Why Locomotives Don't Have Tires

Friction is the final frontier of vehicle/rail interaction! Get Nebula using my link for 40% off an annual subscription: https://go.nebula.tv/practical-engine... Watch the latest Practical Construction episode now! https://nebula.tv/videos/practicalcon... A single modern diesel freight locomotive can deliver upwards of 50 tons of forward force (called tractive effort) into the rails, but it’s somehow able to do that through the tiny contact patches between two smooth and rigid surfaces. It’s just slick on slick. Watch this video ad-free on Nebula: https://nebula.tv/videos/practical-en... Signed copies of my book (plus other cool stuff) are available here: https://store.practical.engineering/ Practical Engineering is a YouTube channel about infrastructure and the human-made world around us. It is hosted, written, and produced by Grady Hillhouse. We have new videos posted regularly, so please subscribe for updates. If you enjoyed the video, hit that ‘like’ button, give us a comment, or watch another of our videos! CONNECT WITH ME ____________________________________ Website: http://practical.engineering Twitter:   / hillhousegrady   Instagram:   / practicalengineering   Reddit:   / practicalengineering   Facebook:   / practicalengineergrady​   Patreon:   / practicalengineering   SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES ____________________________________ Please email my agent at practicalengineering@standard.tv DISCLAIMER ____________________________________ This is not engineering advice. Everything here is for informational and entertainment purposes only. Contact an engineer licensed to practice in your area if you need professional advice or services. All non-licensed clips used for fair use commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. SPECIAL THANKS ____________________________________ This video is sponsored by Nebula. Stock video and imagery provided by Getty Images, Shutterstock, Pond5, and Videoblocks. Music by Epidemic Sound: http://epidemicsound.com/creator Tonic and Energy by Elexive is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License Source:    • Elexive - Tonic and Energy [Creative Commons]   Video by Grady Hillhouse Edited by Wesley Crump Produced by Ralph Crewe Graphics by Nebula Studios