- "Electric Trains" redirects here. For the 1995 Squeeze single, see Electric Trains (song). Squeeze are an English band that came to prominence in the United Kingdom during the New Wave period of the late 1970s and continued recording successfully " Electric Trains " is a song by Squeeze, released as their second single from their eleventh album Ridiculous.
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from an external source. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. Sources include overhead lines, third rail or an on-board electricity storage device such as a battery or a flywheel system. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails In electronics a battery is a combination of two or more Electrochemical cells which store chemical Energy which can be converted into electrical energy In electronics a battery is a combination of two or more Electrochemical cells which store chemical Energy which can be converted into electrical energy Flywheel Energy Storage (FES works by accelerating a Rotor ( Flywheel) to a very high speed and maintaining the energy in the system as Rotational energy
Electrically-propelled locomotives with on-board fueled prime movers, such as diesel engines or gas turbines, are not classed as electric locomotives but as hybrid, as the electric generator/motor combination is only considered to be the power transmission system. In Locomotives, a prime mover is the primary source of power to run the locomotive A diesel engine is an Internal combustion engine which operates using the Diesel cycle (named after Dr A gas turbine, also called a combustion turbine, is a rotary Engine that extracts energy from a flow of Combustion gas A hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle
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Characteristics
One of the major reasons for electrification is the lack of pollution, at least from the locomotives themselves. Other reasons are higher performance, lower maintenance costs, and lower energy cost for electric locomotives.
Power plants, even if they burn fossil fuels, are far cleaner than mobile sources such as locomotive engines. Also the power for electric locomotives can come from clean and renewable sources, including hydroelectric power, solar power, and wind turbines. Electric locomotives are also quiet compared to diesel locomotives since there is no engine and exhaust noise and less mechanical noise. The lack of reciprocating parts means that electric locomotives are easier on the track, reducing track maintenance.
Power plant capacity is far greater than what any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration. Electric locomotives are ideal for commuter rail service with frequent stops. Commuter rail, regional rail or suburban rail is a Passenger rail transport service between a city center and outer suburbs and Commuter towns Electric locomotives are used on all high-speed lines, such as Acela in the US, Shinkansen in Japan and TGV in France. Acela is a Brand applied by Amtrak to its High-speed trains along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast U The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Electric locomotives are also used on freight routes that have a consistently high traffic volume, or in areas with advanced rail networks.
Electric locomotives benefit from the high efficiency of electric motors, often above 90%. Additional efficiency can be gained from regenerative braking, which allows kinetic energy to be recovered during braking to put some power back on the line. A regenerative brake is a mechanism that reduces Vehicle speed by converting some of its Kinetic energy into another useful form of energy The kinetic energy of an object is the extra Energy which it possesses due to its motion Newer electric locomotives use AC motor-inverter drive systems that provide for regenerative braking.
The chief disadvantage of electrification is the cost for infrastructure (overhead power lines or electrified third rail, substations, control systems). Public policy in the US currently interferes with electrification---higher property taxes are imposed on privately owned rail facilities if they have electrification facilities. Also, US regulations on diesel locomotives are very weak compared to regulations on automobile emissions or power plant emissions.
