Much depends on the loco type/class/load, I'm sure, since answers range from 7 to 22 hours and 550 to 1650 miles.
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Biodiesel & Renewable Fuels: Traditionally, locomotives have run on petroleum diesel fuel, but railroads are now using renewable diesel and biodiesel blends to power them. Both renewable diesel and biodiesel are made from renewable energy sources and don't rely on fossil fuels.
The Federal Railroad Administration does not currently set any limits on train lengths – and also doesn't regularly track train lengths or their associated risks. That has allowed freight railroad companies to occasionally operate trains up to 8 kilometres (5 miles) long.
Thanks in part to these technologies, U.S. freight railroads can, on average, move one ton of freight nearly 500 miles per gallon of fuel, making rail the most fuel-efficient way to move freight over land.
Engines may be left idling to maintain important safety related functions such as maintaining engine temperature, air pressure for the brake system, the integrity of the starting systems, the electrical system and providing heating or cooling to a train's crew and/or passengers.
As more new locomotives are being added to the fleet, the older ones are moved to other less demanding tasks, like moving railcars in a hump yard. Many locomotives can last 30–40 years, depending on the maintenance done on them. Our GG1 Lasted 41 years, but many of the steam locomotives were retired early.
The life expectancy of diesel-electric and electric locomotives is expected to be similar—about 25 years. Both types of motive power are subject to technological obsolescence.
The longest UK train journey is Aberdeen to Penzance. Covering 785 miles, this train journey takes about 13 hours and 20 minutes to complete (give or take a few minutes). It has 36 stops and spends about two hours in total waiting for passengers to embark and disembark at each railway station along the way.
“There are times when mechanical and operational issues could also result in trains occupying a crossing for extended times,” the email continued, “and when trains stop for mandatory safety inspections or federally regulated crew changes.”
For a fuel cost of $0.84 per liter of diesel ($3.17 per gallon) (AAR (2012b)), this results in an average running fuel cost of $185 per locomotive-hour. If actual train and operation data are available, energy models or rail simulators may provide more accurate fuel use values for specific conditions.
Federal regulators limit the speed of trains with respect to the signaling method used. Passenger trains are limited to 59 mph and freight trains to 49 mph on track without block signal systems. (See dark territory.)