Switching railroad makes the switch

[GregW]

I served on a Deep Sea Salvage Boat (USS Preserver ARS 4) for about a year. One we started the main engines (4 800 Hp Coopers) we kept them running until we got back to the dock. It is also common to keep much smaller truck engines operating continuously to provide heat and electricity as well as just to keep the engine warm in cold weather. I believe that some railroad locomotives can be serviced without being shut down.

I wonder if the Nat Gas conversion only involves injecting NG into the Diesel Inlet and using the Diesel oil injection as a non-electric "spark" plug. How do they store the NG on the Locomotive? Are they using tank cars attached behind the locomotives?

My54Ford - Is that a utility power plan you maintain? Very well kept considering how messy Diesel can be.

[my54ford]

Originally Posted by GregW

I served on a Deep Sea Salvage Boat (USS Preserver ARS 4) for about a year. One we started the main engines (4 800 Hp Coopers) we kept them running until we got back to the dock. It is also common to keep much smaller truck engines operating continuously to provide heat and electricity as well as just to keep the engine warm in cold weather. I believe that some railroad locomotives can be serviced without being shut down.

I wonder if the Nat Gas conversion only involves injecting NG into the Diesel Inlet and using the Diesel oil injection as a non-electric "spark" plug. How do they store the NG on the Locomotive? Are they using tank cars attached behind the locomotives?

My54Ford - Is that a utility power plan you maintain? Very well kept considering how messy Diesel can be.

Yes,Municipal Utility plants. We have @ 120Mws worth of C-rice and I just finished completion of a new 25mw NG fired S-rice plant .That particular plant in the vid is a 2 unit 12 MW Cooper Bessemer duel fuel plant (@ 9000hp each). We were curtailed from NG last month and burned a boat load of diesel.
To answer you ng conversion question. While my production duel fuel engines run @ 95/5 gas to oil ratio They don't have very good luck with the conversions I have seen. The typical conversion from a pure diesel engine to a a duel fuel engine involves injecting natural gas into the intake system just prior to the inlet side of the turbo then tricking the control system to drive the diesel rack to a lower (idle) setting. The diesel always acts as the ingition source for the gas (pilot oil) The best result I have seen so far has been @ 60/40 mix gas to diesel. Cleaner then pure diesel yes but not as clean as a spark fired ng engine.
As for fuel? If it's burn natural gas it's gotta haul some CNG of LNG behind it.

[css9450]

Originally Posted by 2nd trick op

I've heard of shutting down bigger power in isolated areas when it's known it wouldn't be used for at least a weekend, but sometimes auxillary power had to be used to keep the block relatively warm in cold weather.

Yes, and in fact often times it can necessitate draining the coolant or whatever it is that they use. They're not like cars where they just turn the key and shut it off.

[whirnot]

Originally Posted by my54ford

while idle no-load condition for 24hrs induces it's only problems I would ask how do you know it's at idle? do you understand the many loco engines and all stationary power diesels are a constant speed machines? A loco engine even at rest may indeed be doing work, power to the train, air for brakes all must be provided. I seen loco engines set in a mine and used as a power provider for the mine....They don't have to be pulling 100 cars to be working...Yes it's easier to see that work but a train at rest is working never the less.

As I said above these are not trains, but single switch engines, working less than an hour a day and running constantly, we saw it for 3 weeks straight. So since they are not hooked to anything, obviously they aren't supplying air for brakes or electricity for the train.