Do most modern freight locomotives have air conditioning?
I would think so
Ha or you could be the CN and refurbish a bunch of Dash 8’s and NOT put A/C units in them… just ridiculous.
Then there’s a certain class-1 that loves to take nice light blue engines without ac and slaps a coat of black on them and says “enjoy”. Sometimes they will retrofit ac on them, other times, they retain their “240” system.
“2 windows open, 40 MPH” . . . [(-D] (Doesn’t the open door count, too ?)
Can’t leave the door open - the rail photographers will get mad.
In Texas it is a state law that they have to be ACed. If it quits the hogger is allowed to stop the train ala the 12 hour crew laws [:)]
Spokesman Marc Magliari says one of the westbound California Zephyr’s locomotives had mechanical problems that forced the train to stop early Tuesday morning. He says another locomotive was secured, and the train was headed toward Lincoln, Neb., by 7:45 a.m…
He says power was available throughout the train, so air conditioning continued to cool passengers and crew members.
Including the locomotive cab?
I remember hearing and I think it was on CNW’s second order for wide nose locomotives that GE told them order AC or they wouldn’t honor the warranty on the computer components. Maybe Zardoz or Carl (or anyone else) remembers this.
The bad thing about modern cabs is that they really aren’t setup for not using the AC. Older cabs, even the first couple of orders of “comfort cabs” had vents you could open in the roof and sides. Haven’t seen those, at least on UP engines, for quite a while. Newer engines just have the side windows, which don’t open as much as the old ones did. (Having the doors open, in addition to the windows is frowned upon by more than just photographers.) Anyway, the “240, 250, etc” system doesn’t work well when you sit for a couple hours waiting for whatever.
So far, I’ve been lucky. I haven’t had an engine that has had a complete AC failure. Some didn’t throw the coolest air, but at least it wasn’t throwing out hot air. It sometimes seems like the cab heating/cooling systems are maintained on the basis, “the AC worked fine last January and the heaters worked well in July. What’s the problem?”
Jeff
Jeff, I left CNW before AC was introduced; I never had the luxury of operating an air-conditioned locomotive (or have the fun of operating a train with DP, or have a lead locomotive with the horns mounted anywhere except right over the cab). Heck, I was thrilled when I got an SD40-2’s (with the fancy sidewall heater) as a leader.
I sometimes feel that the differences comparing today’s modern equipment to what was available when I started is as big a gulf as between what I started with compared to late-model steamers.
Don’t recall hearing about the warranty thing, Jeff. I knew that our AC4400s had the a/c, but thought that all three orders of Dash 9s were delivered without. Just thought that, if that were the case, the ACs had more delicate electronics.
To UP’s credit, they put a/c on a lot of the old units. (Including the hump SD38-2s…then changed them to RCOs so nobody got to cool off in it.)
From what I remember seeing growing up when Geep’s were new, you are not near as far off as you might think. In summer they would come through with every window and door on the cab open, and in winter it was a challenge to stay in the cab once it was below -20°F.
With steam it was either terrifyingly hot in the summer or in winter you had your choice of either being warm or being able to see where you were going. In winter, the combination of steam and cold air rendered any glass useless to see through, and you had to run with your head out the window. Engineers and Firemen/Brakemen would alternate out of their respective sides.
Bruce
I too have heard that the wide bodies came with AC so the electronics wont overheat. Again that’s just what I was told. I can tell you that a wide body with busted AC makes for a missarible trip. It’s about 20 degrees hotter than hell even with the windows open. And we pretty much never have a unit with AC while on locals and yard jobs.
The first is true more often that you might think - the AC is for the electronics, not for the people. Even grade crossing signal cabins have AC and electric heat these days !
As to the second - like many modern buildings - no windows are 'operable" to open in the event of an AC failure or just to enjoy a fresh breeze for ventilation on a nice day.
As to the 3rd: [(-D] [tup] [heard that before, and use it myself !]
- Paul North.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen a widenose GE without an AC unit mounted on it. often a different color from the rest of the unit.
I
That sounds so much like CNW–remember, the CNW was the only (maybe one other, I’m not sure) railroad to order its original SD40s & SD45s without dynamic brakes.
Cheap & Nothing Works
Yup. We always had to make sure we had at least two rolls of paper towels at the start of each trip–not so much to keep our hands clean as to use as insulation around the front door (this included the early high-horse SD’s as well).
I worked on computers back in the early years, and they did start getting flakey above about 78 degrees. I don’t know for sure, but the germanium transistors used back then may have been more sensitive to temperature. By about the late '70’s, they could run up to around 100 degrees, but I’m talking about office environment. I suspect a locomotive sitting in the summer sun could reach 120 or more, so I can understand the need for AC.
On the few old steam locomotives on display that I’ve seen, I was always impressed by the creature comforts they provided: a wooden plank to sit on. I assume they originally had a cushion, or maybe the engineer brought his own. They must have been tough old birds.
Thank You.
on any F or E unit it would be stupid to run with door open, the outside door and its big sliding locks and pinned hinges was part of front collision bulkhead.
As for electronics and locomotives, the AC is purely for crew comfort, the electric cabinets and the card racks are vented with outside air, the screens in cab do not need AC either.
Locomotives with AC failure will run for weeks on end before being cycled to shops, without ill effects, other than crew tempers.