Carl
Railroader Emeritus (practiced railroading for 46 years--and in 2010 I finally got it right!)
CAACSCOCOM--I don't want to behave improperly, so I just won't behave at all. (SM)
QUOTE: Originally posted by Alco GE Here are Links to F-M Opposed Piston Engines. http://www.sdrm.org/roster/diesel/fm/ http://www.tpub.com/engine3/en3-18.htm http://www.trainnet.org/Libraries/Lib002/OP_ENGIN.TXT In Diesel Electric Locomotive Service the OPs Problems were usually the Following; Not enough Cooling Capacity or Water. Full Throttle-Idle-Full Throttle Operation. Oil Consumption. Poor Maintenance. The Upper Crankshaft. In Marine Service there was LOTS of Cooling Water available outside the Hull. Same for Stationary Power Plant Operation. On a Locomotive, the Cooling Water available was in the Engine, the Rads and the Expansion Tank. The Exhaust Manifold on a OP was Water-Cooled, adding a Terrific Heat Load to the Cooling System. All Diesel Engines were intended to Operate at a more or less uniform Temperature, and the Uphill for Two Hours, then Down, then Six Hours on the Shop did not do the Engine any good. Vibration, Expansion and Contraction of Components would cause Oil, Fuel and Coolant Leaks. A Rough Coupling onto Freight Cars could do all sorts of Damage. On an OP, the Lubricating Oil for the Upper Crankshaft and it's Pistons Collected in the Top of the Engine above the Upper Pistons. Eventually this Oil would work its way down past the Piston Rings on the Upper Pistons into to the Combustion Space in the Cylinders. If the Engine was cool at Idle, this Oil would not Burn and would Ooze out the Exhaust Ports into the Exhaust Manifold and Exhaust Snubbers ( Mufflers ) and collect. Lube Oil would 'Carbonize' onto Exhaust Ports Vanes in the Cylinder Liner and Manifold Interior Surfaces. When Throttle Opened, the Oil would Burn Off with HUGE Clouds of Blue Smoke lingering behind the Train for Miles. Four OP Units Starting Out at Run 8 with Sanders On made MORE SMOKE than a Foto Run by of ANY Steam Locomotive! When up to Operating Temperature, the Smoke was Black, alternating Dark/Light in Accordance with the Load Regulator and Fuel Rack Settings. Don't kid yourself! A Sweet Running OP could Out Pull General Motors any day! The Carbon on the Ports in the Engine would Glow Red ( So would the Snubbers! ) and the Carbon would get thrown out with the Exhaust, starting LOTS of Fires in Dry Weather. Riding inside a F-M B at Run 8 with the Engine Room Lights Out at night was something else! In Sub Zero Weather the Diesel Fuel Injected did not always Burn if Block Cold. The Engine would Run Rough. The Exhaust was almost Green with Fumes. The Fuel would Collect in the Manifolds and Snubbers, then EXPLODE once Throttle Opened. BIG BANG, and a Twenty Foot Flame out of Stacks. Great at Night! Would Crack Snubbers. In Marine or Stationary Service the Diesel Engine was In Charge of Skilled Enginemen at all times who Monitored it's Operation. In a Locomotive, the Diesel was Neglected for Hours on the Road at varying Speeds and Loads in all sorts of Weather. The Running Shops were always busy doing Sanding and other Duties, and never really did see the Diesels in Operation. A Locomotive could go Days without being seen by a Shop other than for Fuel, Water, Lube Oil and Sand. A Trailing Unit and, especially B Units, could be Neglected for Weeks, Ugly Sounds going Unnoticed until something Broke at Full Throttle. Messy! The Engineer was not Required to Watch the Diesels, neither was the Fireman, as they wanted to Ax the Latter's Position anyway. They were kept Stupid to justify the Cutting of their Jobs. Hmmm. The Upper Crankshaft of OPs had to be Removed to do a lot of Engine Work. A BIG Job just to Change a Liner, as ALL Upper Pistons and Rods had to be Unbolted from the Crankshaft before it was Lifted Out with a Traveling Crane. The Pistons could be Removed thru the Lower Crankcase by Dropping First the Lower Piston and Connecting Rod, then Unbolting the Upper Piston and Connecting Rod from the Upper Crankshaft and Lowering it Down the Cylinder with Special Tackle. The Reverse Procedure to Reinstall. The Westinghouse Electricals on most C-Lines ( CN had 6 CPA-16-5 and 6 CPB-16-5, B-A1A 90 MPH Psgr. Units with FACTORY GE Electricals ) could really Pull Tonnage! So could Westinghouse Baldwins! A C-line had more Water Capacity and was Heavier. Would Hold Rail Well where a GP9 would Slip. GE H-Lines had Great Traction with GE Traction Motors. The Operating Dept. Hated C-Lines as their Cabs were Cramped, the Heaters Poor, they Rode Poorly on Jointed Steel, were very Gassy, and were No Fun Getting On in Motion. The More Modern H-Lines had too many Vertical Steps, a Small Cab, Poor Heaters, Rough Ride. On Jointed Rail at certain Speeds a B-B H-Line Rode like an Empty Covered Hopper Swaying Side to Side. Once the Sway became Pronounced, if the Diesel was getting Low on Water, the Low Water Switch would Activate, Drop the Engine to Idle, and Ring the Alarm Bell. When the Water Sloshed the opposite way, the Engine would Pick Up again. Once this Occurred, you knew the Unit would not last much longer, and a Stop at the Next Station with a Hose was in order. An H-Line with the Rad End as Front Drafted all the Smoke into the Cab when Drifting. Just Horrid! A 'Trainmaster' was Longer and had 6 Wheel Trucks, C-C and was a much better 'Ride', the Staggered Axle Pattern giving a distinct Beat on the Rail Joints beneath. F-Ms, like Baldwins, were usually put into Heavy Drag Service at Full Throttle, and this wore them Out! They might get Ten Thousand Miles a Month on them, BUT, SIX of those Ten Thousand Miles would be in the RED Zone on the Ammeter at 8 Miles an Hour, a Fact that was NOT Considered when they were in the Shops. The Poor Cooling on F-Ms would cause Hot Engines and Shut Downs and more Load for the Units left Operating. A Geep would not have been able to do the same job at 8 mph, and would Run many more Miles at Run 5 or 6 at 35 MPH. Looked way better, miles wise. A Geep would usually Slip to a Stop in Rain, a F-M would Pull to a Stop with Minimal Slipping. Best Procedure was to Run Geeps ahead of F-Ms to Clean and Sand Rail for Following F-Ms. CN Ran their Passenger C-Lines at 85 MPH on Passenger Trains until the End of CN Opposed Piston Operation in 1969. F-Ms were good Locomotives in their own right, but, always the Minority, and ALWAYS Abused!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
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