train car has solid axels how does it make turns?

Answer 1

I finally learned about this about a year ago. The wheels are tapered. The outermost part of the wheel is more narrow than the inner part. When going around a turn, the side of the wheel that needs to turn "faster," makes more contact with the rail. I hope this makes sense.

Answer 2

Since you're asking about solid axles:

Train cars don't have differential gears like autos do. When a train car is in a curve, one of the wheels on each solid axle slips a bit on its rail. That's why you often hear squealing and screeching as a train passes through a curve. The tighter the curve, the more slipping, and the more screeching you hear.

Sometimes railroads install rail oiling devices on the inside edge of the outer rail of a curve, to spread a little oil on that rail and alllow the wheels to slip more easily and keep the rail from wearing down so fast. This also helps stop the annoying noise.

Answer 3

The individual train car does not make turns, they only go straight. The turns on railroad tracks are long enough that the cars can't tell the difference. The train only turns at the links between cars.

Answer 4

On railroad cars the wheelset (trucks) sit on a kingpin, allowing the set to rotate. Thats all there is to it...

The ends of the axles sit in a bearing so the car will roll.

There are minimum curve radii -- some longer cars/locomotives can't go on smaller radius curves found in industrial switching areas.

Answer 5

A train car turns due to slight bends over time in the track. That is why you never see sharp bends in railroads. It would cause derailment (coming off the track) which involves several hours and $ in equiptment depending on the amount of train off the track to get corrected. I hope this answered your question quickly and thuroughly.

Answer 6

They follow the tracks. And since the wheels don't turn in the direction of the track curves, the friction created often causes some pretty loud squeaks.

Answer 7

have you ever noticed that curves in a railroad track are much wider than a curve in a highway? They have much much longer radius than an automotive curve. The solid axles can absorb the differential pressures.

Answer 8

The same way you skate board does. Look at the trucks. The cars do lean into a turn

Answer 9

the thing that holds the axles is called a truck in top center of this truck is a large pin that fits into a hole in the frame of the unit which rides on bearings that allows it to turn left to right

Answer 10

There are ball bearings that go around the axles at the attachment points to the car/frame.