see the actual train length while I'm trying to talk him out of one of his 23 sandwiches.

Answer 3

And that question would be????????

Addendum:

OK.  Cars are of varying length, so the number is up for grabs.

But, when working on the railroad, when a movement is being controlled by radio, the man on the ground, usually out of sight, will communicate distances to the engineer by using a unit of measurement called, a "car length"

The term has been around forever, but, in the modern terminology, a "car length" used in this fashion are 50 feet each.  It is much easier to tell the engineer, "ten cars" or "three cars" instead of opting for "1000 feet" or "150 feet."  Or even fractions.  "Two and 1/2 cars" etc. Less room for misunderstanding, fewer words and info can be transmitted much faster.

An example is "Back 'em up, 'bout 40 cars or so to a joint (No. A coupling.  Not THAT kind of joint)."  As the move progresses towards the standing equipment, the engineer is given a count down of distance, expressed in car lengths, slowing and stopping when the coupling is being made without plowing into that standing equipment.

So, assuming 50 feet per car, it is a simple matter of division.

5280 / 50 = 105.6   So, let's call it 105 cars for a mile long train.  But, again, an actual car count of a mile long train is all over the place due to many, many variables and rarely are any two exactly the same.

This is true for the converse as well, should one ask, if a train has 120 cars, how long is it.

Good question.  Thanks for asking..................  finally!

Answer 4

The average car length is more like 60'.  That would be 88 cars.

Answer 5

I also agree with Hoghead.

NYC Subway, Staten Island Railway, Long Island Railroad, Metro-North railroad, New Jersey Transit, SEPTA Regional Rail, SEPTA Subways, Hudson-Bergen Lightrails, RiverLine Lightrails also has different variety size.

Answer 6

What is the question?