Wild ride yesterday..

[runeight]

Was going down a steep grade yesterday on a 8500 ton train. All of a sudden the lead engine vibrated terribly. Smoke poured from the rear set of trucks.

It took around 1 1/2 mile to get it to stop using a split reduction. Axle number 4 locked. Nothing like an axle locking up on you. Mechanical forces had to come out and cut off the pinion gear. 13 hours and 30 minutes on duty. It was a very long day. Tied the railroad up something awful.

I talked with the guy doing the cutting. Fun huh? He replied third one today.

OK Gunny, get her fixed up! She is in Barstow now. Unit BNSF 1089 to be exact.

r8

 

[Robot]

Serious power, serious mechanical forces, Interesting Stuff!

 

[runeight]

Yes Sir. By cutting the gear the locomotive could be moved otherwise they grease the rail and slide it to a location. After that they have to clean the rail. FRA frowns on stuff like that.

OK Gunny! Get to work on her.

r8

 

[runeight]

Here is a picture of the pinion gear after cutting..

r8

 

[runeight]

And it goes here driving the traction motor. This is what locked.

r8

 

[Robot]

I grew up near a rail car repair yard (Millard, Nebraska), we would walk by wrecked cars on the way home from school.

I found what I guess was a 2" in diameter ball bearing there one day, I had a blast throwing that thing around. How much more simple life was in 7th grade.

 

[runeight]

And for you turbo freaks. I have seen bigger.

r8

 

[runeight]

This shows more detail of how a traction motor works.

r8

 

[runeight]

another..

r8

 

[Robot]

Diesel drives the generator, Your speed, torque, etc, is electricly adjusted to the final drive electric motor. Is this correct?

 

[runeight]

Yes. The motor drives a generator that sends current to the traction motors. On larger locomotives I have pulled 1600 amps on each traction motor. There are six or four depending on locomotive class.

You can only keep it there so long or you will burn them up. Notice picture on this older locomative. Amp gauge on far right showing colors.

r8

 

[runeight]

Notice throttle position Sam?

r8

 

[Robot]

Yes. The motor drives a generator that sends current to the traction motors. On larger locomotives I have pulled 1600 amps on each traction motor. There are six or four depending on locomotive class.

You can only keep it there so long or you will burn them up. Notice picture on this older locomative. Amp gauge on far right showing colors.

r8

Cool stuff! POWER

 

[runeight]

Yes.

r8

http://www.thedieselshop.us/DataC44-9.HTML

 

[Robot]

Yes.

r8

http://www.thedieselshop.us/DataC44-9.HTML

Great link, I've used dynamic breaking on several projects with Allen Bradley Drives. I would guess you have some mechanical braking as well?


OOPS, just noticed air brakes

 

[Powers739]

I seen bigger turbos on an EMD 16 cylinder and EMD-12 cyclider tied at the crankshaft.

Very hair raising to airstart those engines, full rpm (900 if I recall correctly)fast start and fully loaded within 10 seconds, actually loaded at 8 seconds, but ten was the tolerance.  

Of course a little different purpose than in a train.

However, it's pretty exciting to grab the fuel rail and force the engine off the woodward governor to see if it would (or would not) trip on overspeed protection...

 

[99'busa]

my bus has a bigger turbo than that......

sorry its late and thinking about the saturday night live girl who always makes up something bigger and better...never mind.....

I'm lost but am enjoying the pics and story.

but anyway back to your regular scheduled program.

 

[greyrocket]

sweet pics love trains more pics

 

[BusaWizard]

You guys have cool jobs.

 

[Mr Bogus]

So how big is that gear they cut off? can not tell scale without some kind of reference... maybe 5 or 6" ?

So how you steer that thing? Lean it into the corners?