Diesel Locomotive Basics

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[general]

First off...THANK YOU FOR MAKING A VIDEO THAT BROUGHT TEARS TO MY EYES!!! Your tour starting at the LHE, (Long Hood End), on a "Butt-Head", which is what a switch engine is nicknamed. On the Right side, where you started, up inside around the fan is the sand-box. The sand filler is up on top, (where you thought it was water. The water fills on the left side of the unit up high, close to the Lay-Shaft. (the handle that you increase the fuel with, upon starting, when it doesn't want to start). Then you have the front radiator and a direct drive fan. Next your round thing, on it's side with the clamp bolts around it, is a door that when opened holds 5 or 6 cartridge engine oil filters. The box, with the brass spinners on it is the engine oil strainer box. The thing, you thought was a turbo, is actually one of the two engine cooling, Water Pumps. One pumps in and one pumps out. Then your diesel engine. The bottom access doors are your Crank-Case and Oil Sump, the middle access doors are your Air Box Doors, (where you spray starting fluid on extra cold starts...after you blow it out). Then the top cover is your Top Deck Cover. This is where your cam-shafts turn and your lifter arms ride on the cams, operating all your valves. (never open the top deck lid when running unless you know what you're doing! And even then, not past Idle! Oil will come out of there and it's HOT!!! Then your Main Generator, directly connects to the end of the diesel engine. Up on top is your Auxilliary Generator. It is connected via gears to the Gear-Trane, and is geared to run faster than the engine. (The engine in full throttle (knotch 8), only runs around 900rpm.) The Aux. Gen. Charges the batteries and provides 74volts DC, to run the lights and radio, and cab heaters. Also runs the fuel pump, which is located out close to the middle of the unit close to the strainer box. Then, also on top of the Main Generator, are two big reel-type blowers, that compress and move air into the Air Box, so that when the time comes for air to rush into the cylinder, it will instantly be there. In the Left side, of the unit, mid way of the unit is where some units start. (this type Butt-Head has the start switch on the Engine Control Panel in the Locomotive Cab. The last 2 doors before the cab, up overhead on both sides, of the unit, connected directly to the intake side of the Blowers. are the "Baggie-Filters". These are cloth bags full of fibers with a bag inside and one outside. Then, "Woolies", which are 18x24x4" thick packs of fibers stuck together, clamp into frames across the louvers on the outside engine compartment doors. These are air filters. The blowers put a suction on the filter boxes and draw in air, thru louvers in the locomotive carbody and pick up the heat produced by both generators. This serves two purposes. It cools the generators, as well as heating the air that's going thru the filters, and thru the blowers (one blower for each side of the diesel engine), and on toward the engine Air Box. Then the wall below the front cab windows, isn't really a wall. There are 4 or 5 plate steel doors, covering your MTB (Master Terminal Board) right side by the cab door step, and Resistor area, on the Left side. Then underneath the steps, going into the Cab area, are your Battery Charging Resistor Banks. That spot is helpful during the winter months, as the heat coming off the resistors, keeps those steps from icing up. Inside the cab are controls for everything. Under the Floor, the big switch you were in awe about was the REVERSER air operated Cam Switch. Some older units had another one, similar to it, that controlled DB. (Dynamic Breaking) but since the Yard Switchers don't need DB, only the Road Switchers have DB Grids and a big Cam Switch. Your "P" (Parallel) Contactors, and your "S" (Series) Contactors along with some relay action and big Shunt Transductors take care of your Transition. Like the Engineer stated, transition stays cut out, most of the time. You only need to go into Parallel after you're moving along at a good clip. Most switching action is in a relitively Flat Yard. When on the Hump, when building a series of different trains, The Southern had an adjustable excitation system, that kept a steady speed, just a tad faster than a crawl...up the hump. Most units have a MU connector on both ends, so more than one unit can work together for more Tractive Effort. There's a lot more to it, but this just fills in the holes in your tour. Hopefully you'll read this and make an extention to the wonderful video you have posted here, and take out the slew if "I don't know's". All your info is here. Thanks again.

[edduke]

From one that works one EMD diesel electric locomotives, I can answer some of your questions from on the video. From in the cab segment, the large electric switch in the basement is the reverser power contactors. That is what sends the electricity to move the locomotive forward or backwards, depending on which way it turns to contact the connections. The small rectangular box with the flip up lid is for the oil to go into the truck center casting for lubrication of that.

[awizardalso]

I have to say thanks to thegeekgroup for posting this and bringing back memories. In 1967, I was befriended by a couple guys at an industrial yard on W. 110th St, south of Berea Ave. in Cleveland Ohio after wrecking my bicycle crossing the tracks on my way home from school. Got to go for a few rides on their locomotive, and once got to pull a few cars from their yard down to the mainline at W.117th and Madison and pull back some others set out on a siding back to their yard. It was an SW9, I believe it was New York Central #9000 (maybe one of the 8900 series, hard to say), but one of the most memorable things I ever did in my life. I think it's safe to break my vow of silence after all these years!

[TarHeelBrit]

Great video, I like Bruce he's a man who isn't afraid to say I don't know when he doesn't know rather than BS people.

[crestfallenmortal]

So far this has been the best video on diesel locomotive basics I have seen.

