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From: pop@mtu.UUCP (Dave Poplawski)
Newsgroups: net.railroad
Subject: Re: sand in diesel locomotives
Message-ID: <206@mtu.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 10-Aug-85 14:27:35 EDT
Article-I.D.: mtu.206
Posted: Sat Aug 10 14:27:35 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 11-Aug-85 03:28:31 EDT
References: <142@micropro.UUCP>
Reply-To: pop@mtu.UUCP (Dave Poplawski)
Distribution: na
Organization: Michigan Tech, Houghton, MI
Lines: 19
Keywords: sand model diesel locomotives
Summary: 

>The service facility for diesel locos calls for water hoses, fuel hoses,
>a wash rack, inspection pit and a SAND TOWER.  The article was vague
>though, 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 by diesels for the same reason it is used  by  any  locomotive
(steam,  electric,  diesel, etc.) - TRACTION.  It is put onto the rail just
in front of the powered wheels to keep them from slipping when the rail  is
wet, when the train is going up a hill, or even when just getting the train
started.  The decision on when to sand used to be the engineer's,  but  now
radar  is  used  to  detect  the difference between the actual speed of the
train and the  speed  the  wheels  are  turning,  thereby  detecting  wheel
slippage and causing the automatic use of sand for more traction.
-- 
Dave Poplawski
Michigan Technological University
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