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Post by jamesbrodie67281 on Feb 2, 2015 2:20:47 GMT -8
Apart from making the culprits drink a pint of liquid paraffin wouldn't a run through the washing plant remove this extra grime that these engines have collected in their travels ? We were as pleased as Punch if we had a clean pristine finished engine. The diesels were washed but the steamers were done by hand with paraffin and cloths and the final rub over with some engine oil added to the mix to give a sheen. Yes as a cleaner in my starting years we were expected to clean behind the wheels and the back of the valve gear. The charge cleaner would follow us with a white cloth to check on our standard of work.
Rather have a dirty engine than it be replaced by a lorry BUT rather rather have a clean engine. Even as a fireman in the 50s I would keep the side windows on the steamers clean much to the chagrin of the drivers who would try to look out of a clean window which was still closed !!Their clay pipes didn't last long
Honest it has happened I don't need to exaggerate, I can still smile at the comments made to me after the driver pulled the pipe stem out of his (neck) mouth.
James Brodie cleaner...passed cleaner...fireman...passed fireman...and so on down the ladder.
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Post by markfj on Feb 2, 2015 7:38:37 GMT -8
Does anyone on this forum have experience working with a Genset locomotive? I’m wondering how the railroads and their employees like them. The unit in the first photo looks radio controlled. Maybe they’re good for yardwork and other light switching duties, but there can’t be too much tractive force with these things, they look like lightweights.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 2, 2015 7:54:16 GMT -8
Does anyone on this forum have experience working with a Genset locomotive? I’m wondering how the railroads and their employees like them. The unit in the first photo looks radio controlled. Maybe they’re good for yardwork and other light switching duties, but there can’t be too much tractive force with these things, they look like lightweights. Ask Ryan (fr8kar) he works for a railroad and has publicly stated he hates the gensets. |
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 2, 2015 8:34:32 GMT -8
Does anyone on this forum have experience working with a Genset locomotive? I’m wondering how the railroads and their employees like them. The unit in the first photo looks radio controlled. Maybe they’re good for yardwork and other light switching duties, but there can’t be too much tractive force with these things, they look like lightweights. Yes. BNSF uses them extensively in Fort Worth. We have had 1227 to 1293 here at one time or another and 1294 came through a few months ago (it's one of the newer gensets with dynamics). The concept is great, but I don't think the execution lives up to the idea. While our managers are used to looking at horsepower per ton and assigning locomotives on that basis, it has taken years to educate them on the real world capabilities of the gensets. BNSF uses the 2100 horsepower version of NRE's genset, but it's not equivalent to a GP38 or GP39-2. The locomotive is designed to respond with greater output as the load increases, but there really is no provision for a dead start with 4 or 5000 trailing tons, which is a common scenario in Fort Worth. Unlike a geep or an SD40-2, it simply can't respond with all the power required so it overloads the one or two operating engines and one or both of them die or worse. Another problem is the device used to couple the diesel engine to the generator. It has been demonstrated to be a poor design that is subject to frequent failure. Replacement of this coupling requires the entire genset assembly to be removed from the locomotive using a crane, which unfortunately isn't something we have onsite so this must be hired out every time one of these parts needs to be replaced. Whenever possible, all the failed gensets and all the gensets ready to be reassembled are gathered together for the crane's arrival. Since only a few can be handled at a time, and since this part fails so frequently, several of the gensets we use operate at only 2/3 or 1/3 capacity at best. This is one of the causes of that issue that a 2100 HP genset is not the reliable equivalent of a 2000 HP geep. One other issue I have with them is the lack of dynamic brakes. In ordinary switching scenarios, dynamic brakes aren't going to be used often if at all, but these gensets aren't just used on lead and industry jobs, they are also used on hauling/transfer jobs, which is a poor environment for a locomotive without dynamic brakes. Our transfer trains can easily top 9000 tons and despite the prevailing attitude that Texas is flat, the ruling grade is 1.0%. The horsepower ratings used to assign locomotives to trains are based on the idea that you will use dynamic brakes to control train speed in our undulating territory. Unfortunately, without dynamics the train brakes must be relied on to control speed. This will frequently put the engineer behind the 8 ball since the gensets assigned to the train rarely have enough power to pull the train with a minimum reduction. Pull too many amps and one or more of the engines will fail, which really leaves you in a bind since you are now down an engine and the dead weight has just been added to your trailing tonnage. I have found the best way to deal with gensets on heavy trains is to pick a speed that will allow gravity to accelerate and decelerate the train within the speed limit and just live with that speed rather than trying to force the train to operate at track speed. This approach has the added benefit of reducing in-train forces and minimizing fuel consumption (which is exactly what dynamic brakes allow you to do). After running trains like this without dynamic brakes I have a whole new respect for Mopac and Northwestern engineers who had to operate trains on the undulating parts of their home roads. There are some good things to be said about NRE gensets. First, they load quickly. You give the engine throttle and you have a response within a second or two, which contrasts to about five to ten for geeps or SD40-2s and twenty seconds or more for GEs (God help you if you have to switch with GEs). The brakes on all but a few are very responsive, which is what you want when spotting industries. A pair can easily handle cuts of 20 cars and as long as you don't have any mechanical failure, you'd be hard pressed to get any other switch engines to operate as efficiently or as nimbly. The trouble is the looming mechanical failure, which is bound to happen at some point in your week, and depending on the particular genset, at some point in your day. Another problem is it's not often you're only handling 20 cars. When I work a lead job and see gensets in my consist, I get prepared for a long day. This is probably the second least appropriate role for them (hauling jobs are definitely the worst use for them). I operated one of the few next generation gensets, BNSF 1294, for a few days. I had a pretty good size cut of intermodal equipment one day, so I tried out the dynamics. Not as responsive as I'd hoped for, but effective and better than nothing. The cab on 1294 is also far better insulated than on 1227-1293, which makes a difference in the winter but especially when you blow the horn. You'd swear it's louder in the cab than on the stepwell. Again, I'd say it's a great concept, and they can be better than traditional locomotives in some applications, but the NRE gensets BNSF has just aren't ready for prime time. Hopefully some manufacturer comes up with a better version because it looks like we are stuck with the concept. |
