Head-end trains are more efficient than Distributed Power trains in terms of train marshalling. This paper studied an unprecedent real-world engineering problem to hill-start a long heavy haul train at a 1.2% up-hill gradient by using a 14400 kW 24-axle AC electric locomotive (maximum traction force 2280 kN). Longitudinal Train Dynamics simulation were conducted to assess five potential driving strategies in terms of train speed and in-train forces. The simulation results show that the locomotive can hill-start the heavy haul train with 80% traction throttle. However, maximum locomotive coupler forces (1840 kN) exceeded coupler knuckle yield strength (1780 kN) of the original coupler system design. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to assess the implications of train starting resistance for train speeds and in-train forces. The study recommends increasing coupler knuckle yield strength to 2450 kN. The increased knuckle yield strength is still lower than that of the chassis, which is able to meet system design requirement; it also enables the locomotive to hill-start by using traction throttles of 80, 90, and 100% with safety factors of 1.3, 1.2 and 1.1 respectively.

在列车编组方面，前端列车比分布式动力列车更高效。本文研究了一个前所未有的实际工程问题，即使用14400 kW 24轴交流电力机车（最大牵引力2280 kN）在1.2％的上坡坡度下启动长途重载列车。进行了纵向列车动力学仿真，以评估列车速度和列车内力方面的五种潜在驾驶策略。仿真结果表明，该机车能够以80％的牵引节气门进行起步。但是，最大机车耦合器力（1840 kN）超过了原始耦合器系统设计的耦合器转向节屈服强度（1780 kN）。进行了敏感性分析，以评估列车启动阻力对列车速度和列车内力的影响。该研究建议将耦合节的屈服强度提高到2450 kN。增加的转向节屈服强度仍低于底盘，能够满足系统设计要求；它还通过使用80％，90％和100％的牵引力节流阀（分别具有1.3、1.2和1.1的安全系数）使机车能够爬坡。