History
The first known electric locomotive was built by a Scotsman, Robert Davidson of Aberdeen in 1837 and was powered by galvanic cells ('batteries'). Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Robert Davidson (1804 - 1894 was a Scottish inventor who built the first known Electric locomotive in 1837 Aberdeen ( pronounced; Aiberdeen Obar Dheathain is Scotland 's third most populous city and one of Scotland's 32 local government council Year 1837 ( MDCCCXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common The Galvanic cell, named after Luigi Galvani, consists of two different metals connected by a Salt bridge or a porous disk between the individual half-cells Davidson later built a larger locomotive named Galvani which was exhibited at the Royal Scottish Society of Arts Exhibition in 1841. The Royal Scottish Society of Arts is a Learned society in Scotland, dedicated to the study of Science and Technology. The first electric passenger train was presented at Berlin in 1879. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. However, the limited electric power available from batteries prevented its general use on railways. [1] Electric trolleys were pioneered in 1888 on the Richmond Union Passenger Railway, using equipment designed by Frank J. Sprague. The Richmond Union Passenger Railway, in Richmond Virginia, was the first practical electric trolley (tram system and set the pattern for most subsequent Frank Julian Sprague ( July 25, 1857 in Milford Connecticut - October 25, 1934) was an American naval officer [2]
Much of the early development of electric locomotion was driven by the increasing use of tunnels, particularly in urban areas. Smoke from steam locomotives was noxious, and municipalities were increasingly inclined to prohibit their use within their limits. Thus the first successful working, the City and South London Railway underground line in the UK, was prompted by a clause in its enabling act, prohibiting use of steam power. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway [3] This line opened in 1890, using electric locomotives built by Mather and Platt. Electricity quickly became the power supply of choice for subways, abetted by the Sprague's invention of multiple-unit train control in 1897. Frank Julian Sprague ( July 25, 1857 in Milford Connecticut - October 25, 1934) was an American naval officer Multiple-unit train control, sometimes referred to simply as multiple-unit or MU, is a method of simultaneously controlling all the traction equipment in a Train Surface and elevated rapid transit systems generally used steam until forced to convert by ordinance. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway
The first use of electrification on a mainline was on a four-mile stretch of the Baltimore Belt Line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) in 1895. The Baltimore Belt Line was constructed by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O in the 1890s to connect the railroad's newly constructed line to New York City with The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ( B&O) was one of the Oldest railroads in the United States and the first Common carrier railroad This track connected the main portion of the B&O to the newly built line to New York, and it required a series of tunnels around the edges of Baltimore's downtown. Parallel tracks on the Pennsylvania Railroad had shown that coal smoke from steam locomotives would be a major operating issue, as well as a public nuisance. The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Railroad, founded in 1846 A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" Three Bo+Bo units were initially used, at the south end of the electrified section; they coupled onto the entire train, locomotive and all, and pulled it through the tunnels. The UIC classification is a comprehensive system for describing the Wheel arrangement of Locomotives Multiple units and Trams It is [4]
Railroad entrances to New York City required similar tunnels, and the smoke problems were more acute there. The City of New York A collision in the Park Avenue tunnel in 1902 led the New York State legislature to outlaw the use of smoke-generating locomotives south of the Harlem River after July 1, 1908. See also Geography and environment of New York City The Harlem River is a navigable tidal Strait in New York City, USA that "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 1908 ( MCMVIII) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year In response, electric locomotives began operation in 1904 on the New York Central Railroad. The New York Central Railroad, known simply as the New York Central in its publicity was a Railroad operating in the Northeastern United States. In the 1930s the Pennsylvania Railroad, which also had introduced electric locomotives because of the NYC regulation, electrified its entire territory east of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Railroad, founded in 1846 Harrisburg is the Capital of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States of America
In Europe, electrification projects initially focused on mountainous regions for several reasons: coal supplies were difficult and hydroelectric power was readily available; and electric locomotives gave more traction on steeper lines. Hydroelectricity is electricity generated by Hydropower, ie the production of power through use of the gravitational force of falling water For example; today 100% of Swiss lines are electrified.