[teneishiacoleman]

I don't know what models of locomotives there are, I don't know about the inside of an engine, but one thing is for certain, I like trains and I get happy when I watch them.

[markfrench]

As a retired railroad engineer, I thought you did an excellent job of describing the various parts of a locomotive even though it was simplified. This video made me realize how much I miss running a locomotive. Great video. Thanks.

[Ramona]

That big device under the floor  looks like the reverser which changes the direction of
current through the traction motor (tm) fields. in the electrical cabinet are the contactors
which put motors in series parallel, then in parallel. The traction generator is "motored"
meaning current from batteries  is sent to it to crank the engine.

Transition is the automatic changing of TM connections to the Traction generator, TG.
Since the TM's are highly inductive loads they generate a back voltage which if high
enough causes the tm's to starve for current. Since power is equal to volts X amps
and amps being the electrical equivalent of torque, the less current that flows through
the armatures of the tm's, less torque is available to pull the train.

Transition keeps the back voltage of the TM's such that the TG and TM's work most
efficiently, When the back voltage of the TM's  s tarts to get to a point where power drops, the FSR kicks in putting a resistance across fields of TM's 1/2 as much current
now flows through field coils in TM's reducing back voltage and TG's volts lower back to
600 volts and since TG is a constant KW machine, jacking up volts by 25% will lower
current output by 25% so if the rated TG volts are 600 and rated amps is 1500,
if TG volts go to 750, this means that the TG is putting out 150 volts more than rated voltage or 25% above rated volts and the full current of 1500 is now 1125 amps. So
transition keeps the TG within its most efficient operating parameters.

After the  FSR reduces back voltage loco keeps moving and say around 35
mph the PTR  (parallel transfer relay) kicks in putting each TM across the TG
the FSR having dropped out as motors are now getting the full 600 volts, but around
55 or whatever rated highest speed is  FSR kicks in again, dropping current through
the fields of TM's BUT not the armatures as more current through armatures results in
more mechanical torque for the drivers (wheels) which for the most part is a 4 to 1 ratio
, 4 turns of motor gives 1 turn of wheels but with 4 X more torque.

[NumberZeroZeroSix]

This is a fantastic video. It really fills a need.

I'm a member of the Louisiana Steam Train Association and there is always a need for good videos to help show our visitors what they are about to see.

LASTA has an operational steam locomotive and two operational electro-diesels.

More Boy Scouts have been coming to the yard. These are at a level that high school students can understand.

Thanks again.

[ralfie]

The first "I don't know" is the engine lube oil filter tank, or Michiana Tank, 2nd IDK is the engine coolant water pump, 3rd IDK is engine lube oil strainer housing, next was air box covers, then crankcase covers, and the valves are test cocks, which as he said, you open and bar the engine over to clear any coolant out of the cylinders. EMD engines are a bit prone to leaky head gaskets.

[wabash]

lets start with big filter, yes it is a filter housing "michiana tank" with four filters. The next thing, the "turbine" is the water pump. This model of locomotive has two. The pretty brass handles are two brass oil strainers. The entire box is called a strainer housing. Cylinder test cocks, air box covers "access to cylinder liners", crank case covers. To get to the valves, go to the top of the block, under the valve covers or cylinder head covers you will find the top deck.

[Mike-tgdj]

electric- diesel locomotive fascinate the daylights out of me! This was a very well organized informative video and on one of the most interesting types the EMD SW1200. These locomotives worked the yards of the 1940's and 50s shuttling freight to make up train consists all over the country. Yes these are superb pieces of equipment. Yes sir! It was interesting to see these awesome pieces leading a consist cab forward delivering freight to customers. Thanks!

[xzapken]

Great video thank you so much. I played by a switching siding when I was a 9-year-old an engine similar to the one in your video stopped near where standing. I looked up at the Engineer and said can I have a ride? He looked down and said come on up, I was so pumped grabbing the white handrails and pulling myself up then going in the cab door the Fireman said, they still had them in those days, take my place! He got up and went out the cab door I then sat in his seat. I had more rides after that first fun one. I am 76 now and it still seems fresh in my mind.

[DanTheCaptain]

As a young boy I was interested in any machinery that moved (boats, cars, trucks, trains, PLANES!!!, etc). I didn't care about anything else really haha! So now that I'm 16, I have a craving to fill my geek boxes of curiosity and this is all awesome! Glad I came across this channel!

[tomphillips]

This has been an educational video! I appreciate your time and effort to enlighten your watchers on information that I have been interested in knowing for all my life and I am now 71 years old. Thanks so much!!!

[naroxcpe]

These little switcher diesels are my favorite vintage units.

[michaeldougfir]

This is a great presentation. I got a lot of questions answered and learnt a bunch else. Thank you for making and posting this video.

[Terraceview]

This has to be the most informative video I've ever seen on diesel locomotives, thanks a lot, been looking for something like this for ages.

[johnson-gbns]

Thank you both Bruce and Chris, together with the whole team..I learn't some thing new..Thanks a lot for the effort.
I wish I cud have seen the equipments seperately...

[ogunjeadesina]

I'm Blessed to have seen this illustration and learned one or two things from Diesel Locomotive Train.