Ive had engines at 14,000 feet and they operated the same (Within reason) for me as at sealevel.
If your company fails to replace the air filters often enough and lose the engine because of dust... well... start replacing the filters more often. I used to bug my company shop for a new filter monthly. You wont believe the Southwest that pours out of the old one.
It sould not be that expensive to replace a filter.
Ive just about exhausted my knowledge on this topic so be easy on me if you thought I was a dummy.
I never had any problem with the problem you describe, and we were operating at altitudes of 8,000-9,000 feet with 567BCs. I wonder if there's something different about the air-filter setup that was done in a rebuild on your GP10s. We just had standard EMD air filters and air-filter holders.
D&RGW used D liners in its C engines and de-rated to 1,500 hp by decreasing rpm from 835 to 800 rpm -- they just changed out the governor as I recall. They told me they did that for engine longevity and because the D liner has larger ports and so achieved better combustion.
RWM
Our company operates roots blown locomotives at a high altitude location. The ernvironment is also extremely dusty. We have been experiencing blower fires for which we have attributed lack of air due to clogged air filters. However, I'm begining to suspect that the altitude(6500 feet) is the culprit.
Questions: What causes roots blower fires and are the roots blown locomotives (GP-10's) operating in the wrong conditions?
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