Why are diesel locomotives left running?

It is the policy of the largest US railroad to shut down engines for fuel conservation. However, besides temperature there are other reasons to leave an engine running. Among these are to preserve a supply of air to the trains air brake system or to ensure the locomotives batteries remain charged.



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Engines may be left idling to maintain important safety related functions such as maintaining engine temperature, air pressure for the brake system, the integrity of the starting systems, the electrical system and providing heating or cooling to a train's crew and/or passengers.

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Hydrogen-powered fuel cells, combined with batteries to store electricity, would be a zero-emissions solution to replace the diesel-electric locomotive, Moslener says.

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The decision not to procure new diesel trains had already been made in 2020. As soon as trains have reached the end of their economic life, they are now to be replaced with battery trains. Trains that are theoretically still operational are to be used on non-electrified lines during the transition.

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The life expectancy of diesel-electric and electric locomotives is expected to be similar—about 25 years. Both types of motive power are subject to technological obsolescence.

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Yes, locomotive engines typically have a toilet, also known as a lavatory or restroom, for the use of the crew members who operate the train.

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BNSF Locomotives. We have one of the newest locomotive fleets in the industry. A typical BNSF locomotive will travel up to 4.8 million miles in its lifetime - equal to about 20 trips from the earth to the moon.

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Mercifully, new trains no longer dump waste on the tracks. Instead, trains are fitted with chemical holding tanks. These are connected to regular toilets or vacuum toilets. Like aeroplanes, these need to be emptied regularly, leading to trains having to return to terminal stations.

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Where does a train conductor sleep? Conductors and engineers sleep at home or at a hotel at their away terminal. The operating crew of a train in the US can only be on duty for 12 hours and then must be relieved.

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Today's train locomotives are already quite fuel efficient, especially compared to trucks. In fact, trains can haul one ton of goods an average of more than 480 miles on just a single gallon of fuel, making them 3-4 times more fuel efficient than trucks.

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Power plant capacity is far greater than any individual locomotive uses, so electric locomotives can have a higher power output than diesel locomotives and they can produce even higher short-term surge power for fast acceleration.

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Even when switchyard locomotives are not moving trains, their diesel engines are usually kept running. This is done to charge batteries, warm engine fluids and meet other operational needs. This can amount to several thousand hours of idling per locomotive each year.

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Old diesel locomotives have been scrapped and auctioned in the past after they had completed their codal life and were found uneconomical to operate. These locomotives were dismantled and auctioned piecemeal.

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A caboose is a crewed North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles.

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The diesel engine drives an alternator, which produces electricity to run electric motors mounted on the locomotive's axles. The internal combustion engine was a dramatic improvement in efficiency over the steam locomotive, making substantial savings possible in maintenance and the elimination of widespread facilities.

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