Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
(OP)
The railroad often uses pickup trucks equipped with railroad trucks (wheels) to travel along railroad tracks. I would like to know how much weight such a pickup could pull on the track. Would it be possible to pull a 100 ton railroad car on a "level" track with a pickup with a towing capacity of 12000 lbs.? I would imagine the coefficient of friction for rubber on steel would be less than rubber on macadam. Railroads drop sand on the tracks in front of the locomotive wheels to give them more traction. Could this method be used to increase the traction of the rubber on the steel rails?





RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
I am not sure how to approach this question, If the tires don't get enough grip then getting started will be difficult, but if grip is not an issue I have to wonder if you could snap a drive line or something like that.
Luck is a difficult thing to verify and therefore should be tested often. - Me
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
A pick-up highrail could easily get a single car moving.
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
There are various purpose-built switchers such as the railmobile.
Manufacturers move cars around with fork lifts.
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
You couldn't see it with the naked eye.
The pick up could do it. You might have to put some weight in the bed, but hey, I do that to my personal pick up truck just to make it safe in the winter. Put enough weight on the drivers and it will pull it.
However, if you are going to do this with regularity, be careful how you spec out your pick up truck. Good low speed rear end(s) and extra heavy duty auto trans (this would be heck on clutches) with a REAL good external cooler. Most of what you will be doing will be with the transmission in a high slip stage.
Be sure to PM the transmission regularly too. That kind of service will cook the trans fluid rapidly.
I once pulled a large bus-less weight; about 15 tons several miles across town to a shop with a pick up truck. The terrain was relatively flat but pulling the bridge over the river was heck. The truck did a good job. We rarely got over 20-30 mph. (The bus would run so as to air up the brakes but had a drive line problem so that it wouldn't pull itself.) I always wondered how much I aged the tranny in my truck that evening.
rmw
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Ed Danzer
www.danzcoinc.com
www.dehyds.com
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Cheers
Greg Locock
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RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Check your brakes...
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Reality may be a bit different if it is a half-filled tank car.
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
www.mcmaster.com - item # 2221T8 $199.74
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
I think the rubber to clean steel coefficient of friction would be much greater than for rubber to sand to steel. I don't think you have enough pressure under the tires to turn the sand into something grippy, I think it would act like lots of little ball bearings.
Lastly do you have a granny low gear? If so you might not have to much trouble.
Luck is a difficult thing to verify and therefore should be tested often. - Me
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
You might also look at renting a rail car mover or shunter. We rented a mover numerous times when our Trackmobiles went down.
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
Griffy
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
RE: Pulling capacity of pickup with railroad trucks
15 pounds per 1,000 for starting.