Eli5: Why train wheels don’t slip on the rails, when both the wheels and the rails are made of metal?

Question

Eli5: Why train wheels don’t slip on the rails, when both the wheels and the rails are made of metal?

In: 15

Answer 1

There’s a lot of weight from the locomotive that presses down in the rails to force contact. Locos also have a lot of power to be able to move all that weight, and if that power is applied too fast they will. So the driver takes it nice and steady and off she goes. Sometimes sand is blown onto the rails to help provide friction, which is useful during starts, stops and hill climbs