I have some questions about Trains my questions are: 1. Why does a train have 2 or 3 ldiesel locomotives? 2. how does a diesel locomotive steer does a diesel locomotive have a steering wheel? 3. how does the horn of a diesel locomotive work? 4. How does a diesel locomotive change directions? 5. is there any way I can see the inside of a diesel locomotive and be taken for a ride in a diesel locomotive in the Charlotte, Nc area? 6. would anyone like to be my friend? if you know the answers please e-mail me at channinga@carolina.rr.com and channing28270@yahoo.com or message me
Welcome aboard! As for your questions: 1. Sometimes more! The train needs a certain amount of tractive effort to hold a train on a grade, and a certain amount to pull it. Virtually no railroad is totally without grades. 2. They don't steer. The tracks do all that for the loco, although newer engines have what they call 'radial' trucks, that steer themselves around tight curves, decreasing rail and wheel wear, decreasing friction, increasing fuel economy, etc. 3. Just like a semitruck horn: compressed air. The loco's horn is driven by the compressed air the air compressors on the engine generate. 4. To understand this, you need to know that the diesel engine in the loco is just driving a generator. The generator feeds electricity to giany electric motor, called traction motors. The traction motors can reverse direction with the simple movement of the engineer's throttle lever. 5. That I can't answer, and given the state of terrorism in this country, most railroaders would rather not risk their jobs to give cab rides, etc.... 6. We're all a big family of train nuts here, and we're happy you have joined us!
well as for the 1st question the longer the consist (IE how many rail cars that the locomotives pull) the more loco's are needed. so it is not unusuale to see 10 loco's in the front and just as many in the rear of the train. loco's dont steer per say but they are guided around on the rails by wheels that have a lip over the outside of the rails, so they are guided by the direction of the rails. the horn on the loco works the same as a big rig.as for the direction. the loco's run on traction motors so they trow a switch in the cab called a reverser that in a sense is like putting the tranny in a car in reverse but it I think it changes the polerity of the electric motors for the wheels,(If Im wrong let me know) as far as looking inside a loco you can go to the Altoona railroaders museum and pay the money to see the museum(witch by the way is a great railroaders museum that tells how steam loco's work)and they have a SW-1500 that is a diesel loco that was used to do yard switching to build the consists. you can go inside on the cab of that unit but as for getting a ride there are no railroads that do that anymore. but in the museum there are very good videos that the train crew takes so its like getting a ride sorta. BTW welcome aboard we all here will help out as much as we can REMEMBER THERE IS NO DUMB QUESTIONS. at 1 time we all asked the same stuff you just did and now we are all railfans. thanks for the post Mike
Try the NC TRansportation Museum in Spencer... not too far away from you. They have many static and running locos on display. Harold
