Advantages of locomotives
There are many reasons why the motive power for trains has been traditionally isolated in a locomotive, rather than in self-propelled vehicles.
Ease
Should the locomotive fail, it is easy to replace it with another. Failure or maintenance of the motive power unit does not require taking the entire train out of service.
Maximum utilization of power cars
Idle trains waste costly motive power resources. Separate locomotives enable costly motive power assets to be moved around as needed.
Flexibility
Large locomotives can be substituted for small locomotives where the grades are steeper and more power is needed. A 'passenger' locomotive can also be used for freight duties if needed, and vice versa.
Obsolescence cycles
Separating the motive power from payload-hauling cars enables one to be replaced without affecting the other. At times locomotives have become obsolete when their cars were not, and vice versa.
Safety
In case of an accident, the locomotive may act as buffer zone for the rest of the train. If an obstacle is encountered on the line, the heavier mass of a locomotive is less likely to be deviated from its normal course. Also it may be safer in the event of fire especially with diesel locomotives.
Noise
A single source of tractive power, which means only motors in one place, means that the train will be quieter than with multiple unit operation, where one or more motors are located under every carriage. The noise problem is particularly present in DMUs.
5. Answer the questions.
1. What does a locomotive provide for a train?
2. What is the purpose of a locomotive?
3. What are multiple units?
4. What trains are they used for?
5. Why is the motive power isolated in a locomotive?
6. Name the advantages of locomotives.
7. Why are locomotives flexible in use?
8. How may the locomotive act in case of an accident?
9. Can locomotives be separated from payload-hauling cars?
10.Why are locomotives quieter than multiple units?
6. Translate the following sentences, paying attention to the Passive Voice:
1. The engine oil is cooled in heat exchangers. 2. The power plant of the locomotive is installed on a welded main frame and consist of diesel engine and a hydraulic transmission. 3. The internal spaces of the frame are sealed and are used as air ducts for ventilation of the traction motors. 4. Superstructures of steel bridges were erected by using the so-called falsework, which is a support which serves during construction on the principle of free erection and using cranes dependent on the conditions and ground configuration. 5. The engine is started electrically by means of a starter-generator supplied from the accumulator battery.
7. Read the following text. Give the name to the text. Make a plan and retell the text.
Railways were the first form of mass transportation on land and until the development of the motorcar in the early 20th century had an effective monopoly on land transport. Railway companies in Europe and the United States used streamlined trains since 1933 for high speed services with an average speed of up to 130 km/h (81 mph) and top speed of more than 160 km/h (99 mph). Both streamlined steam locomotives and high-speed EMUs were used for high speed services. In 1957, the Odakyu Electric Railway in Greater Tokyo launched its Romancecar 3000 SE. This set a world record for narrow gauge trains at 145 km/h (90 mph), giving Japanese designers confidence they could safely and reliably build even faster trains at standard gauge. Desperate for transport solutions due to overloaded trains between Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, the idea of high speed rail was born. The world's first contemporary high volume capable (initially 12 car maximum) "high-speed train" was Japan's Tōkaidō Shinkansen, which officially opened in October 1964, with construction having begun in April 1959. In Europe, high-speed rail started in Munich in June 1965, when DB Class 103 hauled a total of 347 demonstration trains at 200 km/h between Munich and Augsburg.
UNIT 2
heritage – спадщина
shunting – маневровий
internal combustion engine – двигун внутрішнього згоряння
prime mover – первинне джерело енергії
propulsion – двигун, силова установка
igniting – запалення, спалахування
temporary – тимчасовий
regenerative braking – регенеративне гальмування
hydrocarbon – вуглеводень
current – струм
alternator – генератор змінного струму
gear – привод
1. Match the words with their definitions.
| to ignite | the rigging of a ship or boat |
| alternator | to cause (a fuel) to burn |
| gear | to switch (as a train) from one track to another |
| prime mover | a heat engine in which the combustion that generates the heat takes place inside the engine proper instead of in a furnace |
| shunt | an electric generator for producing alternating current |
| internal combustion engine | a powerful tractor or truck usually with all-wheel drive |
2. Fill in the blank spaces with:
engine, batteries, diesel, transmission, fuel, ignited, current, propulsion, hybrid, temporary.
1. The car has a four-cylinder … . 2. The equipment is used for the … of television signals. 3. Sailboats use wind as their source of …. 4. The paper … on contact with sparks. 5. The settlers built … shelters. 6. The circuit supplies … to the saw. 7. Does your car take … or gasoline? 8. The band plays a … of jazz and rock. 9. I had the … pump replaced on my car. 10. I bought new … for the flashlights.
3. Translate the word combinations from the text into Russian.
Outside source of electricity, public transport system, all-year-round timetable, steam-powered trains, high altitude rail lines, internal combustion engine, power transmission system, diesel railroad propulsion development, hydraulic and mechanical power transmission system, lower operational costs, battery-powered locomotives.
4. Read the text. Express the main idea of the text.