What is involved in the initial start-up of a modern diesel loco? When I first started driving 18-wheelers many years ago, there was a whole ritual during cold starts involving pulling a compression release and trying to get the engine to ingest a spray of ether, all the while keeping your finger on the starter button. Nowadays, we just turn the key. Are locomotives this easy to start also?
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/manual/manual.html
This link goes to operator manuals of diesel locomotives. It should help to answer your question.
When we start up our Alco S3 – CPR #6503 at the museum in Squamish BC -. It’s pretty straight forward . Initially you have to check the coolant level is up, oil level is good & the water has been drained from the oil sump. Then pull out the battery shut off control lever , puhe fuel switch , puhe control switch & the field generator switch – the pu***he start button so it cranks & wait till if fires up – thats when you get all the smoke & loud clanking from the engine --" great stuff " - after that you just have to run it .
Interesting…is the water in the sump that you refer to, is it from condensation or is it actually wayward coolant? How does outside ambient temperatures affect you starting procedures. Will they start unassisted below freezing?
That would require filling the cooling system with water - most generally they don’t use antifreeze in the coolant.
In the aftermath of 9/11, I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you[;)]
It is actually wayward water from the engine , as this loco is a product of 1951 a certain amount of wear has occured & we have some ingress of water . We do treat the coolant water with additive to prevent the water jackets corroding into the cylinders but we do not use antifreeze . In winter we drain the whole system during freeze up time , although out on the coast it does’nt get many degrees below zero in winter .
Our CPR loco inspectors told us a certain amount of water is normal on this age of unit & to drain it regularly - the alternative is to take the heads off!!! – not a saturday afternoon job!
Thanks for the info guys, and especially to jason1 for the heads-up on the operation manual website. The amount of info they have there will keep me busy for weeks.
No problem, glad I could help.
The spray type starting fluid we used in desiel trucks were explosive. You only used those if normal starting failed.
You would fire the can into the engine air intake, run for the cab, mount and ride the starter provided you still had battery power or have not used your air up.
Todays trucks are literally turn the key. However there are some old school tricks to kicking a desiel to life without a key.
Way back when I had a diesel powered VW Jetta I was able to turn the ignition key to “run” position, roll the car downhill and then pop the clutch and she would start all by herself without use of the glowplugs or starter motor. This was always a good thing to be able to do when the battery was not fully charged such as when it was REALLY cold outside (I live in N. IL) I believe this is only possible with a diesel and not with a gasoline engine.
Nope, you can pop start a gasser the same way. Do it everytime I’m on a hill to save the starting system.
Adrianspeeder
The Grand Old Lady that comes to mind was a 1977 cabover Pete with a Cummins 290. [Shiney 290] It didn’t have a lot of power, but it would out-pull a 318 Detroit…hell, my son’s bicycle would out-pull a 318 Detroit. The Cummins was quieter too and didn’t leak oil as much. But if it was anywhere near freezing outside, you just KNEW it wasn’t going to fire without some help from Mr. Ether. I didn’t even try, instead saving what little battery power I had for the “Big Show”. I wonder whatever happened to that truck…I hope someone gave it a decent burial.
Had one freeze over the weekend while I was off for several days. Had to build a fire to thaw out everything. Never did get it started. I had suspected the management of being too cheap to plug in that block heater to the side of the building.
Well it cost a hell of alot more than a montly electric bill to get that old rig going again.
I remember starting a pre-68 John Deere 404cid engine in about 20 degree weather without a block heater AND without ether. We only spun the engine over for about 30 seconds before it began to fire, I think we had to hold it for another 15 to keep it running. Of course, this one had good batteries in it, and I think by that time we switched the electrical system back to 12 volt (it came from the factory with a 24 volt system).
I also remember running the same tractor for about two months WITHOUT batteries in it, we either did the hill start or got someone else to pull start the old gal.
This was the same tractor my dad rebuilt the electrical system after it fried itself. The best we can figure, the starter solenoid shorted itself out on a Friday night, pulling down the batteries, and when my dad installed fresh batteries on Monday, it barbequed everything. It was cheaper to switch to 12 volt than to have the 24 volt equipment rebuilt.
Randy
Well when I had to start a very worn out 645, we punched a hole in a can of starting fluid, thru it into the air box, put the on the cover and hit the starter. It’ll either start or lock-up. You just hope that you don’t get a crankcase explosion.!!!
Prime it, Start, VROOM
One thing you had to watch was getting some cheap, or untreated fuel in your tanks and have it “jell-up”. It would literally turn to jelly if it was allowed to sit in sub-freezing temps without the truck running. It would get as far as the filter and then clog it. A block heater helped to get the engine running but would then cause another problem. It would send just enough heat to the fuel sitting in the injector pump, filter and associated lines to allow the engine to idle. Once you left the yard and started taching it up though, you would eventually run the engine out of fuel because remember, none of the unheated stuff is getting past the filter. The engine would run just long enough to get you down the road a few miles and then die. No engine means no heat! It was a long cold walk back to the yard!
Thus, I congratulate the guy who invented the in-tank fuel heater!!
Randy