Traction rolling stock: classification, types, device and characteristics

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

At present, the railway communication is developed quite strongly. In order to move massive wagons, traction rolling stock is used. Today, such trains include locomotives, as well as multiple unit rolling stock.

General information about locomotives

The locomotive is a power self-propelled vehicle. It belongs to traction rolling stock, which is designed to move along railway tracks.

Today, there are two main types of locomotive - it is thermal or electric. Naturally, the difference between them lies in the power source, thanks to which they are able to move.

In turn, thermal traction rolling stock is also divided into several types. These include diesel locomotives, steam locomotives, motor locomotives. All of them are united by the fact that they are equipped with an internal combustion engine, namely diesel, as a source of energy generation for movement. Actually, that's why they belong to autonomous traction rolling stock.

Types of thermal locomotives

You can start considering traction trains with a heat engine from a steam locomotive. A steam boiler is used here as a power unit that generates energy. Both liquid and solid material can be used as fuel.

From solid raw materials, coal is usually used, from liquid raw materials - fuel oil or oil. During the combustion of any of these materials, the water in the steam boiler turns into steam. Then it is fed into a special machine in which the conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy is carried out. There is one significant drawback in the operation of this type of traction rolling stock - a very low efficiency. Its efficiency is only 5-7%.

The device of a diesel locomotive, for example, is much simpler. This traction train uses a diesel engine as a power unit. With the help of hydraulic, mechanical or electrical transmission, the movement is communicated to the wheelsets of the vehicle. A gas turbine locomotive has a similar device. Only instead of a diesel engine, it has a gas installation, which also communicates movement to the wheelsets through a certain transmission.

Types of traction rolling stock with a thermal energy source include one more locomotive in their category - a locomotive. Its main difference is that it has much less power than other varieties. An internal combustion engine is located here as a power plant. It can be either carbureted or diesel type.

Electrical options

With the classification of traction rolling stock with electric energy sources, everything is much simpler. These include only electric locomotives. Here it is immediately worth noting that such a locomotive does not have an installed power unit. Its power supply is carried out through a contact network. Energy is supplied to it through stationary suppliers, that is, from power plants. On board the locomotive there is only a traction electric motor, which, in fact, converts the received electrical energy into mechanical energy.

Because of this arrangement of traction rolling stock, it does not belong to autonomous locomotive types.

Efficiency of compositions and classification by type of work

Efficiency is the most important characteristic of traction trains. The reliability of traction rolling stock is quite high, regardless of its efficiency, but the parameter is too important to ignore.

This coefficient characterizes the degree of use of the energy source to obtain useful work. This value will be higher, the better the primary power plant. If we talk, for example, about electric locomotives, then their efficiency is in the range of 25-32%. Modern types of autonomous locomotives, as well as a group of multiple unit diesel trains, reach 29-31%.

Further, it is important to note that such traction trains are divided into several classes, depending on the type of work. In other words, there are locomotivesused to move passenger cars, freight and shunting. Among all, the motor-car composition stands out quite strongly. He is able not only to move the cars attached to him, but at the same time to carry out the transportation of passengers himself.

Differences between freight and passenger trains

For freight trains, the most important characteristic is a large traction force, which will allow moving wagons with a huge mass. For passenger locomotives, it is required to develop a high speed in order to ensure the rapid transportation of people from one end of the path to the other. To date, the modernization of traction rolling stock has made it possible to create a passenger-and-freight locomotive. It has the required characteristics for both compositions, that is, its traction force, as well as the developed speed, are at a high level.

Designation of traction trains

Rolling stock both on Russian and foreign railways have a special marking: series. This category is assigned to him at the factory. As for the Russian labeling system, it is alphanumeric.

For example, old-style electric locomotives are marked VL, which means Vladimir Lenin. The numbers usually carry information about the technical characteristics. Next comes a dash, and after it the number of the locomotive in this issued series is indicated. For example, the marking of the composition VL80k-0145.

In this case, it is an eight-axle electric locomotive powered by alternating current. It has a silicon rectifier, which is indicated by the letter "k". In this series of locomotives, its serial number is 145. As for the trains that are assembled at foreign enterprises, but for Russian railways, they also have an alphanumeric designation.

For example, a Czechoslovak manufacturer was engaged in the production of passenger electric rolling stock. ChS2 is the designation for a six-axle electric locomotive with one section, operating on direct current. ChS7 is already an eight-axle and two-section locomotive, also operated on direct current. CHS4 and CHS8 are electric locomotives operating on alternating current and at the same time they are six-axle and eight-axle, respectively.

General locomotive design

Since all thermal rolling stock are autonomous, it is worth considering them in more detail.

Diesel locomotives can be one-, two- and multi-section. The main single-section type of railway transport is distinguished by the presence of two driver's cabs. Two-section also have two cabins, but one in each of the sections. As for the device of a multi-section diesel locomotive, there is no driver's compartment in its intermediate sections. The train is controlled directly from the head cockpit.

The arrangement of the main parts of a diesel locomotive

This locomotive has several main components that make it up. This includes the prime mover, transmission, body, partfor the crew, control equipment and auxiliary equipment.

For thermal locomotives, diesel is the prime mover. In order to make the wheelset of a diesel locomotive move, a special transmission of forces from the engine is required. As for the type of power unit, these are usually two-contact compressorless internal combustion engines. As for the power of the power plant, it is fully proportional to the amount of fuel that is burned. But at the same time, it is worth considering that the more raw materials go, the more air is required.

Transmission can be mechanical, electrical, hydraulic. It is with its help that the useful force of the engine is transmitted to the wheel sets.

As for the undercarriage, it consists of a bogie frame and wheelsets with axle boxes, as well as spring suspension. As a control device, a special controller is used, located in the driver's cab on the remote control.