A system is provided for dynamically affecting a force applied through at least one axle in a rail vehicle configured to travel along a rail track. The rail vehicle includes a plurality of wheels, where the wheels are received by a plurality of axles. The plurality of wheels are configured to move along a respective rail of the rail track in a travel direction. The system includes a device configured to dynamically affect the force applied through the at least one axle. As the rail vehicle travels along the rail track, at least one characteristic of the force is selected to affect the traction performance of the rail vehicle.