So I was watching an old locomotive documentary and of all the things I could have noticed...... during one of the segments the helper Amtrack engine made this electronic StarWars-ish type of sound "vruuuu-uuaah" like some generator spinning up. But What IS it, why does it do that, etc. I am curious as heck and am not a railroad guy... yet.
Loco video
Also, during the video I was amazed at the rotating mass of the drive wheels on the old steam loco and how those connecting rods flew around. Can you tell me about how they are balanced? I know that their is offsetting weight inherent in the wheels but how to the actually go about balancing them and what kind of tolerances are there?
Loco video
Also, during the video I was amazed at the rotating mass of the drive wheels on the old steam loco and how those connecting rods flew around. Can you tell me about how they are balanced? I know that their is offsetting weight inherent in the wheels but how to the actually go about balancing them and what kind of tolerances are there?