Why Do Trains Carry Locomotives That Aren’t Running?
Why Do Trains Carry Locomotives That Aren’t Running? Why do trains carry locomotives that aren’t running? The answer lies in a railroad practice known as dead in tow, where a locomotive travels inside a freight train with its engine completely shut down. The silent locomotive may be heading to a repair shop, moving to a region where more pulling power is needed, returning to a leasing company, or travelling to a new owner. Instead of burning fuel and assigning a separate crew to move it independently, a railroad can couple it into a freight train already travelling in the right direction. But switching off the diesel engine is only the beginning. The locomotive’s traction and electrical systems must be prepared for movement, while its brakes must remain connected to the train’s continuous air-brake system. In this episode, we explain what “dead in tow” means, why railroads transport locomotives this way, how the silent unit can still brake, and how to distinguish it from a distributed-power locomotive that is actively working. A locomotive with cold exhaust stacks is not always broken. Sometimes it is simply a multi-million-dollar asset travelling to the place where it will be needed next. Subscribe to Small Things for more stories about the hidden engineering and logic behind the machines we see every day. #Trains #Locomotives #Railroad --- Timestamp: 00:00 - Intro 01:11 - Dead in Tow 02:05 - The Cheapest Move on the Network 04:56 - What Has to Happen Before It Can Ride 07:24 - Dead Weight That Actually Helps 09:19 - The People Who Make It Move 10:53 - An Asset in Transit --- ✨ About Small Things Small Things is created by Sarah, Maez, and Hassan — a small team who loves exploring the hidden stories behind simple things and small things. 🤖 Disclaimer: We may use AI tools to support research and production, but every video is reviewed and edited by our team. We respect copyright, original work, and YouTube’s policies. Thank you for supporting us. 🙏 If you notice any issues, please contact us at [email protected] #smallthings #simplethings
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