I've got a few questions about prime mover </font> What is "Crankcase explosion"</font> How do you deal with a flat dead (no battery charge) loco?</font> thanks in advace for help Sophon Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
A crankcase explosion is exactly that......an explosion in the crankcase. There is an overpressure button that trips to prevent this, but sometimes you can still get an explosion. As far as the dead battery on a locomotive, it's the same as your automobile. You jump it! You apply the cables to the battery knife switch, and then try and start the locomotive. You DO NOT want to touch the two cables together!!!!
Sophon, A good picture essay of what happens when it all goes wrong inside a prime mover is here: http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/p011012/p011012.htm Sad to see a 'Deuce have a heart attack... Good railroad reading, by a BNSF engineer out of Sheridan, WY: http://krugtales.50megs.com/rrpictale/rrpictale.htm Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Aren't there a couple of different ways to have such an explosion? One being pressure. Another being fuel vapors igniting? Wasn't there an EMD warning out a few years back, about removing crankcase covers when hot, and a possibility of explosion? Seems like my memory says this happened about the time SD50 units were coming into use? Boxcab E50 Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
Yes, amazing the carnage that occurs when a rod or piston fails.. Those pistons are bigger than my head!!!! Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
I'm surprised the explosion on a diesel locomotive isn't more like a nitro funny car crank explosion, considering how big everything is....nitro fuel notwithstanding! Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
ah, power assembly work... my bread & butter. clean out all the junk, put new parts in, give the internals a quick inspection and fire it up again.. now if the damage is real bad internally, then it could be a longer repair [rewelding the piston cooling oil supply pipe or repairing the block] or if it breaks a crank, then to the backshop it goes... but as long as it is [the crank pin] basically round still, it gets new bearings after being polished up [file & crocus cloth] and runs... crank ain't cheap so it will be used as long as it can.. Copyright 2008 Jerry DeBene
