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Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but why would a heavier train take longer to stop? Assuming the brakes are strong enough to lock the wheels, shouldn't th
by Mavvie 4y ago
Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but why would a heavier train take longer to stop? Assuming the brakes are strong enough to lock the wheels, shouldn't the increase in braking force required be exactly matched by the increased friction from the additional weight?
- bombcar 4y agoThe wheels are basically the same, and the braking distance is a function of weight vs pad heat dispersion. A passenger train in emergency will stop much much faster than a freight train in emergency, orders of magnitude faster.
- Mavvie 4y agoI understand that that's the conventional wisdom and that I am almost certainly wrong here. I thought train emergency brakes were capable of fully locking the wheels (to the point where they get significantly damaged/deformed after an emergency stop), so why would the braking pad heat dispersion matter?
- londons_explore 4y agoFreight trains typically don't have the ability to lock the wheels, even in an emergency.
- snvzz 4y ago>I thought train emergency brakes were capable of fully locking the wheels They don't. That'd cause drift and derailment.