How Diesel Locomotives Work

The diesel locomotive is one of the coolest modes of transport out there. Massive machines like these are just full of technological treats! If you feel like taking a behind-the-scenes tour, get on board. Explore a hybrid-diesel locomotive -- from engine to engineer controls.

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Howto & Style

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• howstuffworks
• howto
• diesel
• locomotives

[randommagnum]

What in the hell are you two arguing about? What the hell are you two even trying to say??

LOL

[ryanhall2013]

This video deserves a "DUH..... NOW TELL ME SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW." I was hoping to learn a little more detail of how these giants actually work.

[doctorfeelucky]

I read that Amtrak trains have two engines, one to move generate power to the motors and one to generate electricity to the carts and what nots

[eshaheen786]

ki

[johntrakonair]

Forgive me if I'm wrong but I'd swear I remember the G.E. Genesis series, like the freight, "Pooch" and older engines are 4 stroke. Not two. Somebody may have already said that in this chain but just in case....

[OSAMAxxxxxxxxxxyz]

Diesel locomotive is just a (generator) which provides power to the motors attached to the wheels of locomotive.

[ApolloWasReal]

@EETechs People must be pretty confused if they don't understand that "electric transmissions" imply electric motors. You're quite right, electric motors can produce very high torques while internal combustion engines have a hard limit imposed by how much fuel is burned on each power stroke. But I think locomotives use motors simply because they make it much easier to drive every wheel. Electric cables bend easily and are much simpler than geartrains.

[EETechs]

@ApolloWasReal The problem, though, I run into with the terminology is I try to explain that it is electric motors that turn the wheels, but people arrogantly say I am wrong and that electric motors are weak and therefore it must be electric transmissions. Being ignorant is one thing, but totally ignoring facts which can reduce ignorance makes them idiots. I fixed this issue, by making a torque battle video which proves that electric has torque WELL BEYOND a combustion engine.

[EETechs]

@ApolloWasReal I was referring to the fact that your typical diesel-electric train lovers like to say the diesel-gens are stronger than the full electric which is not true. I never said the diesel-gen type is more powerful. I did say that if I replaced the diesel-gen with a weight ballast equal to it and ran the train as electric it would be no different pulling wise. What you are referring to is a purpose built electric train which are very powerful indeed compared to diesel-gen.

[ApolloWasReal]

@Koseiko2008 Electric railways do have many important advantages but they're also very costly. It's perfectly reasonable to electrify the most heavily trafficked routes first, especially where you want high speed passenger trains.

[ApolloWasReal]

@EETechs It's just terminology. It's perfectly reasonable to refer to an electric generator (on the Diesel engine) powering electric motors on the wheels as an "electric transmission" because that's exactly what it is. It's important to drive every wheel for maximum traction and it would be much too difficult to do that with mechanical gearboxes.

Hybrid cars like the Prius also have electric transmissions. In fact, the Prius transmission is both mechanical and electric.

[ApolloWasReal]

@EETechs Actually, electric locomotives are often much *more* powerful than diesel-electric locomotives of the same size. Depending on voltage, etc, the overhead wire can supply as much as twice as much power as a diesel engine. Electric motors are also tolerant of brief overloads, while diesels (and gasoline) engines have well-defined speed and power limits. This is one reason why all the high speed passenger trains (TGV, "Bullet", ICE, etc) are electric.