SW Locomotive in TopGear 8/7/2011

There was a part of the show on Topgear where they were proving out of 3 pickups which had the best pulling/towing capacity.

The truck that took this challenge was a 2011 Ford F-150 Super duty, pulling a SW locomotive and a difco dump car. The locomotive was Gray and white sayin Venture or something like that. Surprisingly the Ford pulled the heavy locomotive and car with ease.

something interesting I thought id share

the magic of roller bearings.
recalls this famous Timken roller bearing PR stunt, sorry couldnt find a better picture.

Unless you've tried this you'd really be surprised.

With roller bearing and flat level ground, it takes a surprisingly small amount of force to get it moving ... just don't try to STOP it once moving.

I run into this all the time with my little Fairmont MT-19 ... it's only 900 lbs. Rolls REAL easy, doesn't stop so easy. And that's a fraction of the weight of the lightest normal rolling stock.

One other thing that will amaze you : how much the slightest amount of anything on the rail adds resistance to rolling. That same little MT-19 is almost unmovable with a teeny little rock under the wheel.

Driving it, on clean rail, effortless to roll. On rail buried in sand/dirt/gravel (e.g., really bad road crossing) it takes huge RPMs to get it going, if you don't stall.

You really don't realize how efficient steel wheel + steel rail is until you gunk it up.

- litz

I routenly use a 24" pinch bar to spot cars on the shop lift. My trainees don't believe a 63 year man can move two 120,000 lb. EMUs with little effort! But put a penny under one wheel and it won't go anywhere!