At 6:43 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, this Union Pacific freight crosses Salem Avenue in Albany.
Yes, there’s no shortage of trains on the Union Pacific’s western Oregon mainline. And if you move around Albany much at all, whether on four wheels or two, or on foot, trains and you are often going to cross paths.
Like this:
As you may have noticed, this northbound freight was not long. It took only about a minute and a half — give or take a few seconds — to pass the crossing where I was standing.
I mention this because the length of freight trains has been an issue this year nationally. A study published in June concluded that longer trains are more likely to derail. It found that a train with 100 cars is twice as likely to derail as one with 50 cars.
Among those who took exception to this conclusion was the chief operating officer of the Union Pacific, based in Omaha.
“While average maximum train length grew,” Eric Gehringer wrote in an article dated Sept. 19, “serious derailments on Union Pacific’s network declined 26 percent compared with 2019.”
I looked this up after I got back to my desk. If I was thinking about the length of trains at all while standing at the crossing Tuesday evening, my main thought was one of regret that this train was so short. (hh)
I will always miss the caboose.
One way I sense the health of our national economy is the frequency and length of the trains passing through Albany. I remember 2008 and the covid lockdowns — the rail traffic was much less during those periods.
I enjoy seeing trains, and if not inconveniencing other drivers, slow to watch them. I don’t mind stopping at crossings either (unless hurrying to an appointment).