In a TRAIN--please describe how the Push Pull system works.?

Question

In a TRAIN--please describe how the Push Pull system works.?

Answer 1

Passenger trains? Works like this.  

You know locomotives can "multiple unit" right?  Connect 3 locomotives together and the other locomotives will obey the first one.  That control works through "M.U." cables.  It's a very basic technology about 70 years old. (older if you count interurbans and subway cars).

With a push-pull train, they run an "M.U." cable all the way through every coach to the other end of the train.  The end coach is called a "cab car" because it has what amounts to a locomotive cab at one end.  When the engineer works the controls from there, the locomotive at the other end of the train obeys.   That's how they do the "push".

Answer 2

On a freight train we call that DPU for distributed power units.They are all operated by the engineer on the lead unit.We can run them linked so that whatever i do on the lead engine is duplicated on the rear or i can split them up and operate them separately.I believe that passenger trains work the same way.

Answer 3

Fairly easy, you have two locomotives hooked front to back, and, of course, the first pulls, the second pushes..

Answer 4

The train is pushed one way and pulled the other.