Heavily smoking GEVO

[carnej1]

schlimm

 More evidence in the case for electrification, at least for heavily used lines?

Not if you're an accountant for the RR...

[schlimm]

 More evidence in the case for electrification, at least for heavily used lines?

[creepycrank]

fredswain

It might not have been a GEVO. I'm not sure which GE engines get that designation as a couple of variations look alike. Then to add to the confusion UP names them differently than others. The smoking engine was a rear facing C45ACCTE. The lead engine was a C44ACCTE. I can tell them apart pretty easily. Those are very common through here and mostly what I see as far as GE is concerned. UP's C45ACCTE engines look just like BNSF's ES44 engines which I also see alot of.

A C45ACCTE is the latest model so it would have a GEVO engine with the troublesome turbo. They have a different pattern of grills and the air intake for the aftercooler is just in front of the intake grills for the radiator. Its probably still under warranty.

[fredswain]

It might not have been a GEVO. I'm not sure which GE engines get that designation as a couple of variations look alike. Then to add to the confusion UP names them differently than others. The smoking engine was a rear facing C45ACCTE. The lead engine was a C44ACCTE. I can tell them apart pretty easily. Those are very common through here and mostly what I see as far as GE is concerned. UP's C45ACCTE engines look just like BNSF's ES44 engines which I also see alot of.

[creepycrank]

If its black smoke its probably a non functioning turbo. This probably answers my question that with all this computer control that a sensor in the intake manifold would sense loss of boost pressure and derate the engine. To control smoke the computer is supposed to limit fuel while the turbo catches up. Are you sure its a GEVO unit?

[fredswain]

Or is it EVO? Anyways part of my drive parallels the UP Ft. Worth sub north of Houston between Spring and Navasota, TX. There is a thin line of trees between the road and the track. I was driving north and there was a train also going north next to me. I was slowly passing it and catching the head end. Up ahead I could see a smoke plume rising up. It looked like a hard working steam engine could be up there but I knew this wasn't going to be the case since UP doesn't have any in this part of the country and neither does anyone else. When I got up to the front I could see what was going on. There were 2 engines, both GE's. The second unit was puffing a black cloud of smoke the likes of which would make the hardest working Big Boy proud. Thick heavy black smoke.

I got to the town of Magnolia ahead of the train and crossed the tracks. I could see this black cloud coming. It roared through town fogging up everything behind it. It took several minutes for it to dissipate. I'm sure any enivronmentalists who saw it were just besides themselves. Could this have been a blown turbocharger? I know BNSF has had some GEVOs with this problem but does UP also have issues or was this just a coincidence?