Locomotives pouring out Black Smoke.

[BaltACD]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dwil89

QUOTE: Originally posted by SteelMonsters

Coolant burning = white smoke
Oil burning = blue smoke
Rich mixture = black smoke.
Steam as a result from combustion visible in cold weather= white steam

Coolant can get into the combustion chamber through a gasket. Oil takes the same path as coolant to get there. Rich mixture can be caused by a bad fuel controller, restrictive inlet conditions, or bad injectors.

I took some shots at Enola a couple of weeks ago of a GP38-2/MP15DC combo pulling a heavy cut of cars west out of the yard at the Iron Bridge. The engineer opened it up and this huge plume of white smoke belched out of the MP. The engineer kept it at Run 7 or 8 for a couple of minutes,and it took a good couple of minutes for the engine's exhaust to clear up before he throttled down. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

The units probably had been idling for a period of time and built up carbon deposits in the top ot the cylinder heads....having the engines under full load burned off the deposits and eventually the engine runs clean. In automobiles that is sometimes called and 'Italian Tuneup', Wide open throttle running does wonders in heating up the combustion chamber and getting rid of deposits.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by mudchicken

These boys have not seen an ALCO run have they?[swg][swg][swg]

An ALCO run ?[(-D]
(although,they have made some decent stuff over the years.)

[dwil89]

QUOTE: Originally posted by SteelMonsters

Coolant burning = white smoke
Oil burning = blue smoke
Rich mixture = black smoke.
Steam as a result from combustion visible in cold weather= white steam

Coolant can get into the combustion chamber through a gasket. Oil takes the same path as coolant to get there. Rich mixture can be caused by a bad fuel controller, restrictive inlet conditions, or bad injectors.

I took some shots at Enola a couple of weeks ago of a GP38-2/MP15DC combo pulling a heavy cut of cars west out of the yard at the Iron Bridge. The engineer opened it up and this huge plume of white smoke belched out of the MP. The engineer kept it at Run 7 or 8 for a couple of minutes,and it took a good couple of minutes for the engine's exhaust to clear up before he throttled down. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[M636C]

I'll second that, although GEs are a close second to Alco in the smoke making stakes. I chased a train two weeks ago led by GE with a 244 Alco engine. The other units had an Alco 251 and an EMD 567. The 244 was both louder and smokier than the others. This was a special passenger train, but I've seen amazing smoke effects from the Cv40-9i units on intermodal trains,

On the Pilbara iron ore lines, you could count the lead and midtrain units by the smoke columns in the distance (at the risk of inflaming some other concerns, isn't that the way the Jews were led out of Egypt, following a column of smoke by day and a pillar of fire at night?). Now BHP Billiton have SD40s, you have to wait until you can see the units and count them.

Peter

[mudchicken]

These boys have not seen an ALCO run have they?[swg][swg][swg]

[SteelMonsters]

Coolant burning = white smoke
Oil burning = blue smoke
Rich mixture = black smoke.
Steam as a result from combustion visible in cold weather= white steam

Coolant can get into the combustion chamber through a gasket. Oil takes the same path as coolant to get there. Rich mixture can be caused by a bad fuel controller, restrictive inlet conditions, or bad injectors.

[Anonymous]

Okay, so injector problems, bad piston rings, or turbocharger = black smoke. What causes a diesel locomotive to spew forth white smoke? I remember watching a Southern Pacific train leave Dolores Yard in Long Beach, CA. (circa 1987) and the train's locomotives were shooting clouds of white smoke into the sky when they accelerated.

[Anonymous]

Weoccasionally have a problem with our diesel buses like you describe. If you blow a turbocharger you loose most of the power and create quite a black plume.

*** Watkins
"Retired " board of directors member

[adrianspeeder]

If the turbo isn't gettin enough air to the engine = black smoke.

If diesel addicts like me want that little bit more power, we turn up the fuel being dumped by the injector = black smoke = cool.

hehehehe

Adrianspeeder

[Anonymous]

Sounds like EMD needs to build bigger engines to contain that fiery snorting flaming horsepower that seems to erupt out of the engine with regularity.

I have seen very heavily customized 18 wheelers carrying flames 2 foot high out of both stacks at very high speed. But this instance with the locomotives I find very intimidating. Perhaps it is EMD trying to get out of a too small engine?

[Anonymous]

Ok more that you guys are right thanks.
Because as the Train was approaching Blair I heard on the Scanner I heard the Crew calling the Train Dispatcher that the EMD just started doing it.

[dwil89]

Probably a bad injector, or turbocharger....I've seen GE's belch smoke moreso than EMD's...witnessed GE's belch flame as well.....Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bigedd

Could be an Injector

That's what I was thinking. I was also thinking that it might be a bad Piston ring too.

[Anonymous]

Could be an Injector

[Anonymous]

I was watching a Westbound Empty Coal Train coming through Blair tonight (02-03-05) and the 2nd Unit which was an EMD SD90MAC behind an AC4400CW-CTE.
As the Train was coming by,The SD90MAC was belching alot of black smoke!
What causes this to happen?
One minute the Locomotive is burning clean then over a sudden it starts to belch out the black smoke.
[bow]BNSF[bow]