How many miles per gallon does a locomotive get?
How many miles per gallon does a locomotive get? Trains can move 1 ton of freight around 500 miles on 1 gallon of fuel.
Which is faster diesel or electric locomotive?
Power plant capacity is far greater than any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have a higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration.
What is the average horsepower of a diesel locomotive?
Most yard-switching and short-haul locomotives are equipped with diesel engines ranging from 600 to 1,800 horsepower; road units commonly have engines ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 horsepower.
How long does it take to fuel a locomotive?
Loading of coal and water and incidental maintenance takes a steam locomotive about 1 hour. A diesel engine can be fueled from a pump in 10 minutes or so.
Why train engines are not switched off?
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.
Do trains have a clutch?
Mechanical transmission is the simplest type; it is mainly used in very low-power switching locomotives and in low-power diesel railcars. Basically it is a clutch and gearbox similar to those used in automobiles. A hydraulic coupling, in some cases, is used in place of a friction clutch.
How many gallons is a locomotive fuel tank?
Fuel Tank. This huge tank in the underbelly of the locomotive holds up to 5,500 gallons (20,820 liters) of diesel fuel, plus an additional 300 gallons (1,135 liters) of coolant, and 250 gallons (946 liters) of engine oil.
How much fuel does a locomotive use at idle?
Idling switchers use between 3 and Il gallons of fuel per hour depending on the ambient temperature. If a switcher idles 12 hours a day in warm weather and burns 3 gallons of fuel per hour, it would consume 36 gallons of fuel per day.
How far can a locomotive go on a full tank?
1000 miles between refuellings would not be unreasonable for a road locomotive with a 4000 gallon tank averaging 40 mph on a line with a maximum grade of 1%. However I would want refuel before I am running on the bottom third of the tank, so perhaps 700 miles is more realistic.