A typical SD78s locomotive weighs 428,000 pounds with 12 points of contact with the rails, meaning each wheel's contact area bears approximately 35,500 pounds of weight.

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Unidentified Speaker — Why Locomotives Can Pull So Much [z60R7xktGRs]

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a typical sd78s which weighs 428 000 pounds with 12 points of contact with the rails this means that each of the wheels contact areas have 35 and a half thousand pounds crushing down

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Why Locomotives Can Pull So MuchSouthern Plains Railfan
Created: 8/13/2026, 9:56:55 AM

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