Translations:AY Honors/Model Railroad/Answer Key/44/en

An Electric Locomotive

Electric locomotives get power to turn their wheels from electric motors housed inside. Most such locomotives receive their electrical power from overhead wires or an additional rail running alongside the rails used by the wheels. Some electric locomotives employ onboard batteries to drive them. Electricity became the preferred way of driving trains that had to travel underground or through frequent tunnels because they produce no exhaust as diesel or gasoline engines do. Another advantage is that they are virtually silent when operating and are easier to maintain because they utilize fewer moving parts than mechanical combustion engines.