I have finally been able to put my VHS videos onto DVD…and I have also started to put some onto You Tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAKbkU9l-xE
This is the full video of my famous exploding locomotive…from first appearence to the arrival of the Kirkwood Fire Department.
EARTH SHATTERING KABOOM!!![:O]
Wow, I wonder how often that happens!
Do you have any details of what actually happened during that failure? I am curious as to what broke, how the fire started, and what was burning.
My amazement is more in category of why crew did not use one of 5 fire extinguishers on train but waited for local FD to give it a puff of powder.
It looked more like showtime for a railfan buddy by opening doors etc.
In all my years of railfanning, I have never seen an engine blow a piston, WOW it was somthing to see. Of cuurse that engie is shot since the piston blew right threw the block. Gonna cost UP a pretty penny for a new engine. They can always use the good parts out of the old engine and replace the block and bad piston as well. Does anyone know which option UP would normally take?
[color=blue]Diesel locomotives do not use cast blocks like the automotive engines we are familiar with. Diesel locomotive blocks are welded up affairs and, in the scheme of things, are easily repaired by cutting out the damaged section and welding in a replacement. The Cylinder/Piston/Cylinder head assembly is referred to as a ‘Power Assembly’ and are easily replaced. While an engine blow is is not an everyday occurrence, they are not that uncommon, either. After a several day trip to the shop, the engine will be hauling freight again as if nothing had happened.[/color]
Does that mean that each of the power assemblies are welded to each other, or will thaey just weld a piece of steel into the hole?
“Piston blow”? Looks more like a crankcase explosion to me. It could be initiated by a piston failure. How would any of you know that the piston went through the block? Certainly not visible here. And no, not all locomotive engines use weldments for engines. And yes this crew was negligent in “oh wowing” instead of making any effort to save their equipment.
While that’s true of the 2-stroke EMDs, GE and EMD 265 blocks are indeed cast iron affairs.
A power assembly is a rod, piston, cylinder (called a liner), and cylinder head complete with valves, in one unit. It bolts down onto the crankcase. On EMD 2-stroke engines, the cylinder head is bolted onto the cylinder liner so can be itself replaced if needed. I believe the GE FDL power assemblies are a little more integrated. The EMD 2-stroke crankcase is fabricated steel and can be welded, as needed. I’m not sure about how repairs are done to the cast iron GE blocks, or the EMD 265 blocks.
GE EVO engines while having a basic cast frame for it’s block assembly, has large ‘inspection ports’ that allow access to the con rods for their removal, without having to remove the entire engine from the locomotive.
Please invest in a tripod. If you hike into hard to get to places, a collapsable monopod is better than hand held.
Looks like it tossed a rod , the block is scrap if the rod hit the upper portion of the crankcase , if there is damage to the cam line the block cannot be repaired. If it only damaged the oil pan the block can be metal stiched, either way the engine has some serious damage.
Remarkable piece of film, Jim.
Youtube also showed this one under yours:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSJw8AhtdrA&feature=related
Dave Nelson
It didn’t get caught on video, but I spoke today with the engineer of an ALCo C424 that lost it’s main generator. I guess it was quite the sight…
Even with high speed on my Imac all I get on youtube is audio. Do you have any stills of it? Can you see a piston? I tore apart a Ford/IH 6.9 diesel that had destroyed one piston. Took the head off and one cylinder only had a rod in it, no piston. Piston was about 50 pieces down in the oil pan.