Italian railways were the first in the world to introduce electric traction for the entire length of a mainline rather than just a short stretch. The long mountainous terrain of the Valtellina line was electrified in 1902 using three-phase power at 3,600 V, with a maximum speed of 70 km/h. Valtellina or the Valtelline Valley; (Valtellina Veltlin Vuclina is a valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland Similar lines followed, the most famous being the St. Gotthard in Switzerland (1919), which used alternating current (AC) at 15,000 V. The use of high voltage AC power allowed the use of lighter lines as a higher voltage means a lower current is required, hence smaller conductors can be used[5]. [6]
In the United States, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad (the Milwaukee Road), the last transcontinental line to be built, electrified its lines across the Rocky Mountains and to the Pacific Ocean starting in 1915. The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Railroad ( CMSP&P RR), was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest Mountain peaks of the Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, often called the Rockies, are a Mountain range in western North America. A few East Coast lines, notably the Virginian Railway and the Norfolk and Western Railway, found it expedient to electrify short sections of their mountain crossings. The Virginian Railway was a Class I railroad located in Virginia and West Virginia in the United States. The Norfolk and Western Railway ( N&W), a US Class I railroad, was formed by more than 200 railroad mergers between 1838 and 1982 However, by this point, electrification in the United States was more associated with dense urban traffic, and the center of development shifted to Europe, where electrification was widespread.
The 1960s saw the electrification of many European main lines (Eastern Europe included) European electric locomotives technology had improved steadily from the 1920s onwards. By comparison, the Milwaukee Road class EP-2 (1918) weighed 240 t, with a power of 3,330 kW and a maximum speed of 112 km/h; in 1935, German E 18 had a power of 2,800 kW, but weighed only 108 tons and had a maximum speed of 150 km/h. The Milwaukee Road 's class EP-2 comprised five Electric locomotives built by General Electric in 1919 On March 29, 1955 French locomotive CC 7107 reached a speed of 331 km/h. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) SNCF 's CC 7100 class are part of a series of Electric locomotives built by Alsthom. In 1960 the SJ Class Dm 3 locomotives introduced on the Swedish Railways produced a record 7,200 kW. Locomotives capable of commercial passenger service at 200 km/h appeared in Germany and France in the same period. Further improvements resulted from the introduction of electronic control systems, which permitted the use of increasingly lighter and more powerful motors (standardising from the 1990s onwards on asynchronous three-phase motors, fed through GTO-inverters).
In the United States, the use of electric locomotives declined in the face of dieselization. Diesels shared some of the electric locomotive’s advantages of over steam, and the cost of building and maintaining the power supply infrastructure, which had always worked to discourage new installations, brought on the elimination of most mainline electrification outside the Northeast. Except for a few captive systems (e. g. the Black Mesa and Lake Powell), by 2000 electrification was confined to the Northeast Corridor and some commuter service; even there, freight service was handled by diesels. The Northeast Corridor ( NEC) is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency
In the 1980s, development of very high-speed service brought a revival of electrification. The Japanese Shinkansen and the French TGV were the first systems for which devoted high-speed lines were built from scratch. The is a Network of High-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service Similar programs were undertaken in Italy, Germany and Spain; in the United States the only new mainline service was an extension of electrification over the Northeast Corridor from New Haven, Connecticut to Boston, Massachusetts, though new light rail systems, using electrically powered cars, continued to be built. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. For specific light rail systems many of which use the words "light rail" as part of their name see List of light-rail transit systems.
On 2 September 2006 a Siemens Electric locomotive of the Type ES64-U4 (ÖBB Class 1216) raced to a speed of 357 km/h beating the French[7]. Events 44 BC - Pharaoh Cleopatra VII of Egypt declares her son co-ruler as Ptolemy XV Caesarion. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The EuroSprinter family of electric locomotives is a modular concept of locomotives for the European market built by Siemens.
Electric locomotive types
An electric locomotive can be supplied with power from
- Rechargeable energy storage systems, as battery or ultracapacitor-powered mining locomotives. A rechargeable energy storage system or RESS is a system that stores Energy for delivery of electric energy and which is rechargeable generally in Electric double-layer capacitors, also known as supercapacitors, electrochemical double layer capacitors ( EDLCs) or ultracapacitors Mining is the extraction of valuable Minerals or other geological materials from the earth usually (but not always from an Ore body
- A stationary source, such as a third rail or overhead wire. A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the
This is in marked contrast to a Diesel-electric locomotive, which combines an onboard Diesel engine with an electrical power transmission or store (battery, ultracapacitor) system. A Diesel locomotive is a type of Railroad Locomotive in which the prime mover is a Diesel engine. Power transmission is the movement of Energy from its place of generation to a location where it is applied to performing useful work.
