Hot Rod

Hot Rod is a Class I railway that operates fast intermodal freight trains across Wikiland. It is the primary freight-hauling brand of Wiki Rail; other brands exist, though they are in lower classes. It uses a fleet of sleek and speedy electric locomotives operating well cars on grade-separated right of way in dedicated freight corridors.

Etymology

Hot Rod was named after a type of car.

History

In the 1970s, as trains across Wikiland went faster and faster and the demand for freight such as gacha items increased, the National Council unanimously agreed to build dedicated electrified freight corridors for fast and direct intermodal freight transport by rail, linking each grove's biggest intermodal freight terminal. Many of the corridors would run alongside dedicated Wikistar lines in order to minimize land use.

Operations

Hot Rod exclusively operates intermodal freight trains between Wikiland's groves with the exception of Shadowveil at speeds of up to 129 km/h (80 mph), comparable with the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway's Super C between Chicago and Los Angeles. Trains are hauled by electric locomotives with multiple sections capable of reaching high enough speeds while pulling 100+ loaded well cars. With the "well" being a depressed section sitting close to the rails, the cars usually carry stacks of two intermodal containers at a time. Each grove has its own particular intermodal freight terminal serviced by Hot Rod trains. Most are dedicated for Hot Rod, while others, like the Port of Wiki City, are served by Class II and III companies. The dedicated terminals were designed for transfer to Class II or III trains to destinations throughout the grove or clump, like spokes from a hub. Popular customers include Trickshot, who ships containers of diffusers out of Riverside. The concentration of diffusers per container reaches the thousands, as even a single pallet can carry hundreds of diffusers in tightly packed boxes.

Concept art

For the sake of visualization, Hot Rod concept art will be based on the China Railways HXD1, a Chinese twin unit electric locomotive used for freight service capable of reaching speeds of up to 120 km/h or 75 mph.