Why are train locomotives so heavy?

The primary reason is they need the weight to get TRACTION - so they're not built with “weight savings” in mind at all. Same thing for pretty much any locomotive, with a possible exception for “cog” types that have a gear-type interface with their rails.



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The SD45s were good, but not enough for the railroad. Union Pacific reached out to EMD for more power, and the result was the behemoth EMD DDA40X. Often cited as both the largest and most powerful diesel-electric locomotive ever built, the 98-foot, 5-inch, 475,830-pound machine is staggering.

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The railways use a train detection systems which can tell signallers exactly where every train is and how fast they are going. There are also systems that can automatically stop trains if the driver doesn't take the correct course of action or passes through a red signal.

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Depending on the railroad and location, they can be between 65 cars in length and 200 cars (or more). The locomotives pulling the train will usually stay connected from origin to destination, which is why you will find a locomotive from one railroad on another railroad.

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One locomotive weighs about as much as 108 hippos These 6-axle engines have 4,400 traction horsepower and can reach a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour pulling thousands of tons of freight.

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Modern locomotives use electric traction instead of gears as electric traction is much more flexible than gears. Diesel fuels generators from the combustion engine and transform the energy using an alternator, which runs the traction motors.

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Many freight trains average a mile in length. If the train is traveling 50 to 60 MPH, it takes about a minute to clear a crossing. At 30 MPH, it takes about two minutes to clear a crossing. Trains have the right-of-way because they cannot quickly stop for a motorist at crossings or for trespassers on the tracks.

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A train engine requires about a hundred litres of fuel to get it started. So it wouldn't be economical if the engine is stopped and started frequently. This apart, if the engine is stopped, the moving parts' lubrication will also come to a halt.

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The Australian BHP Iron Ore is the longest train ever recorded in history at approximately 4.6 miles (7.353 km). In the Pilbara region of Western Australia, BHP owns and runs the Mount Newman railway. This is a private rail network designed to transport iron ore.

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Did you know: It takes the average freight train traveling 55 mph more than a mile—the length of 18 football fields—to stop. Trains cannot stop quickly. The average locomotive weighs about 400,000 pounds or 200 tons; it can weigh up to 6,000 tons.

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Most trains do not know where they are or where to to stop. A few are operated automatically, but most have a DRIVER. It is the driver who knows where the train is and where to stop.

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number one the l-0 series maglev. the crown for the fastest training commercial service goes to the l-0 series maglev in Japan the train was developed for the central Japan Railway company or the Jr Central for short and boasts the top speed. of 375 miles per hour like most of the fastest trains in the world.

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Mallard: The world's fastest steam locomotive | National Railway Museum. We're open seven days a week. Book your free admission ticket now to visit the museum. Schools and groups can book free tickets here.

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