What are the fans on top of a train for?

While both builders use fans on the main radiator banks to assist in cooling, EMD's system also uses a shutter system to control the flow of air across the radiators. Modern EMD and GE locomotives use a split cooling system with separate paths to reduce the coolant temperature to the levels required.



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A railfan, rail buff or train buff (American English), railway enthusiast, railway buff or trainspotter (Australian/British English), or ferroequinologist is a person who is recreationally interested in trains and rail transport systems.

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Walking or playing on railroad property is trespassing. It is illegal, very dangerous and poses a serious safety and security risk.

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True confession (as if you didn't know): I am a railfan. But don't call me a “foamer!” People who love trains come in all shapes and sizes, but “foamer” is a term they universally hate. “Foamers” is how railroad employees refer to railfans because they think we “foam” at the mouth anytime we see a train.

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Electric trains generally draw power from AC overhead lines. Some DC lines do exist, but they are getting replaced by AC lines. Motors used (traction motors) are generally DC motors.

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In our world, a catenary is a system of overhead wires used to supply electricity to a locomotive, streetcar, or light rail vehicle which is equipped with a pantograph.

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Did you know that Amtrak trains running along the Northeast and Keystone corridors are powered by an overhead wire system called a catenary system? The catenary system provides electrical power to these trains, allowing them to move quickly up and down the corridor.

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The conductor title is most common in North American railway operations, but the role is common worldwide under various job titles. In Commonwealth English, a conductor is also known as guard or train manager. A conductor on an Amtrak train.

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The term hobo is a loose one used to define everything from happy-go-lucky train hoppers to large homeless communities (and sometimes derogatorily so). But in its most popular definition, itinerant workers traveling the country by train use the word to describe themselves and their unique and intentional lifestyle.

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The hobby extends to all aspects of rail transport systems. Railfans may have one or more particular concentrations of interest, such as: Railway locomotives and rolling stock. Still-used or disused railroad lines, bridges, tunnels, stations, signal boxes and other infrastructure.

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Historically, the 110 V battery located in the main locomotive was the source of dc power for most electrical rail applications. This meant providing light to the carriages required running cables along the full train length.

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In the thread, Holohan contends that the standard railroad gauge in the U.S.—4 feet, 8.5 inches—derives from the way that rail lines were built in England, where engineers based the width of their railroads on the spacing of road ruts in Imperial Rome, which were in turn designed to accommodate the size of horses' rear ...

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Some spotters desire photos of the trains, whilst others just enjoy the satisfaction of having seen them in real life, and they do not feel like they require proof. Some spotters also take an interest in old rail tickets, timetables, rail signage or other railway related memorabilia.

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Railfans get used to the usual patterns of trains in their area, and use scanners to listen in on railroad dispatch frequencies. But it takes knowledge and practice to decipher what you hear on the scanner.

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