Longest scheduled train hauled by a single locomotive?

[StephenHunter]

What would be the longest service, passenger or freight, with just one locomotive hauling it? One of the Nightjets perhaps?

 

[gordonthemoron]

Aren’t the Scottish sleepers hauled by a single class 92 south of Carstairs/Edinburgh?

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2023 ==

What would be the longest service, passenger or freight, with just one locomotive hauling it? One of the Nightjets perhaps?

Although I’m intending on booking an IC from Hamburg to Binz tomorrow, with 11 coaches and one loco

 

[newtownmgr]

Suspect it would be something on the trains Siberian or in Australia.

 

[SeanG]

There are a number of services from Gdynia to Bohumin (and beyond) that are hauled buy the same loco throughout, not sure of the distance however

 

[gordonthemoron]

Suspect it would be something on the trains Siberian or in Australia.

In Australia, the Ghan and the service between Adelaide and Perth are at least double headed

 

[rf_ioliver]

Longest I can find for Finland is Helsinki-Kemijärvi which I think doesn't change locomotive at 988km.

eg: https://juliadata.fi/timetables?s=265&d=21.1.2023 IC265 was Sr2 hauled, with a few changes of consists along the way to attach/detach car carrier wagons & coaches

 

[Taunton]

Canadian railways have always run their diesels on passenger services right through from Vancouver to Montreal or Toronto. About a three day trip, refuelling at the head of the train en route at fuel points specially provided.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 22 Jan 2023 ==

Suspect it would be something on the trains Siberian or in Australia.

The Trans Siberian, like other Russian railways, changes locos at the boundary of each of the various major railway divisions, and locos are kept within their division, sometimes for their complete life. It's also the issue that the western half of the Trans Siberian is 3kV DC, and the eastern half is 25kV AC.

 

[jamesontheroad]

What would be the longest service, passenger or freight, with just one locomotive hauling it? One of the Nightjets perhaps?

Longest distance or longest rake?

Regarding distance, the Stockholm-Narvik night train covers 1,363km, usually with a single Rc6 locomotive.

 

[DanielB]

What would be the longest service, passenger or freight, with just one locomotive hauling it? One of the Nightjets perhaps?

The Amsterdam - Vienna Nightjet wil be one locomotive as of later this week, with ~ 1100 km probably in the top 10 for mainland Europe.

Though I wonder if the European Sleeper will have any loco changes when they start: Brussels - Amsterdam - Berlin - Prague would be quite a distance and B-NL-D is a usual combination for several loco types. Only CZ isn't usual combined with the first three countries.

 

[duesselmartin]

In Germany it could be the Münster to Klagenfurt EC 115. Class 101 all the way.

 

[P Binnersley]

In Germany it could be the Münster to Klagenfurt EC 115. Class 101 all the way.

EC 115 calls at Munich Hbf where it has to reverse and change engine. Possibly also at Stuttgart Hbf; but I'm not familiar with the recent changes there.

 

[popeter45]

I belive most long distance Amtrak trains dont change unless they enter the NEC so that would prob put the California Zephyr high up on the list at 2438 miles each way

in terms of length depends if you really call this a single locomotive but whatever need the massive 6 unit long Shenhua 24 locomotive in china prob takes the cake

 

[HamworthyGoods]

EC 115 calls at Munich Hbf where it has to reverse and change engine. Possibly also at Stuttgart Hbf; but I'm not familiar with the recent changes there.

EC115 is a push pull set so no loco change.

 

[ac6000cw]

Canadian railways have always run their diesels on passenger services right through from Vancouver to Montreal or Toronto. About a three day trip, refuelling at the head of the train en route at fuel points specially provided.

I belive most long distance Amtrak trains dont change unless they enter the NEC so that would prob put the California Zephyr high up on the list at 2438 miles each way

The VIA Rail Canadian is the longest distance passenger train in North America, at 2775 miles (4466 km), followed by the Amtrak California Zephyr then the other three Amtrak semi-transcontinental trains (Southwest Chief, Empire Builder and Sunset Limited).

As far as I know, all of those normally keep all/most of the same loco consist for the whole journey, but they are double or triple headed trains (so technically don't meet the OPs 'single loco' criteria).

 

[popeter45]

As far as I know, all of those normally keep all/most of the same loco consist for the whole journey, but they are double or triple headed trains (so technically don't meet the OPs 'single loco' criteria).

I read single loco as in no swapping during the trip, as a follow up to that recent thread about the most loco swaps done in a trip

 

[StephenHunter]

EC252 can run from Hamburg to Budapest just with a Czech Vectron.

 

[12LDA28C]

What would be the longest service, passenger or freight, with just one locomotive hauling it? One of the Nightjets perhaps?

Can you confirm if you mean the train which travels the longest distance without a loco change, or the longest train in terms of coaches / wagons etc.

 

[StephenHunter]

Can you confirm if you mean the train which travels the longest distance without a loco change, or the longest train in terms of coaches / wagons etc.

Former.

 

[ac6000cw]

I read single loco as in no swapping during the trip, as a follow up to that recent thread about the most loco swaps done in a trip

That was my interpretation too, which is why I think double/triple heading should be allowed provided all the locos stay with the train the whole way.

 

[MarcVD]

There used to be, in the 70ies, a seasonal tourists train that ran from Brussels to Spiez in Switzerland with a single belgian 16 series loco. May be not the longest Journey but surely the largest number of border crossings.

 

[delt1c]

Suspect it would be something on the trains Siberian or in Australia.

Did the Indian Pasific , 1 loco (diesel ( Adelaide to Perth). Likewise the Ghan 1 loco Darwin to Adelaide

 

[railfan99]

In Australia, the Ghan and the service between Adelaide and Perth are at least double headed

The 'Indian Pacific' is normally a single Pacific National NR class loco between Adelaide Parklands Terminal (Keswick), Cook and East Perth Terminal. However between Adelaide and Sydney Central, it's two locos so doesn't count.

I calculated the distance by rail as 2601.5 kilometres.

 

[gordonthemoron]

The 'Indian Pacific' is normally a single Pacific National NR class loco between Adelaide Parklands Terminal (Keswick), Cook and East Perth Terminal. However between Adelaide and Sydney Central, it's two locos so doesn't count.

I calculated the distance by rail as 2601.5 kilometres.

I stand corrected, their publicity states otherwise, but probably just for show

 

[nlogax]

I belive most long distance Amtrak trains dont change unless they enter the NEC so that would prob put the California Zephyr high up on the list at 2438 miles each way

Traditionally that’s been pair of P42s upfront and increasingly pairs of Siemens Chargers as their long term replacements.

 

[Beebman]

I've just been watching Simply Railway's latest video which is of a TUI ski charter from Amsterdam to Bludenz in Austria which had SBB Cargo loco 193 527 for the whole journey. It's not a normal service train of course but still very impressive to have just one loco for nearly 16 hours.

Welcome to this very special video, a ride onboard the rebirth of the TUI train, especially operated by the young and promising GreenCityTrip between Amsterdam and the Austrian Alps city of Bludenz Enjoy - TRIP INFORMATION - RECORDED IN JANUARY 2023 Railroad company: GreenCityTrip for TUI Holland Train type: Vectron SBB Cargo + AB30 + BCM From: Amsterdam Centraal to Bludenz Hbf Time: 15h49 Price: See TUI's website for more IMPOSSIBLE TO BOOK WITHOUT A SKI PACKAGE