The distinguishing design features of electric locomotives are:
- The type of electrical power used, either alternating current or direct current. An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge.
- The method for store (batteries, ultracapacitors) or collecting (transmission) electrical power.
- The means used to mechanically couple the traction motors to the driving wheels (drivers). See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as
Direct or alternating current
The most fundamental difference lies in the choice of direct (DC) or alternating current (AC). Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge. An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant The earliest systems used direct current as, initially, alternating current was not well understood. Direct current locomotives typically run at relatively low voltage (750 to 3,000 volts); the equipment is therefore relatively massive because the currents involved are large in order to transmit sufficient power. Power must be supplied at frequent intervals as the high currents result in large transmission system losses.
As alternating current motors were developed, they became the predominant types, particularly on longer routes. High voltages (tens of thousands of volts) are used because this allows the use of low currents; transmission losses are proportional to the square of the current (e. Copper loss is the term often given to Heat produced by Electrical currents in the conductors of Transformer windings or other electrical devices g. twice the current means four times the loss). Thus, high power can be conducted over long distances on lighter and cheaper wires. Transformers in the locomotives transform this power to a low voltage, high current for the motors (the magnet fields, hence power, from the motor is proportional to electric current). [8] A similar high voltage, low current system could not be employed with direct current locomotives because there is no easy way for DC to do the voltage/current transformation so efficiently achieved by AC transformers.
AC traction sometimes uses three phase current rather than the single phase of household use. This article deals with the basic mathematics and principles of three-phase electricity Speed control of three-phase AC motors remained problematic until the introduction of power electronic control circuits in the 1960s. Italy was the only country to try to solve the problem by using three-phase motors fed by three-phase lines: this system, however, caused other maintenance and technology problems, and was abandoned in the 1970s.
The previous direct commutators had problems at both start and low velocities. Rectifier locomotives, which used AC power transmission and DC motors, were common. A rectifier is an electrical device that converts Alternating current (AC to Direct current (DC a process known as rectification. Today's advanced electric locomotives have invariably Three-phase AC induction motors. An electric motor uses Electrical energy to produce Mechanical energy. These polyphase machines are powered from GTO inverters. A gate turn-off thyristor (GTO is a special type of Thyristor, a high-power Semiconductor device. The cost of electronic devices in a modern locomotive can be up to 50% of the total cost of the vehicle.
Electric traction allows the use of regenerative braking, in which the motors are used as brakes and become generators that transform the motion of the train into electrical power that is then fed back into the lines. A regenerative brake is a mechanism that reduces Vehicle speed by converting some of its Kinetic energy into another useful form of energy This system is particularly advantageous in mountainous operations, as descending locomotives can produces a large portion of the power required for ascending trains.
