The “white stuff” is most likely either unburned diesel fuel mist or water vapor. I can’t tell the difference from the photo. Starting up a cold diesel engine causes it to emit large quantities of unburned diesel mist. The mist is very hazardous because it will coat the inside of your lungs if you breathe it in, and your lungs cannot easily get rid of it.
Avoiding unburned diesel mist at cold start-up is one of the reasons to keep diesel engines at operating temperature or to heat them up before starting them.
Water vapor can arise from a leak in the cooling system or a crack/hole in a cylinder or head. It will probably not smell like a water vapor leak from a car because most RR diesel engines do not use anti-freeze.
Diesel mist, OTOH, has a strong, unmistakable odor. If you smell it, get away as quickly as possible.
I did not notice any strange smell. This also went on for at least half an hour, so I’m wondering if it was the second, the crack or hole in the cylinder head.
Thanx for the look at the old stompin grounds (at least that place still is functioning, with the twin nightmares of a street crossing in the middle of the yard and the Vernon Team lead going out the top of the west end of the yard.)
IIRC I dont think so. If you can ride a freight car across a crossing then why not an engine. Of course I may be too tired to properly remember my safety rules.
Besides, maybe the train stopped, the crewmember got down on the ground and walked the crossing? I can’t remember for sure, but I think that is what happened. My next shot isn’t until the train is across the crossing.
Unburned fuel smoke from a cold diesel engine is murderously irritating to breathe and smells horrible. It literally takes your breath away. It smells much different than exhaust from a warmed up diesel engine. Actually, I like the smell of normal diesel exhaust, although the smell does vary from one type of engine to another. Locomotives in particular tend to have a sweet and pleasant smelling diesel exhaust.
My neighbor has a large diesel truck. Apparently, it has a thermostat problem and tends to run cold. So the guy starts it and lets it idle for 3-4 hours before pulling out. It sits there making clouds of white smoke that envelope the neighborhood. And if that smoke gets into the house, I can smell it for days afterward. It is literally diesel fuel mist that gets into the house, into the clothes, furniture, carpet, end everything.
Rules vary by railroad. Usually you have more leeway with an engine, since you have a way of providing audible warning and the ability to dump it. I heard the FRA would rather have RCO guys be up in the cab when going across public crossings…
For a new and different experience of that kind, be a short distance downwind of an early US Army M1A1 Abrams Main Battle Tank with the 1,500 HP Chrysler gas-turbine running on whatever it is they prefer to fuel it with - I liken it to drowning in cherry cough syrup ! Perhaps Larry/ tree68 was near them where he used to be up there in northern NY state - Fort Drum or similar ?
That linked video of the diesel from England is pretty shocking - looks like it was laying down a smokescreen ! (It also looks like a BL2, but that’s another problem entirely . . . [:-^] )
I’m a retired aircraft mechanic and I’m familiar with both ‘Jet-A’ which is basically #1 diesel or Kerosene , and #2 diesel. Both can entrain water better than gasoline and promote the growth of algae in the fuel. It does not appear to be temperature dependent as I’ve seen the ‘white smoke’ emanate from jet engines, truck diesels, and railroad engines when started in cold weather. For turbine powered aircraft there is a additive that prevents the formation of algae. Unfortunately, it’s inclusion is not universal.
What is in that white smoke I have no idea, but I’m sure it can’t be healthy to breathe.
My experience with them was 1982 - 1983 at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, so it may have been the same fuel. Do you agree with my “cherry cough syrup” description, or do you have a different assessment ? [:-^] [swg]