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 2, 2015 8:36:09 GMT -8
Ask Ryan (fr8kar) he works for a railroad and has publicly stated he hates the gensets. I'm coming around, Jim. That company Kool-Aid tastes great!  |
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Post by Gary P on Feb 2, 2015 8:53:04 GMT -8
This is what happens in society when law enforcement is no longer allowed to use adequate force to deter crime... Bring back the ability of railroad police to shoot when confronting vandals on railroad property and there would be a reduction in such crime. Shoot first and ask questions later? Reminds me of the TV show Swamp People.... "SHOOT 'EM!" |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 2, 2015 9:12:50 GMT -8
Shoot first and ask questions later? Reminds me of the TV show Swamp People.... "SHOOT 'EM!" Gators, trespassers...same thing right? |
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Post by markfj on Feb 2, 2015 11:06:15 GMT -8
Ryan, thanks for the post, it was an interesting read. I suspected that these locomotives weren’t living up to their hype, but your firsthand accounts pretty much confirmed it. The failures you describe must be a real pain in the neck for everyone involved since it sounds like a juggling act just to get all the resources and damaged units in place for repairs. Well, it’s a good thing than that rebuilt geeps and sd units will likely be around for years (and years). I don’t think anyone is excited to buy into the new tier 4 products, but we all know they’ll have to pay sooner or later.
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Post by jaygee on Feb 2, 2015 13:14:00 GMT -8
Ah yes, but not with bullets, but rather arrows ! Yup, time to confound the nehr-do-wells with psycho flip-floppery ! Huzzah !
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Post by atsfan on Feb 2, 2015 17:31:05 GMT -8
Reminds me of the TV show Swamp People.... "SHOOT 'EM!" Gators, trespassers...same thing right? It is actually "choot-em"  |
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Post by atsfan on Feb 2, 2015 17:32:17 GMT -8
Ryan, thanks for the post, it was an interesting read. I suspected that these locomotives weren’t living up to their hype, but your firsthand accounts pretty much confirmed it. The failures you describe must be a real pain in the neck for everyone involved since it sounds like a juggling act just to get all the resources and damaged units in place for repairs. Well, it’s a good thing than that rebuilt geeps and sd units will likely be around for years (and years). I don’t think anyone is excited to buy into the new tier 4 products, but we all know they’ll have to pay sooner or later. I think the proof is seen in the fact that few new orders are still coming in and those that did come in were mostly government subsidized. |
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Post by fr8kar on Feb 2, 2015 17:52:51 GMT -8
I think the proof is seen in the fact that few new orders are still coming in and those that did come in were mostly government subsidized. Ding ding ding! The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (hard to believe we have one, but it's true) is who gave up the tax breaks for BNSF to get them in the polluted big cities of DFW and Houston. That's why we use them, not because they're any good. |
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Post by kentuckysouthernrwy on Feb 2, 2015 18:06:05 GMT -8
I think the proof is seen in the fact that few new orders are still coming in and those that did come in were mostly government subsidized. Ding ding ding! The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (hard to believe we have one, but it's true) is who gave up the tax breaks for BNSF to get them in the polluted big cities of DFW and Houston. That's why we use them, not because they're any good. Political correctness and gov't subsidies, the only reason for half the half baked ideas around. Windmills anyone? |
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Post by curtmc on Feb 2, 2015 18:47:40 GMT -8
Ah yes, but not with bullets, but rather arrows ! Nah... Birdshot... or better yet, bright pink permanent dye paint pellets at them and their "art"... By the way, has anybody heard about the jail system in Georgia that has switched the inmate uniforms from orange to pink - and it has resulted in a reduction in crime in the county... |
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Post by oldmuley on Feb 2, 2015 18:53:47 GMT -8
I don't mind graffiti on my railroad. It's a part of reality. Of course proper parking on my railroad is strictly enforced.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 2, 2015 18:56:24 GMT -8
Gators, trespassers...same thing right? It is actually "choot-em" That would be Troy Landry! |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Feb 2, 2015 19:01:17 GMT -8
Ah yes, but not with bullets, but rather arrows ! Nah... Birdshot... or better yet, bright pink permanent dye paint pellets at them and their "art"... By the way, has anybody heard about the jail system in Georgia that has switched the inmate uniforms from orange to pink - and it has resulted in a reduction in crime in the county... I believe Sheriff Joe in Maricopa County in Arizona makes the inmates wear pink underwear, socks and shirts on work details. Been doing that for a while. |
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Post by WP 257 on Feb 3, 2015 15:43:40 GMT -8
Eeeeewwwww.
Not on my railroad.
The heavy highway construction industry already has anti-graffiti paint for use on concrete walls, bridge abutments, bridge piers, etc. The graffiti can then be hosed off. I wonder if it can actually be used on steel? And at what price point?
If I were UP, I'd buy the anti-graffiti paint, of course in Armour Yellow and Gray.
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jhuteman
New Member
Whut cho doin there Bo?
Posts: 46 
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Post by jhuteman on Apr 25, 2016 2:28:21 GMT -8
YOU DA MAN, big AL! LOVE your work, your video's ROCK! You are absolutely correct! It's as 'proto' as can be!
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