Noun
tractive effort (plural tractive efforts)
(engineering, rail transport) the tractive force that can be generated by a prime mover to pull a load; cardinal examples are a locomotive pulling a train, a road tractor pulling a trailer, or a farm tractor pulling a plow.
Approximately 95% of the tractive effort in the San Francisco system is expended in simply moving the four cables at 9.5 miles per hour. Source: Internet
Passenger locomotives develop less starting tractive effort but are able to operate at the high speeds demanded by passenger schedules. Source: Internet
Therefore, the combination of starting tractive effort and maximum speed is greatly influenced by the diameter of the drivers. Source: Internet
They do not develop as much starting tractive effort as a freight unit but are able to haul heavier trains than a passenger engine. Source: Internet