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Reply to "Real Life Steam Double Heading"

@jhz563 posted:

With due respect,  this seems like a significant over simplification.  Steam locomotives also have the reciprocating mass of the drive rods and connecting rods that is simply not part of diesel electric traction. I remember reading during the Ace 3000 research trials with the 614, the local track crews found the 614 put a higher pounding load on the rails than their equipment was even calibrated to measure.

Absolutely untrue! The people doing the data collection on the instrumented track section were very surprised to find that the 614 was actually "easier on the track" than the diesel that operated over the same section on an hourly basis.

Wasn't one of the many selling points of diesels over steam that diesels were much less punishing on the right of way?

Not really! The major "selling feature" of the EMC/EMD FT units were it was capable of "Doing twice the work at half the cost.", primarily by eliminating all the steam locomotive maintenance overhead, such as boiler washes, coaling facilities, watering facilities, and support employees such as Boiler Makers and Water Service personnel.

I understand this isn't specific to OP's question about double headed steam power.  But if I am mistaken on this please explain it to me.

Hopefully, I just did.

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