Page 1 of 1
Locomotive question
Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 11:03 pm
by hoborich
I just saw an NS Eastbound on the Chesterton Railcam with three units. The third unit was blowing large flames and sparks out the top of the engine, probably the exhaust stack. Putting on quite a show. What causes this and is it anything serious? The train was moving quite fast, so it wasn't slowing the train down. Would the engineer be aware of a problem in the third unit?
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:08 am
by PatAzo
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 9:59 pm
by hoborich
Uuuum yeah. Like that. Would the engineer even be aware of that in the third unit. Does his screen show all units, or just the lead unit?
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 2:15 pm
by SD80MAC
He won’t know unless he sees the flames in his mirror or something on the offending unit triggers the alarm bell. 90% of the time, flames shooting out of the stack is just excess carbon burning off. Sometimes it can be a precursor to a turbo failure.
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 7:56 pm
by hoborich
Thanks.
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Tue Feb 20, 2018 3:17 pm
by SousaKerry
GE toasters
Re: Locomotive question
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:55 pm
by A No.1
I blew up a turbo coming out of Battle Creek one day. It was the lead unit. Sounded like bolts in a blender. My conductor told me I was on fire. Had to get a new leader.
That being said probably wouldn't know on a trailing unit till the alarms go off.