How are trains able to start with so much cargo?

Question

Just passed by a train with a hundred or so cargo crates. how do they start? I understand how they continue moving, but how do they overcome the inertia of starting it? It has to be like thousands of tons, and I can’t imagine a bunch of coal being able to start moving that. unless of course it can, in which ELI5

In: Engineering

Answer 1

There is a lot of talk about inertia and friction on here, but it’s also important to note just how powerful modern diesel electric locomotives are…a quick google suggests they have over 4000hp and over 60,000 lb-ft of torque.  When you have four of those running together we are talking massive amounts of power…like multiple top fuel dragster amounts of power that can run for hours on end power…incomprehensible this side of ocean-going ships power. Power!