Trains

[Yai]

How do train wheels grip the track ? Car tyres have treds on the them and the road is usually tarmac which is rough, so the types can grip the road and the car moves forward. But train wheels are smooth metal and so is the track, so how can the train go so fast with no grip ?

[Constantine]

At a guess I'd suggest that good old gravity does the job. Imagine the weight of a train - many tons - forcing down onto the tracks. That would create enough friction between the wheels and the track to maintain "grip".

[Ewood27]

It's only the engine that needs grip to move the train. The rest of the train just rolls along behind! In the days of the old steam trains drivers would indeed sometimes "give it too much welly" starting off from a station and spin the driving wheels until they backed off and regained the grip. Perhaps in today's diesels and electrics it is easier to judge how much throttle to apply, or perhaps they have traction control. I'm sure there's someone more knowledgeable who can tell us!

[Quizmonster]

Click http://science.howstuffworks.com/diesel-locomotive
2.htm for an informative website. It's American, but I don't suppose British trains/tracks are very much different.

[Dazz]

Yes, to add to the answers, it really is just weight!! Locomotives and wagons also have flanges on the inside of the wheels to keep them on the rails, but it is just the weight that does it! A modern freight locomotive weighs around 126 tonnes, so its not going anywhere except the rails (hopefully). The weight also helps grip the tracks, very well usually! Would you believe that they even "grease / lubricate" the rails to stop them wearing out too quickly, especially on corners, just shows you how much grip a loco has on the metal / metal contact! Dazz (A train driver!)

[KatherineBan]

 

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