Most systems have a characteristic voltage, and in the case of AC power a system frequency. Many locomotives over the years were equipped to handle multiple voltages and frequencies as systems came to overlap or were upgraded. American FL9 locomotives were equipped to handle power from two different electrical systems and could also operate as a conventional diesel-electric. The EMD FL9 (New Haven Class EDER-5 was a dual-power Electro-diesel locomotive, capable of self-powered Diesel-electric operation and of operation as an
While recently designed systems invariably operate on alternating current, many existing direct current systems are still in use — e. Direct current ( DC) is the unidirectional flow of Electric charge. g. in South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom (750 V and 1,500 V); Netherlands, Mumbai, Ireland (1,500 V); Belgium, Italy, Poland, Russia (3,000 V), and the cities of Washington DC (750 V). The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world The Kingdom of Belgium is a Country in northwest Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts its headquarters as well as those Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D
Power transmission
See also Railway electrification system
Electrical circuits require two connections (or for three phase AC, three connections). Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating This article deals with the basic mathematics and principles of three-phase electricity From the very beginning the trackwork itself was used for one side of the circuit. Unlike model railroads, however, the trackwork normally supplies only one side, the other side(s) of the circuit being provided separately. Model railroading (US or Railway modelling (UK Australia and Canada is a Hobby in which Rail transport systems are modeled at a reduced scale
The original Baltimore and Ohio Railroad electrification used a sliding shoe in an overhead channel, a system quickly found to be unsatisfactory. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad ( B&O) was one of the Oldest railroads in the United States and the first Common carrier railroad It was replaced with a third rail system, in which a pickup (the "shoe") rode underneath or on top of a smaller rail parallel to the main track, somewhat above ground level. A third rail is a method of providing Electricity to power a railway through a continuous rigid conductor alongside the railway track or between the rails There were multiple pickups on both sides of the locomotive in order to accommodate the breaks in the third rail required by trackwork. This system is preferred in subways because of the close clearances it affords. A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway or metro(politan system is an electric passenger railway
However, railways generally tend to prefer overhead lines, often called "catenaries" after the support system used to hold the wire parallel to the ground. Overhead lines or overhead wires are used to transmit Electrical energy to Trams Trolleybuses or Trains at a distance from the In Physics and Geometry, the catenary is the theoretical Shape of a hanging flexible Chain or Cable when supported at its ends and Three collection methods are possible:
- Trolley pole: a long flexible pole, which engages the line with a wheel or shoe. For the weapon see Trolley pole (weapon. trolley pole is a tapered cylindrical pole of Wood or Metal, used to transfer Electricity
- Bow collector: a frame that holds a long collecting rod against the wire. A bow collector is one of the three main devices used on Tramcars to transfer Electric current from the wires above to the tram below
- Pantograph: a hinged frame that holds the collecting shoes against the wire in a fixed geometry. A pantograph is a device that collects electric current from Overhead lines for electric Trains or Trams The term stems from the resemblance to pantograph
Of the three, the pantograph method is best suited for high-speed operation. Some locomotives are equipped to use both overhead and third rail collection(e. g. British Rail Class 92). The Class 92 is a dual- Voltage British railway Locomotive which can run on 25 kV AC from overhead wires or 750 V
Driving the wheels
During the initial development of railroad electrical propulsion, a number of drive systems were devised to couple the output of the traction motors to the wheels. See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as One of the earliest methods was the jackshaft drive. A jackshaft also called a countershaft, is a common mechanical design component used to transfer or synchronize rotational force in a machine In this arrangement, the traction motor is mounted within the body of the locomotive and drives the jackshaft through a set of gears. See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as A jackshaft also called a countershaft, is a common mechanical design component used to transfer or synchronize rotational force in a machine This system was employed because the first traction motors were too large and heavy to mount directly on the axles. See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as Due to the number of mechanical parts involved, frequent maintenance was necessary. The jackshaft drive was abandoned for all but the smallest units when smaller and lighter motors were developed,
