Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.8 $; site uiucuxc Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!roma From: roma@uiucuxc.Uiuc.ARPA Newsgroups: net.railroad Subject: Re: sand in diesel locomotives Message-ID: <16900006@uiucuxc> Date: Wed, 14-Aug-85 01:56:00 EDT Article-I.D.: uiucuxc.16900006 Posted: Wed Aug 14 01:56:00 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 18-Aug-85 04:37:51 EDT References: <142@micropro.UUCP> Lines: 16 Nf-ID: #R:micropro.UUCP:-14200:uiucuxc:16900006:000:646 Nf-From: uiucuxc.Uiuc.ARPA!roma Aug 14 00:56:00 1985 > ... and, for the life of me, I can't think of what sand would be > used for in a diesel locomotive. In steam, I imagine it has something > to do with banking fires, but I may be wrong there too. Sand is used in locomotives to provide traction. It's usually applied to the leading trucks of the locomotive by a sander valve operated by the engineer. It's most useful when starting or braking a heavy train, especially when the rails are slippery. Jon Roma Computing Services Office, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign UUCP: {ihnp4,pur-ee,convex}!uiucdcs!uiucuxc!roma ARPANET: roma%uiucuxc@uiuc.arpa CSNET: roma%uiucuxc@uiuc.csnet