Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
That's correct -- that "whoop" is the air compressor engaging. EMDs are set up with the compressor driven off the engine (in line), and when not needed the compressor simply doesn't compress. So GEs save fuel by not spinning the compressor except when you need it, as well as wear-and-tear on the compressor, and EMDs save maintenance by not having the clutch. Another six-of-one, half-a-dozen of another choices. Mookie, if you search in Google for "north american emergency response handbook" you will find html versions (and probably a pdf version that's easy to print) of the guide to all the hazmat placards that are used. That enables you to look up the number of the placard and in many cases know what's being hauled in the tankcar. The Transportation Security Administration has proposed that no hazmat load be placarded for security reasons. I haven't heard of any railroad, truck line, chemical shipper, fire department, or emergency response organization liking that idea. Larry gave you the two likely choices for the coal car you saw. One way to tell is If the coal car you saw was aluminum, not bottom-dump, or had a reporting mark ending in "X" -then it's unlikely to be anything other than a bad-order setout, repaired and moving again. If the coal looked gray and kind of porous, it was actually coke -- foundries get single-car orders of coke all the time.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag