Do diesel trains have a clutch?
Do diesel trains have a clutch? Mechanical clutches aren't well suited for the high torques of locomotive diesel engine, which is why hydrodynamic or electric transmissions are used. In a diesel-electric locomotive the diesel engine is directly coupled to a generator so no clutch is needed there.
Why do pilots start engine 2 first?
Engine number 2 start Exhaust Gas Temperatures (EGT) are generally higher. Engine number 2 is started first because it's on the opposite side of the air bridge. When starting with external air or power it is normal to start Engine number 1 because it is further away from the carts.
Are diesel trains slow?
Diesel engines have a much slower operating speed than gasoline, and that goes double for the massive ones used in locomotives. The large displacement diesel engine tops out at about 2,100 rpm, or lower. With a speed range like this, a locomotive would need 20 or 30 gears to make it up to 110 mph.
Why are diesel locomotives so hard to start?
Diesel engines do not run on glow plugs, they run on diesel fuel which is ignited by the heat of compresion. The glow plugs are only used for starting when it is very cold.
Do trains have gears?
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.
Why do they put engines in the middle of a train?
One of the primary reasons railroads use distributed power is to increase the pulling power of the trains as the length and weight also increases. By placing additional locomotives in the middle or at the end, the overall pulling power of the multiple locomotives increases, moving the train efficiently and effectively.
How big is a train engine?
One locomotive weighs about as much as 108 hippos Tier 4 locomotives weigh a whopping 432,000 pounds — the same as 108 hippos weighing in at 4,000 pounds each. 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.
Do trains reverse gear?
Modern electric and diesel-electric locomotives can go in either direction. Their wheels are designed with traction motors to allow forward, backward, or to stay neutral. As a fail-safe, the reverser key is removable, once removed the train will not run.
Why is a train called a train?
'Train' comes from a French verb that meant to draw; drag. It originally referred to the part of a gown that trailed behind the wearer. The word train has been part of English since the 14th century—since its Middle English days.