APU, Auillary power unit. this is a small 4 cylinder diesel engine mounted on a chassis, along wiht a 25 KW 240V AC generator the purpose for this sevice is fuel conservation. this device combined with wabtecs engine run manager senses engine water temp, battery voltage, brake pipe and main res pressure
if any of these parameters arent what the ERM looks for it starts the APU up
the apu has heaters to heat the locomotive cooling system has a battery charger to charge the batterys and a small air compressor for your consist if the apu runs long enough and cannot build enough air charge the batterys enough or mainly warm the engine up to temp it will start a sequence where it actually primes and starts the main engine runs the main engine untill these parameters have been met then goes into auto shut down mode this is the alternative to letting them run 24/7 in the wintertime
and these things shut engines down in summertime when you pull up for a meet also. so you dont get to have air conditioning. there is a over ride on it if you remeber it. if not it shuts down then you need to move the reverser and it will start the engine in a few minutes.
Railroad men are tough, they don’t need no Air Conditioner.
TIM A
or heat either - they just generate their own! [:D]
Hey Tim - perfect timing - I just read in the Omaha paper that a man entered our State Fair Quilting Contest. He was one of two men out of 282 people. He is retired - from the BNSF as a conductor! He is shown with a beautiful MC Escher-type quilt he did. How about it guys, any of you admit to having any talent with something besides a hammer and screwdriver ala Rosie Grier? I know Houston Ed does beautiful pens. Any artistic painters, quilters, knitters -whatever? It is a real talent not all of us have!
Mookie
mookie
I guess when it comes to those home chores of sewing knitting and soforth that is the wifes area. and its safer that way i would bleed all over the craft. but when it comes to gardening that is my chore. as my wife is good at everything but this. my wife could kill artificial flowers.
Wabash - I do have houseplants, but you won’t catch me outside unless it is getting into or out of a car! Yards/gardens and anything pertaining to the outdoors is strictly off-limits! So I always tip my hat that I don’t wear to any gardeners!
Mookie
JEN, Figures he was a conductor. Most conductors just sleep, this guy probably learned that craft riding on trains and made quilts to fight the bordom. Myself,I am good at sewing, it is a craft I picked up while in the military. (Made a lot of extra money sewing stripe’s and patches on uniforms.) As far as outdoor work, I just hire a landscaper.
TIM A
Tim - I am with you! I can do a little sewing, crochet and cross stitch and I am not even a conductor! But I will admit he did a nice job. Must have been stopped a lot in that engine!
Jen