You can read more about world records and record breaking in our homepage

Subject:      Guinness Railroad World Records
From:         Southern RR Club <southern.rr.club@juno.com>
Date:         1997/04/11
Message-Id:   <19970411.124853.9446.0.Southern.RR.Club@juno.com> 
Newsgroups:   bit.listserv.railroad



Granted, I don't believe every thing I read in this book, I do believe that many railroaders turn to the railroad records first, as I did today. I was wondering if anyone would care to answer my questions about the records in this book. These records could be false, and some probably are. MOST POWERFUL STEAM LOCOMOTIVE: The most powerful steam locomotive (according to the book), was No. 700, a triple-articulated 2-8-8-8-4-6, built by the Baldwin Locomotive Co. in 1916 for the Virginian Railroad. It had a tractive force of 166,300 lb working compound and 199,560 lb working simple. (Q1.) Is this still the world record (including diesel)? (Q2.) This record refers to the loco in past tense. Has it been destroyed? This sounds like it would be a prime candidate for a museum. Do you know where it is now? (Q3.) Does anyone have pictures, or stories of this loco? GREATEST LOAD: The world's strongest and only rail carrier, with a capacity of 889.7 tons, is the 370.4 ton, 36 axle, 301-ft-10-in-long "Schnabel", built for a US railway by Krupp, W Germany in march 1981. (Q1.) What US Railway? And why was it built in Germany? Wouldn't it be easier to build it in the USA? (Q2.) What was this built for? I don't think anyone would build this without a particular use in mind. Plus, I bet you needed a lot of permits just to transport that car empty! (Q3.)Where is this now? Also do you have pictures of it? LONGEST TRAIN: The longest and heaviest freight train on record was one about 4 miles in length consisting of 500 coal cars with three 3600 hp diesels pulling and three more in the middle, on the Iaegar, WV, to Portsmouth, OH stretch of 157 miles on the Norfolk & Western RR on Nov 15, 1967. The total weight was nearly 47,250 tons. (Q1.) Was this a RR stunt or an emergency consist? (Q2.) Was this a single consist or a two piece train? (Q3.) Wasn't this dangerous to have locos in the middle? I know this is a lot of questions. Can you help me answer them? Just answer the ones you can. Hopefully someone will answer any that you can't. Thanks!