Comment by adrianmonk
4 days ago
When I got to where they explained the benefits of having the engine at the very back and the instability of having the back part push the front, I tried to guess how they solved it. I guessed a fancy drive shaft with universal joints so the engine in the back half could drive wheels in the front half.
I guessed wrong. I still like my idea, but their solution is simpler and probably more efficient and more durable too.
A more modern solution would be to use electric motors on multiple axles, the power coming from a generator or battery.
The bus version of an EMU train
I wonder how much extra complexity a driveshaft crossing the articulation joint would introduce