Can A Train Stall?

Question

I was on the train and when it slowed down it started juddering.

Answer 1

they can stall but not in  the same way a motorcar can,

trains are driven by electric motors powerd by by diesel powered genorators or by conducting electricity from overhead cables or live rails, A train will only stall when gravity/burden becomes more than the motors can physically handle.

the sensation you felt was more than likely the wheels slipping on the rails when the brakes were applied.

Answer 2

Yeah, its possible.

Answer 3

Ohhhhmygoodness yes.

I wish I had a nickel for every time I stalled out, part of the joy of working in mountain grade territory.

Just like being in your car there are several reasons for stalling out, the most common is losing traction, usually when the rail is wet and the wheels spin. You have enough horsepower to make the grade but you cant get  it to the rail without the wheels spinning.

The railroad term is "slipping" instead of spinning and when you lose traction to the point you can't go no mo it is said you "slipped down"

The juddering you felt could very well be just exactly that, when the wheels slip against the rail there is quite often that feeling of juddering, on a very heavy train such as grain or coal the motion will impart enough jerks into the couplers to cause them to break, that is NOT a happy event in the life of a train crew.

The above statements about diesel locomotives not able to stall out is not entirely correct.

ALL locomotives are electric, the only thing a diesel engine does in a locomotive is provide electricity through a large on-board generator, nothing more.

And I have worked on both, straight electric and diesel electric and I can promise you through lots of experience that both can stall out.

Answer 4

Yes they can stall.if your horsepower per ton is too low, on a grade freight trains can stall trying to pull up the hill.But i take it you were on a passenger train so what you felt was more than likely the engineer pulling the train with the brakes set.Older passenger cars had brake shoes that could cause what you felt happening.It would probably only happen at very low speed.What was happening was the brake shoes were trying to grab the wheels and stop them and then the force of being pulled would cause them to slip and jerk.

Answer 5

yes in snow wet leaves

Answer 6

Yes.

In NY, NJ, CT, it is possible.

In fact, there are many stall incident in our area.

Answer 7

If you mean Stall like a L driver, then no. If you mean fail to get up a gradient due to too much load/not enough traction/under powered then yes it can happen, and this was the cause of several major accidents in the early railway years. (Look up Armagh rail disaster)

Answer 8

yes-if its overburdened.

Answer 9

Yes it can. It usually happens when weather reduces traction or there are too many cars for the locomotive(s) to pull.

Answer 10

A Train can stall, but its really only the Diesel Loco's that do that.  Normally if the train judders, its the brakes biting on slippery wet wheels and rails that makes the train shake a little. This does not just have to happen with ice or leaf much, but even rain can make the line very slippery.

Answer 11

The train can stall if the engine was built by a company called ALSTOM.

Answer 12

Just now got home from a long day because my train STALLED. I turned on the 'puter and saw your question. I was heading back to my home terminal with 92 loads and 4 empties and pulling them with two GP-9s of 1500 horsepower each. GP-9s are dinosaurs to begin with. One engine overheated about 15 miles from home, and automatically shut itself down. I thought, 'Okay, I have enough momentum going here that maybe I can drag the train in on one Geep (GP).  But as I neared the switching yard the speed limit drops to 10 mph. Still do-able. However, the track leading to the yard is a curved track (Creates more resistance), and it is slightly up hill. That's all it took. Lost the momentum, and the engine wheels began to spin. Spinning wheels are the same as no power at all. Train stopped. And I was only half a mile from the yard. Someone came to my rescue with a real locomotive and pulled me in. No matter how bad a day you have on the railroad, tomorrow can always be worse.

Oh, hey, how 'bout this. Many years ago I was bringing a 100 car train across North Dakota in sustained 50 plus - mph winds. The wind was hitting the train at a 3/4 angle. This pushed the train, and the wheel flanges against the down wind rail, with enough force to create so much resistance, we had to stop and find a hotel until the wind died down. It didn't make for a complete stall, but could only manage about 12 mph under full throttle.

Answer 13

Yes. Mainly due to poor adhesion, slippery rails, lack of power, gradient and a large load.

This mainly affected steam engines more than modern electrics or diesels, but these still suffer from it, mainly lack of power and large loads. Gradient will affect modern traction less, as the inbuilt computers will compensate for the gradient.

Modern passenger trains are MU's anyway. the Depots will "switch on" all the engines for lines with steep gradients and heavy passenger use.

Most Freight trains are provided with 2 diesels (in US, 'cause of train length) or 1 (in UK). These generally are used will around 80% maximum power, meaning a little extra can be used in case of heavy loads or gradients.

Answer 14

A diesel train can not stall as its diesel engine is used  to make electricity which actually  drives the train. I would suggest an electrical fault was to blame.

Answer 15

Most definitely.

Over-tonnage, failed locomotive(s), insufficient horsepower for grade --- any one of the three and you may grind to a halt.  Then, you either add power or "double the grade."  This means you take the train to the top of the hill in as many pieces as necessary.  At the top, the train is re-coupled and away you go.

Snow can stall a train as well.

One other condition, though not technically a "stall", if tonnage is enough to cause the locomotives to drag at super-slow speed (usually less than 10 mph) the traction motors have a "short time rating."  If too much amperage for too long, the traction motors will burn up or cabling burn in two.  In this situation, the locomotives must be stopped within a certain amount of time to allow the traction motors cool.