Reasonable loading in 21st Century

I do recall 60007 being taken apart and lying in bits whilst being rebuilt at Steamtown in the early 90's.

 

Grate area divided by 3.6 (for wide grates) or 3 (for narrow), rounded up = max no of coaches works for me

 

But that implies the same load for a given engine, regardless of route. So are you saying the load for, say, Tornado (50 sq foot, wide grate, = 14 coaches rounded up) is the same, regardless of whether it is hammering up the ECML or pounding over the Devon banks? Can't believe it myself...

Tom

 

Too right, that only works for gradients upto 1 in 100.
For anything steeper express the gradient as a percentage ie 1 in 50 = 7 coaches... rounded up.....

 

Not if you are a K4, 27 sq. ft. of grate area gives 9 coaches on 1 in 100. As a maximum load? It most certainly does not work for this engine. On the more infamous steeper routes, curvature is as much of a factor as gradient. So you need a better formula.

 

NSS !
( or are you saying a K4 or even an 8F couldnt manage... are you saying im making it up as i go along ?) ?
Could argue that it works two ways, the smaller wheeled freight / mt locos can handle the loads better on gradients i suspect, but would have to be climbing hills faster to make up for the general speed restrictions applied to them...
and whilst im sure a modifying facor for curvature could be applied as well..... as the formula becomes more complex and more data/ research is needed to fill it in , it becomes much more sensible to forget the formula and consider the Route itself, the likely motive power, the likely conditions, approach speeds due to Tsr's etc on an individual basis. and then decide whats possible.

And then when the formation is made up and on its way to the start point and your 8p fails and you can only get a 5MT and/or a Box at short notice...