Several other systems were devised as the electric locomotive matured. A jackshaft also called a countershaft, is a common mechanical design component used to transfer or synchronize rotational force in a machine One drive type, referred to as the quill drive, mounted the traction motor above or to the side of the axle and coupled to the axle through a reduction gear and a semi-flexible shaft (the quill). A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a Drive shaft to shift its position (either Axially Radially or both relative to its Driving The Pennsylvania Railroad GG1 locomotive used a quill drive. The Pennsylvania Railroad 's GG1 class of Electric locomotives were built between 1934 to 1943 at the PRR shops in Altoona Pennsylvania, with a total of Again, as traction motors continued to shrink in size and weight, quill drives gradually fell out of favor. See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as A quill drive is a mechanism that allows a Drive shaft to shift its position (either Axially Radially or both relative to its Driving
Another drive example was the "bi-polar" system, in which the motor armature was the axle itself, the frame and field assembly of the motor being attached to the truck (bogie) in a fixed position. The motor had two field poles, which allowed a limited amount of vertical movement of the armature. This system was of limited value since the power output of each motor was limited. The EP-2 bi-polar electrics used by the Milwaukee Road compensated for this problem by using a large number of powered axles. The Milwaukee Road 's class EP-2 comprised five Electric locomotives built by General Electric in 1919 The Milwaukee Road, officially the Chicago Milwaukee St Paul and Pacific Railroad ( CMSP&P RR), was a Class I railroad that operated in the Midwest
Modern electric locomotives, like their Diesel-electric counterparts, almost universally use axle-hung traction motors, with one motor for each powered axle. A number of vehicles use a diesel-electric Powertrain for providing locomotion. See also Electric vehicle, Electric motor A traction motor is a type of Electric motor used to power the driving wheels of a vehicle such as In this arrangement, one side of the motor housing is supported by plain bearings riding on a ground and polished journal that is integral to the axle. The other side of the housing has a tongue-shaped protuberance that engages a matching slot in the truck (bogie) bolster, its purpose being to act as a torque reaction device, as well as a support. A bolster (etymology Middle English derived from Old English and before that the Germanic word bulgstraz) is a long narrow Pillow or Cushion A torque (τ in Physics, also called a moment (of force is a pseudo- vector that measures the tendency of a force to rotate an object about Power transfer from motor to axle is effected by spur gearing, in which a pinion on the motor shaft engages a bull gear on the axle. A pinion is usually the smallest Gear in a gear drive train The term bull gear is used to refer to the larger of two spur gears that are in engagement in any machine Both gears are enclosed in a liquid-tight housing containing lubricating oil. The type of service in which the locomotive is used dictates the gear ratio employed. Numerically high ratios are commonly found on freight units, whereas numerically low ratios are typical of passenger engines. Cargo (or freight) refers to goods or produce transported generally for Commercial gain by ship, aircraft, train, This article is about passengers in commercial transportation for other uses see Passenger (disambiguation A passenger is a term broadly used
Wheel arrangements
The Whyte notation system for classifying steam locomotives is not adequate for describing the varieties of electric locomotive arrangements, though the Pennsylvania Railroad applied classes to its electric locomotives as if they were steam or concatenations of such. The Whyte notation for classifying Steam locomotives by Wheel arrangement was devised by Frederick Methvan Whyte Other classification schemes like A steam locomotive is a Locomotive powered by Steam. The term usually refers to its use on Railways but can also refer to a "road locomotive" The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Railroad, founded in 1846 Class (locomotive refers to a group of locomotives built to a common design for a single railroad For example, the PRR GG1 class indicates that it is arranged like two 4-6-0 class G locomotives that are coupled back-to-back. The Pennsylvania Railroad 's GG1 class of Electric locomotives were built between 1934 to 1943 at the PRR shops in Altoona Pennsylvania, with a total of In the Whyte notation, a 4-6-0 is a Railroad Steam locomotive that has a two-axle Leading truck followed by three Driving axles
In any case, the UIC classification system was typically used for electric locomotives, as it could handle the complex arrangements of powered and unpowered axles, and could distinguish between coupled and uncoupled drive systems. The UIC classification is a comprehensive system for describing the Wheel arrangement of Locomotives Multiple units and Trams It is
Electric traction in the world
United States
In the United States it was estimated that it cost as much to electrify a railroad as it cost to build it in the first place. Overhead lines and third rails require greater clearances, and the right-of-way must be better separated to protect the public from electrocution, as well as from trains which approach much more quietly than diesels or steam.
