Railway Engineering (CL- 410)

> Traction and Tractive Resistance

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 Traction
• The source through which locomotive drives
power is called traction.

• Sources:
– Steam
– Diesel fuel
– Electric supply (AC or DC)

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 Traction
• Traction has a bearing up on:
– Load carrying capacity
– Speed
– Economy
– Efficiency of service

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 Traction- Comparison
• Source of energy • Cost of locomotive
• Design of engine • Track riding
• Overload capacity • Reversing
• Driving skills • Flexibility
• Tractive effort • Life of locomotive
• H.P. weight ratio • Transport of fuel
• Utilization of power • Normal working hours
• Thermal efficiency • Smoke and fire
• Adhesion • Repairs and renewals
• Rate of acceleration • Suitability
• Speed
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 Tractive Resistance

Train
Track Profile Tractive Effort Wind
Resistance

Independent Dependent of Atmospheric

Gradient Starting
of speed speed condition

Journal Track
Curves Acceleration
Friction irregularities

Frictional Vertical
resistance movement

Track
Flange action
resistance

Internal parts
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 Tractive Resistance: Train Resistance
• Resistance independent on speed (Rt1) are caused due to:
– Friction imposed due to train (Locomotive and wagons) also known
as journal friction
– Friction between steel wheels and rails
– Track resistance- wave action of rail
– Resistance due to internal parts, e.g. cylinder and rim of driving
wheels

• Computation:
Rt1 = 0.0016 w
Where ‘w’ is weight of train in tones
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 Tractive Resistance: Train Resistance
• Resistance dependent on speed (Rt2) are caused due to:
– Track irregularities
– Vertical movement of wheels on rails
– Flange action (Oscillation, Sway, etc)

• Computed as:
Rt2 = 0.00008 w v
Where ‘w’ is weight of train in tones and ‘v’ is speed of train in kmph

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 Tractive Resistance: Train Resistance
• Atmospheric resistance:
– On sides and ends of wagons and locomotive
– Wind is assumed as not blowing

• Computed as:
Rt3 = 0.0000006 w v2
Where ‘w’ is weight of train in tones and ‘v’ is speed of train in kmph

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Tractive Resistance: Train Resistance

RT1 = Rt1 + Rt2 + Rt3

RT1 = 0.0016 w + 0.00008 w v + 0.0000006 w v2

Where ‘w’ is weight of train in tones and ‘v’ is speed of train in kmph

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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
• Resistance due to track profile (RT2):
• Caused due to
– Gradient
– Curves

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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
• Resistance due to Gradient (RG):
• W = Weight of train acting on CG
• N = Normal pressure on rail

RG = w tanØ

RG = weight of train x percent slope

(10kg/ tonne/ degree)

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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
• Resistance due to Curves (RC):
• Factors controlling are:
– Rigidity of wheel base
– Slippage of wheels
– Insufficient super-elevation
– Poor track maintenance

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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
• Resistance due to Curves (RC):

Coning of wheels
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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
Resistance due to Curves (RC):
– Distance travelled by outer rail = D1
– Distance travelled by inner rail = D2
– Extra distance travelled = D1 – D2
– If “F” if force of sliding friction, then work done is = (D1 – D2) F
– Mean resistance = [(D1 – D2) F] / D
=GαF/Rα
=FG/R

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 Tractive Resistance: Track Profile
Resistance due to Curves (RC):
– For BG : 0.0004 w D
– For MG : 0.0003 w D
– For NG : 0.0002 w D

Where D is degree of curve

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 Tractive Resistance: Tractive Effort
Induced due to: • Starting action:
– Starting action • Varies according to type of object
– Acceleration • For locomotive RS1 = 0.15 W1
• For wagons RS2 = 0.005 W2

• RS = 0.15 W1 + 0.005 W2

• Resistance due to Acceleration:

• RA = 0.028 w a

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 Tractive Resistance: Wind Resistance
Resistance due to wind (RW)
• Depends upon
• Direction of wind
• Wind velocity
• Sectional area exposed to wind

RW = 0.000017 a v2

a = area exposed to wind in sq.m

V = speed of wind in kmph
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 Tractive Resistance
• RT = RT1 + RT2 + RSA + RW

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 Tractive Effort of a Locomotive
• The tractive effort of a locomotive is the force that the locomotive can
generate for hauling the load.

