Welcome to the Trainscapes segment! Each week here on Geek Alabama, Trainscapes will feature train content including videos of trains and behind the scenes action of trains and locomotives. Some people have an interest in seeing trains, and we here at Geek Alabama aim to please the train lovers!
A train can weigh more than 20,000 tonnes, with multiple locomotives producing thousands of horsepower.
Yet despite all that power, even a relatively gentle hill can become a major obstacle. While cars routinely climb gradients of 10%, 15%, or even steeper, most railways are designed to keep gradients below just 2%.
Why does one of the most powerful forms of transport struggle with something that seems so simple?
In this video, we explore the engineering and physics behind why trains can’t climb steep hills, from steel wheels and limited traction to rolling resistance, locomotive power, train weight, and the careful route planning that shapes railway networks around the world.
The answer isn’t a lack of power. It’s the fundamental physics of how trains grip the rails.
Welcome to the hidden engineering behind modern railways.