For most large systems the cost of electrifying the whole system is impractical, and generally only some divisions are electrified. In the United States only certain dense urban areas and some mountainous areas were electrified, and the latter have all been discontinued. The junction between electrified and unelectrified territory is the locale of engine changes; for example, Amtrak trains had extended stops in New Haven, Connecticut as diesel and electric locomotives were swapped, a delay which contributed to the electrification of the remaining segment of the Northeast Corridor in 2000. The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Doing business as Amtrak, is a Government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971 The Northeast Corridor ( NEC) is the busiest passenger rail line in the United States by ridership and service frequency 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. [9]
In North America, the flexibility of diesel locomotives and the relative low cost of their infrastructure has led them to prevail except where legal or other operational constraints dictate the use of electricity. An example of the latter is the use of electric locomotives by AMTRAK and commuter railroads in The Northeast. Commuter rail services in the United States, Canada, and Mexico provide Common carrier passenger transportation along railway
Europe
Electrification is widespread in Europe. Due to higher density schedules the operating costs of the locomotives are more dominant with respect to the infrastructure costs than in the US, and electric locomotives have much lower operating costs than diesels. In addition, governments were motivated to electrify their railway networks due to coal shortages during the First and Second World War.
It should also be noted that diesel locomotives have little power compared to electric locomotives, given the same weight and dimensions. For instance, the 2,200 kW of a modern British Rail Class 66 were already met in 1927 by the electric SBB-CFF-FFS Ae 4/7 (2,300 kW), which is even a bit lighter. The Class 66 locomotive is a development of the Class 59 and used both on British and European railway networks—where it is marketed as EMD Series 66. However, it should be noted that for low speeds tractive effort is more important than power, which is a reason why diesel engines are competitive for slow freight traffic (as it is common in the US), but not for passenger or mixed passenger/freight traffic like on many European railway lines, especially not lines with steep grades like the Gotthardbahn or the Brenner railway, where heavy freight trains must be run at comparatively high speeds (80 km/h or more). Gotthardbahn (German for "Gotthard railway" was the name of a private Swiss railway company which operated the railway line from Immensee ( Canton Brenner Pass ( Italian: Passo del Brennero; German: Brennerpass; Latin: Brennus Mons) is a Mountain pass through
These factors led to high degrees of electrification in most European countries. In some countries like Switzerland, even electric shunters are common and many private sidings can be served by electric locomotives.
The recent political developments in many European countries to enhance public transit have led to another boost for electric traction. High-speed trains like the TGV or ICE can only be run economically using electric traction, and the operation of branch lines is usually less in deficit when using electric traction, due to cheaper and faster rolling stock and more passengers due to more frequent service and more comfort. The TGV ( t rain à g rande v itesse, French for "high-speed train" is France 's High-speed rail service The InterCityExpress or ICE (German pronunciation) is a system of high-speed trains predominantly running in Germany and neighbouring countries In addition, gaps of unelectrified track are closed to avoid replacing electric locomotives by diesels for these sections. Note that the necessary modernisation and electrification of these lines is in most cases only possible due to state subsidies.
