LinkFromBlog

Link from blog is a unique and very good opportunity for both advertiser and blogger to get more traffic and earn revenue. Try it for free.

Saturday 22 December 2012

A Background On Locomotive Services

By Tameka Ware


One of the oldest forms of modern transportation that is in existence is locomotive services. Railroads were built so that the transportation of bulk products such as livestock, grain, produce and coal could be transported over long distances. It became the fastest way to transport any kind of bulk over long distances. Locomotive engines were built to propel train cars down tracks.

The steam engine was the first type of locomotive engine that was invented and the power would be generated by one or two wood or coal burning ovens. The heat was converted to steam and that was used to create a combustible engine. There would be two or three men who alternated shoveling the wood or coals into the ovens in a precise way so that the engine never lost steam. This engine is synonymous with the romantic vision of trains in the 18th and 19th centuries.

As the steam engine became costly to maintain and to run because of the manpower that was needed, the diesel engine was invented. When overhauled, it meant that the boilers needed to be stripped off and removed. The maintenance was high cost and occurred more and more recently.

This is when the diesel engine was made. These engines are powered by diesel fuel. It was a less costly way to run the train and fewer men were needed to keep the trains on the tracks. These engines could be maintained more efficiently and at less cost to the owner.

Then inventors went a step further; instead of having engines that operate on one fuel source, why not have engines that don't need fuel. Electric trains were invented. The electric train is powered by overhead electrical cables that are in contact at all times with the electrical receptors on the train. The costs of running these engines are much less costly and only one conductor is required. The train also runs at very high speeds.

The electric train engine has can work for up to fifty years for example the Italian unit E626 class was introduced in 1928 and was retired 71 years later. It required minimal overhaul and maintenance. There are three main categories of rail transport. There are freight, passenger and switcher engines.

These categories will determine the physical size and tractive effort and the maximum permitted speed. Freight engines are normally designed to deliver high tractive efforts so it needs to power a train that can weigh as much as 15 000 tons. However, passenger trains lower traction efforts because it won't weigh as much.

These trains are mainly used for their speed. Mixed traffic locomotives are built to provide for both requirements. Steam engines are still around today in Southern Africa as a tourist attraction. Today making use of locomotive services remains one of the main means of travel for passengers. It is also the main way that goods, livestock and produce are transported over long distances.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment