WCfan
Illiana Mountain Man
Morning rays of sunshine bathe an ugly scene of winter's death. Brown muddy fields are boarded by the decaying remains of crusty snow; its edges melted and frozen over several cycles, conglomerated with dormant grasses, and a crunchy center that collapses under feet. Blue dome skies belie the low air temps, hovering at 18F, and wicked winds unimpeded by the bare gangly armatures of trees. Winters grip, even in death, has yet to release.
In the northwest corner of La Hogue, the humdrum idling of MEPEF's three EMD 645 variants echo off the grain bins and a few modest frame homes that fill out the town. Oil spits from the turbo stack, speckling the nose with black dots and creating pools that streak down the side of the hood. It's easy to gauge how rough winter has been by how much lube oil is on the hood. Many railroads have installed Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), small engines that circulate fluids and keep the block warm without having to continuously idle. But as these fail, or if none is installed, the only option left is to keep them idling to prevent freeze damage.
Specular reflection from the rear hood highlights the distinctive lines of the former SP 8520. This variation of the SD40-2 was constructed with lowered air intakes, necessitating a large, and wholly unique spotting feature for an EMD. The goal of this modification was to reduce overheating in tunnels. Hence, these variants were nicknamed "Tunnel Motors". This feature was never repeated domestically, whether it be by EMD wanting to increase standardization, or perhaps the benefits were not so great to justify the added cost. Someone here may know.
Whatever benefits were intended won't be needed today, or tomorrow, or possibly ever. You may be surprised to learn that there is not a single tunnel on the TP&W. The Oregon Cascades, Sierra Nevadas, and Sonoran Desert are far, far to the west, well behind this locomotive. Indeed, the dying winters wind whipping over barren muddy Illiana prairie will provide plenty of unimpeded cool air.
Illiana Mountain Man
Morning rays of sunshine bathe an ugly scene of winter's death. Brown muddy fields are boarded by the decaying remains of crusty snow; its edges melted and frozen over several cycles, conglomerated with dormant grasses, and a crunchy center that collapses under feet. Blue dome skies belie the low air temps, hovering at 18F, and wicked winds unimpeded by the bare gangly armatures of trees. Winters grip, even in death, has yet to release.
In the northwest corner of La Hogue, the humdrum idling of MEPEF's three EMD 645 variants echo off the grain bins and a few modest frame homes that fill out the town. Oil spits from the turbo stack, speckling the nose with black dots and creating pools that streak down the side of the hood. It's easy to gauge how rough winter has been by how much lube oil is on the hood. Many railroads have installed Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), small engines that circulate fluids and keep the block warm without having to continuously idle. But as these fail, or if none is installed, the only option left is to keep them idling to prevent freeze damage.
Specular reflection from the rear hood highlights the distinctive lines of the former SP 8520. This variation of the SD40-2 was constructed with lowered air intakes, necessitating a large, and wholly unique spotting feature for an EMD. The goal of this modification was to reduce overheating in tunnels. Hence, these variants were nicknamed "Tunnel Motors". This feature was never repeated domestically, whether it be by EMD wanting to increase standardization, or perhaps the benefits were not so great to justify the added cost. Someone here may know.
Whatever benefits were intended won't be needed today, or tomorrow, or possibly ever. You may be surprised to learn that there is not a single tunnel on the TP&W. The Oregon Cascades, Sierra Nevadas, and Sonoran Desert are far, far to the west, well behind this locomotive. Indeed, the dying winters wind whipping over barren muddy Illiana prairie will provide plenty of unimpeded cool air.