Australia
Both Victorian Railways and New South Wales Government Railways, which pioneered electric traction in Australia in the early 20th century and continue to operate 1500 V DC Electric Multiple Unit services, have withdrawn their fleets of main line electric locomotives. See also Rail transport in Victoria The Victorian Railways operated railways in the Australian state of Victoria from 1859 to 1983 The New South Wales Government Railways (NSWGR was the government department that operated the New South Wales Government's railways until the establishment of the Public Transport An electric multiple unit or EMU is a Multiple unit train consisting of many carriages using Electricity as the motive power The Mainline or Main line of a Railway is a track that is used for through trains or is the principal artery of the system from which Branch lines,
In both states, the use of electric locomotives on principal interurban routes proved to be a qualified success. In Victoria, because only one major line (the Gippsland line) had been electrified, the economic advantages of electric traction were not fully realised due to the need to change locomotives for trains that extended beyond the range of the electrified network. This article is about the V/Line service For the railway itself see Orbost railway line The Bairnsdale Line is a regional passenger rail VR's entire electric locomotive fleet was withdrawn from service by 1987,[10] and the Gippsland line electrification was dismantled by 2004. The Victorian Railways L class was a class of mainline Electric locomotive that ran on the Victorian Railways and its successor V/Line from 1953 [11] Similarly, the new fleet of 86 class locomotives introduced to NSW in 1983 had a relatively short life as the costs of changing locomotives at the extremities of the electrified network, together with the higher charges levied for electricity use, saw diesel-electric locomotives make inroads into the electrified network and the electric locomotive fleet was progressively withdrawn. [12]
Queensland Rail, conversely, implemented electrification relatively recently and utilises the more recent 25 kV AC technology with around 1,000 km of the QR narrow gauge network now electrified. QR Limited is the company government-owned corporation responsible for the operation and maintenance of the railway system in the State of Queensland 25 kV 50 Hz AC is a type of Railway electrification system. A narrow gauge railway (or narrow gauge railroad) is a Railway that has a Track gauge narrower than the of Standard gauge railways It operates a fleet of electric locomotives to transport coal for export, the most recent of which are those of the 3,000 kW (4,020 HP) 3300/3400 Class. [13]
India
In India both AC and DC type of electrified train systems operate today. 1500 V DC based train system is mostly operating in Mumbai area. It is being converted to 25 KV AC system. Rest of the India where routes are electrified mostly operates under 25 KV AC overhead wire.
See also
- Railway electrification system
- Air brake (rail)
- Locomotive
- Railway brakes
- Boxcab
- Robert Davidson - electric locomotive pioneer
- Emily Davenport - electric locomotive pioneer
- Battery powered railcars
- Category:Electric locomotives
References
- ^ Renzo Pocaterra, Treni, De Agostini, 2003
- ^ {cite web| url=http://www.ieee.org/web/aboutus/history_center/richmond.html| title=Richmond Union Passenger Railway| publisher=IEEE| accessdate=2008-01-18}}
- ^ Badsey-Ellis, Antony (2005). Railway electrification supplies electrical energy to railway Locomotives and Multiple units so they can operate without having a Reciprocating An air brake is a conveyance braking system applied by means of compressed air. A locomotive is a railway Vehicle that provides the motive power for a Train. Brakes are used on the vehicles of railway Trains to slow them or to keep them standing when parked A boxcab, in Railroad terminology, is a Locomotive in which the machinery and crew areas are enclosed in a Box -like Superstructure {from Robert Davidson (1804 - 1894 was a Scottish inventor who built the first known Electric locomotive in 1837 With her husband Thomas Davenport and his colleague Orange Smalley, Emily Davenport invented the Electric motor and electric Locomotive A railcar (not to be confused with a railway car) is a self-propelled railway Vehicle designed to Transport passengers The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers or IEEE (read eye-triple-e) is an international Non-profit, professional organization London's Lost Tube Schemes. Harrow: Capital Transport, 36. ISBN 185414 293 3.
- ^ B&O Power, Sagle, Lawrence, Alvin Stauffer
- ^ Alternating current#Transmission, distribution, and domestic power supply
- ^ Renzo Pocaterra, Treni, De Agostini, 2003
- ^ www.unife.org
- ^ Alternating current#Transmission, distribution, and domestic power supply
- ^ "New York to Boston, under wire - Amtrak begins all-electric Northeast Corridor service between Boston and Washington, D. An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant An alternating current ( AC) is an Electric current whose direction reverses cyclically as opposed to Direct current, whose direction remains constant C", Railway Age, March 2000, accessed from FindArticles.com on 28 Sep. 2006.
- ^ L class electric locomotives. victorianrailways. net. Retrieved on 2007-04-026.
- ^ VR History. victorianrailways. net. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy.
- ^ SETS Fleet - Electric Locomotive 8606. Sydney Electric Train Society. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy.
- ^ QR: 3300/3400 class. railpage. com. au. Retrieved on 2007-04-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1467 - The miraculous image in Our Lady of Good Counsel appear in Genazzano, Italy.
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