Types of Locomotives #1
Steam locomotive
Before the diesel locomotives were in use, the fireman shovels coal into a firebox on a steam locomotives. The Steam locomotive are powered either by coal, wood or oil. some steam locomotives has no tenders are called tank locomotive. All the fuel and water are on board the tank locomotive. The other locomotives has a tender to carry the fuel and water. There are 2 crew on a steam locomotives and there is a engineer and a fireman. The controls are more different on a steam locomotives than a diesel. Before the air compressor was on a steam locomotive,
there was a train called "John Bull" and the engineer has to call the brakeman to put on the brakes on top of the locomotive. The steam locomotive has a whistle intead of a modern diesel horn.
Diesel-electric locomotive
The diesel locomotives took over the steam locomotive and uses diesel fuel instead of coal, wood and oil like the steam locomotive. There are 2 different types of locomotive cabs: 1 is a Spartan cab and the other is called a Wide cab or "Comfort Cab" as they're known. SD stands for Special Duty, GP stands for General Purpose. The yard switchers put together freight cars for the long haul acroiss the country with the bigger locomotives such as SD40-2, SD70ACe, SD60, C-40-8W/C40-8, SD80MAC, GP30 & GP7/GP9. The diesel-electric locomotives has a horn instead of a whistle.
If you're sitting in a car waiting for a train to go by, the horn signal is:
2 long
1 short
1 long
this is a crossing signal warning for cars. If you're waiting in a car for a train to go by, count how many freight cars are there on a freight train.
Submitted by Chris Del Roasario-Coish
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