• The tractive effort of a locomotive should be enough for it to haul a train

at the maximum permissible speed. There are various tractive effort
curves available for different locomotives for different speeds, which
enable the computation of the value of tractive effort.

• Tractive effort is generally equal to or a little greater than the hauling

capacity of the locomotive. If the tractive effort is much greater than what
is required to haul the train, the wheels of the locomotive may slip.

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 Hauling Capacity
• Defined as the load that can be handled by locomotive.
• It can be computed as product of coefficient of friction and weight on the
driving wheels
• Hauling capacity = µ w n
Where, ‘µ’ is coefficient of friction, ‘w’ is weight on driving axle and
‘n’ is no. of pairs of driving wheels
Condition of rail surface Coefficient of friction

Very wet or very dry 0.25

• Hauling capacity = Track resistance
Greasy 0.30
Average dampness 0.166

In tunnels and frosty weather 0.125

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 Hauling Capacity
Example:
Find out the hauling capacity of a locomotive with 3 pairs of driving wheels
and axle load of 25 tones. Use 0.20 as coefficient of friction.

• Maximum axle load in India:

Gauge Axle load in tones

BG 28.56
MG 17.36
NG 13.26
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 Numerical Examples
• What would be the gradient for a BG track when the grade
resistance together with curve resistance due to curve of 3˚
shall be equal to the resistance due to a ruling gradient of 1 in
200?
(Answer: 1 in 265)

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 Numerical Examples
• Calculate the maximum permissible load that a BG locomotive
with three pairs of driving wheels bearing an axle load of 22 t
each can pull on a straight level track at a speed of 80 km/h.
Also calculate the reduction in speed if the train has to run on
a rising gradient of 1 in 200. What would be the further
reduction in speed if the train has to negotiate a 4° curve on
the rising gradient? Assume the coefficient of friction to be
0.2.
(Answer: 13.2 t, 1115 t, 31.87 kmph, 4.45 kmph)
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 Numerical Examples
• Find out the permissible steepest gradient on a track using
following data, for a train having 20 wagons.
– Weight of each wagon = 18 tones
– Rolling resistance of wagon = 2.5 kg/tonne
– Speed of train = 50 kmph
– Weight of locomotive = 120 tones
– Tractive effort of locomotive = 12 tones
– Rolling resistance of locomotive = 3.5 kg/tonne
– Neglect RSA + RW
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 Coning of Wheels
• The tread of the wheels of a railway vehicle is not made flat, but
sloped like a cone in order to enable the vehicle to move smoothly on
curves as well as on straight tracks.
• The wheels are generally centrally aligned on a straight and level
surface with uniform gauge, and the circumference of the treads of
the inner and outer wheels are equal:

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 Coning of Wheels
• The problem, however, arises in the case of a curve, when the outer
wheel has to negotiate more distance on the curve as compared to
the inner wheel. Due to the action of centrifugal force on a curve, the
vehicle tends to move out. To avoid this the circumference of the
tread of the outer wheel is made greater than that of the inner
wheel. This helps the outer wheel to travel a longer distance than the
inner wheel.

• If there was no coning, the side movement would have continued and
the flange of the wheel would have come in contact with the side of
the rail, causing jerks and making the ride uncomfortable.
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 Coning of Wheels
• Coning of wheels causes wear and tear due to the slipping action. It is,
however, useful as
(a) it helps the vehicle to negotiate a curve smoothly,
(b) it provides a smooth ride, and
(c) it reduces the wear and tear of the wheel flanges.
• As far as the slip is concerned, it can be mathematically calculated as
follows:

where Ø is the angle at the centre of the curve fixed by the rigid wheel box and
G is the gauge in meters. The approximate value of the slip for broad gauge is
0.029 metre per degree of the curve.
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 Tilting of Rails
• Rails are tilted inward at an angle of 1 in 20 to reduce wear and tear on the
rails as well as on the tread of the wheels.

• As the pressure of the wheel acts near the inner edge of the rail, there is
heavy wear and tear of the rail. Lateral bending stresses are also created due
to eccentric loading of rails. Uneven loading on the sleepers is also likely to
cause them damage. To reduce wear and tear as well as lateral stresses, rails
are titled at a slope of 1 in 20, which is also the slope of the wheel cone.

• The rail is tilted by ‘adzing’ the wooden sleeper or by providing canted

bearing plates.
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