Railways and electrical utilities use AC as opposed to DC for the same reason: to use transformers, which require AC, to produce higher voltages.
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DC motors are used on trains is because of their high torque and good speed control. Compared to AC motors, DC motors can provide industry applications with a fine balance of strong starting torque and controllable speed for seamless yet precise performance.
Most overhead railway cables carry a voltage of 25,000 volts (25kV) in order to power electric trains. This is roughly 100 times more powerful than the electricity used in your home.
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.
A large diesel engine turns a shaft that drives a generator which makes electricity. This electrical energy powers large electric motors at the wheels called 'traction motors'. To make a diesel electric locomotive power system it takes mechanical, electrical and control engineers.
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. The pantagraph presses against the underside of the lowest overhead wire, the contact wire.