North Dakota Elevator Loads Longest Train in U.S. History
The Farmers Elevator Company in Honeyford in northeast North Dakota accomplished a historic event on November 1 when it loaded the longest train in U.S. history.
The 8.500-foot, or 1.6-mile long unit train full of corn was bound for Canada.
In the early 1980s, trains were usually only 10 cars long. But, as technology advanced, trains began to add cars. The U.S. standard became 110 cars, and in Canada, 142 cars - something that industry experts believe will soon be adopted as the standard in the U.S. thanks to improvements in infrastructure such as engine power and track quality.
These longer trains can boost efficiency in the supply chain by as much as 44 percent, however, rail space can be a challenge. Luckily, Farmers Elevator Company invested in extra rail on both sides, making the site specially equipped to load the longer trains.
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