Posted by Clint Dixon on Saturday, March 17, 2007 at 10:00:30 :
In Reply to: Traction Aiding Devices (from last Forum) posted by Clint Dixon on Thursday, March 15, 2007 at 21:25:09 :
Just received this email question from my big brother Spence:
"What about railroad locomotive and rail car wheels. They have no differentials and yet go around curves without the wheels spinning, slipping or dragging. A true spool axle. How do they do it?
Spence"
That is such a good question that I thought it deserved being answered here:
Rail cars can, by design, negotiate only minimum radius of turn. With this known radius, and known rail gauge, wheel slippage can easily be calculated. So locomotives and rail cars are designed with the wheels on the "inside" of the turn a correct diameter smaller than the "outside" wheels in order to compensate.
Junior
(Durn kin and their smart questions…) ;^)
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