>> > Don is reported to have said... >> >> >>> Modern locomotives have a nozzle that shoots sand down >> >> >>> on the wheels (trucks, for the railroad politically >> >> >>> correct) to add traction when >> >> the computer senses that the wheels are slipping. >> ................................................. >> > Actually sanders have been on locomotives since the very >> > early days. If you >> > look at an old steam locomotive, one of the several "domes" >> > on top is the sand dome. The actuating system was >> > automatic....when the engineer saw the >> > wheels slipping, he actuated it...kind of like driving a >> > 240D ;-) > >> Father was a railroader for 30 years. >> When diesels came into service after WW-2, he was amazed at >> the number of cars that could be pulled up a hill by a diesel; >> all because their were more driving wheels and because the >> electric traction motor driven wheels did not spin like the >> steam engine wheels. ------------------------------------ > Probably because the electric motor provided smooth torque. The > steam engine applied a lot more torque when the "wrist pin" was > 90 deg from the crank arm - unless it was one of those odd-ball, > slow-poke, gear reduction units. >Philip .................................................. IIRC the pins were 90 degrees out of phase so that the "bottoms" of each of the double acting cylinders strokes were evenly spaced over each revolution. I seem to remember that some of the big engines used in the Rocky Mountains had reduction gears, and some had two sets of cylinders; but the line he worked on, Louisville to St. Louis only used the basic steam locomotives. If you, or anyone else, is a railroad buff, I can possibly send a picture of his engine and crew; taken in the early 20th century. He worked all crew positions, engineer, fireman, conductor, brakeman, and flagman before the unions organized the railroad workers into separate job categories. In the picture I think he was working as conductor. Gerry
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