C36-7 to C30-7?

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Saw a former Conrail unit, now CSX #7133, this weekend. Under the road number on the cab (engineer’s side) were the markings C36-7. However, they were spray painted over and C30-7 was stenciled next to it.

My question is this. What would (was) changed that made this unit go from being a C36-7 to a C30-7?

Here’s a link to a photo if anyone is interested.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=107133

Brian

2

The governer must be changed or recalibrated alog with the exitation panel.
Randy

3

They proably derated the H.P. of the engine by adjusting the fuel racks. Going from 3600 H.P. back to 3000 H.P. thereby reducing maintenance costs and fuel consumption.

4

All that would need to be changed would be the fuel rack settings and also the electronics for the traction motors since they are not going to be getting all the amps they used to.

5

If you change the injector rack without changing the governer or all of the governer settings the engine will hunt.
Randy

6

What do these engines hunt for?

Gabe

7

The quintessential RPM.

8

and the quintessential air box pressure.
Randy

9

The engines hunt for the next car to hit at the next crossing.

10

If you get carried away with this you wind up with an SF30C which is what GE couldn’t come up with in the first place.

And that poor prime mover is going to be alternately starving for air and then drowning in too much air until something can’t take it anymore and dies (which is just like any old GE around here.[xx(], especially those ragged-out Cascade green things…)

11

Soooo, you have seen our current fleet !
Randy

12

You got Kyle’s Ex-BN GE’s?..If so, saw them a lot, including the hanger queens!

13

Anything below three thousand horsepower would probably mean nixing the turbocharger. But, losing the turbocharger would necessitate a large drop in full fuel position and thus horsepower, so three thousand horsepower is probably a practical limit for derating without major changes.

The lower horsepower probably will cause the turbocharger to spool up more slowly. So keeping the exhaust clean might need some fiddling with fuel rack/ manifold pressure controls.

14

Mebbe someone sprayed the wrong numbers on the side…and it wasn’t noticed 'til later???