What’s the ‘tractive effort’ of a locomotive?

20-06-2019

What’s the ‘tractive effort’ of a locomotive? The ‘tractive effort’ is a measure of how large a load the loco can pull and set in motion from a standstill — the maximum force it can exert at the drawbar or coupling. While the raw horsepower rating of the loco is important, it is not the whole story. The loco's weight also comes into play, as a heavier loco can pull a larger load without its wheels slipping. Once the wheels begin slipping, the force that can be exerted by the loco drops dramatically. (Slipping occurs more with the front wheels because the front of the loco tends to lift slightly due to the reaction torque exerted by the rails on the loco.) Modern locos tend to

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Were/are battery-powered electric locos used in India?
June 20, 2019

Were/are battery-powered electric locos used in India? Yes. Western Railway inherited from the BB&CI Railway two broad-gauge battery-powered shunters that were used in a yard that was not electrified (and where the use of steam or diesel locos was thought to be too noisy). There is a picture of one of these in Jal Daboo's book. These were

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What kinds of bogies (trucks) are used by IR’s locomotives?
June 20, 2019

What kinds of bogies (trucks) are used by IR’s locomotives? For mainline BG locomotives, there were, until the 1980s, two main alternatives. The venerable WDM-2 which existed (exists) in vast numbers, along with the WDS-6, WAM-4, WAG-5, and some of the WCAM-1/2 locos used an Alco design asymmetric trimount (Co-Co) cast bogie design. Most other

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What does ‘Static Converter Fitted’ or similar annotation mean on a locomotive?
June 20, 2019

What does ‘Static Converter Fitted’ or similar annotation mean on a locomotive? Locos traditionally had a rotary converter (of Arno make) to generate 3-phase AC on board to power auxiliary equipment such as traction motor blowers, compressors, exhausters, etc. Starting in the 1980s static converters using solid-state circuitry to generate

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What is bio-diesel? What are bio-diesel locomotives?
June 20, 2019

Biodiesel is the name given to various fuels or diesel fuel mixtures that incorporate varying amounts of oils derived from plants. While in western countries interest has centred on soybean oil and other crops' oils for use in diesel engines, in India, local plants such as 'Ratanjyothi' (Jatropha curcas), 'Karanjia' (Pongammia pinnata), and 'Neem'

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What driver vigilance or driver alertness systems are used by IR in its locomotives?
June 20, 2019

What driver vigilance or driver alertness systems are used by IR in its locomotives? Several loco classes have speed limiters with buzzers that go off when the prescribed speed is exceeded. In some cases these may also result in the application of brakes. Some WAP-4 locos have the buzzer system and it is set for a speed of 130km/h although they

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I’ve heard that some locos have ‘cruise control’. What does this mean?
June 20, 2019

I’ve heard that some locos have ‘cruise control’. What does this mean? Some locomotive classes such as the WAP-5 and WAP-7, as well as the WAG-9, have controls in the cab that can 'lock' the train to travel at a certain speed (the speed at the time the control or button is set). The button is known as the 'BPCS' button. The computerized

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रैपिड रेल क्या है? कैसे बदलेगा शहरों का भविष्य | Delhi-Meerut RRTS पूरी जानकारी

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