Possible aid to traction

[spudfan]

Had an idea some years ago that I thought would aid a loco to start on wet rails. I saw an 071 with a loaded Tara train trying to get started on wet rails.

The idea was to eliminate the problem i.e. the wet rails.

I thought if a jet of compressed air was sent down a pipe to just in front of the wheel it would dry the piece of rail that would be used next. My first thought was to use the exhaust gases of which there is a copious amount and it would be warm too. However I decided that with todays Green agenda that would not be a runner.

I remember being out in the snow in the work van and I stopped it to check the road ahead. When I got back I found that the hot exhaust had melted the snow behind it. This was the genises of my idea.

I contacted various parties and Iarann roid Eireann did sent me a nice reply thanking me for my idea but their current systems were working fine.

Just an idea. It would be cheap to install and maybe retrofit to older units if there was space inside for whatever gear was needed to get the system to work.

Then again it might not work!

[Broithe]

Mmm, exhaust gasses will contain water, which may then condense on the cold rails?

The Russians did actually do this with engines from MiG 15s.

[spudfan]

Had not thought of water in the exhaust gases. Another one bites the dust!

[Broithe]

17 hours ago, spudfan said:

Had not thought of water in the exhaust gases. Another one bites the dust!

With enough heat, the condensation issue might reduce to acceptable proportions?

There are some small gas turbines about these days, you might be able to adapt the MiG 15 approach to a G Scale garden railway?

[Mayner]

Back in the day (late 1950s) the UTA used exhaust gas (heat exchangers) to heat the interiors of its MPD diesel trains. Great in theory but the combination of water vapor and sulphur in the exhaust gases contributed to both problems with the train heating system and engine failure (Patrick Flannigan "Diesel Dawn"

Interestingly wheel slip on wet/damp rails is a problem with my Large Scale (1:20.3 ) battery powered locos, usually overcome by repeatedly opening and closing the throttle in a similar manner to full sized (steam/diesel/and electric) locos.

These days many railways use computerised wheel slip control to do essentially the same thing!  https://shield.kiwirail.co.nz/content/latest/CS4.8 for DX Class Locomotives.pdf