(erielack) CWR on the EL & curve elevation relaxation after #5 & #6

["Paul Brezicki" <doctorpb_@_bellsouth.net>]

Slower freight trains place excess wear on the inner rail on curves, which was exacerbated by the increasingly heavy freight cars which proliferated during the 60's and 70's. This was another reason for shifting traffic off the Delaware division. Maintenance was very expensive due to almost continuous curvature with pronounced superelevation, and adjusting such a large aggregate mileage was too expensive for EL. This is also one of the reasons today's passenger and freight trains are incompatible on the same track.

Paul B

After The Lake Cities was gone, they relaxed the elevation on the curves
between Greenville and Amasa taking them to 35mph from 45mph, IIRC again. A
friend of mine who worked MofW then said it was for the better, because they
did not have to spend as much time on those curves as before and easier on
track structure while still getting the freight through at a speed they were
doing anyway.

Paul Stumpff


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