

This 270,000-pound (122,470-kg) locomotive Hitachi Rail offer fully integrated, rail solutions across rolling stock, signalling, operation, service & maintenance, digital technology and turnkey.Wiley has partnerships with many of the world’s leading societies and publishes over 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols in STMS subjects. With a growing open access offering, Wiley is committed to the widest possible dissemination of and access to the content we publish and supports all sustainable models of access. Our online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) is one of the world’s most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.
However, this does not make rail immune to environmental regulations, and all locomotives in the U.S. For example, rail produces up to 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than hauling equivalent freight by truck, according to the Association of American Railroads. Freight is transported by rail, according to the Department of Transportation.Locomotive transport brings environmental benefits. One of only 11 EMC Model 40 locomotives ever produced, this four-wheel, rigid frame diesel locomotive (S/N 1835) is sometimes referred to as a 'critter'.Our freight locomotives set new standards in terms of tractive effort, energy efficiency, Last Mile support diesel engine, digitalization and service.While passenger rail is far less popular in the United States than other regions, about a third of U.S. Calumet Steel EMC Model 40. This locomotive is currently out of service.
These locomotives can typically generate 1,200–6,000 horsepower most of the GE and EMD locomotive engines are rated at 4,500 HP. To meet these demands, technological advancements in numerous areas have been sought to maximize fuel efficiency and minimize engine idling.One of the most obvious areas of improvement is the performance of the engine at the heart of diesel locomotives. Since coming into effect in 2015, Tier 4 standards have limited emissions of particulate matter, total hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.
Diesel Locomotive Engine Free Oil Standard
Though a North American organization, LMOA generations are used around the world to specify railroad diesel engine oils. Major additive companies such as Chevron Oronite, Afton and Infineum still cater to this requirement.Oil performance level is classified by generation numbers 1–7 with specifications decided upon and approved by the Locomotive Maintenance Officers Association. Although EMD stopped using silver in their bearings in the early 2000s, the zinc-free oil standard continued to protect the legacy fleet and remains a part of the industry today. GE engines did not use silver bearings, but railroads did not want to stock two different engine oils, and zinc-free oil became the standard. Formulations generally include detergent, dispersant, antiwear, antioxidant, viscosity index improver and pour point depressant additives.Railroad engine oils have traditionally been zinc-free because EMD engines had silver wrist-pin bearings that could be damaged by zinc-containing additives such as zinc dialkyldithiophosphate.
Nevertheless, it may be worth trying synthetic oils in newer locomotives, which would enable longer oil drain intervals, better fuel economy and improved engine durability.Another trend in the automotive industry is the move toward lower-viscosity engine oils. The older generations of diesel engines have very high oil consumption compared to a typical car or truck. However, similar levels of synthetics may be too expensive for many of the older locomotives. Such improvements are expected to continue for future locomotive engine oils if emissions regulations grow stricter and further performance gains are developed.As with automotive engine oils, potential exists within the railroad industry to move toward synthetics. Generation 7 oils typically have TBN of 11 as determined by ASTM D2896 and are the standard in North America, while Generations 7, 6 and 5LL have been used in other countries.In comparison to Generation 6 oils, Generation 7 offers superior base retention and acid control and can better withstand the additional stresses of exhaust gas recirculation systems and reduced oil consumption in GE Evolution Series Tier 4 engines, all while maintaining compatibility with low sulfur (less than 500 parts per million) and ultra-low sulfur (under 5 ppm) fuels. Depending on the sulfur content in the fuel, locomotive engines use oils with total base number of 9–13, which is essential to neutralizing the sulfuric and other acids formed during combustion.
Locomotives typically have four to six traction motors that drive the wheels and are connected to the drive axle through a gearbox utilizing pinion and bull gears. As a result, GE’s guidelines recommend testing in-service oils every 7 to 10 days under programs that analyze the properties shown below.A separate but equally essential area of lubrication is the electric traction motors and gear boxes that the engine powers. Intervals can be shorter or longer depending on the service category and type of railroad and could also be influenced by numerous factors such as TBN depletion, high soot content, fuel dilution and oil oxidation. While moving from SAE 20W-40 to SAE 5W-30 may require redesigning some of the engine components, the quest for reduction in carbon dioxide emissions might necessitate such changes in the future.Routine maintenance practices typically call for locomotive engine oil to be changed every three to six months. For railroads, such improvements would save millions of dollars, as fuel is the major component of total operating cost, estimated at $12 billion annually.
Synthetic gear oil enables oil drain intervals of about two years depending on the type of service and how well the gearbox is sealed from dust and other contaminants. In fact, GE specifies lubricants containing PAO base stock for recent AC traction motors.Formulators avoid using active sulfur-phosphorous EP additives in these oils due to their potential to damage the yellow metals (bronze, brass, etc.) used in many bearing components. For locomotives, the traction motor gear oil also lubricates the main bearings and is typically a polyalphaolefin based oil with ISO Viscosity Grade 460 with mild extreme pressure and antiwear additives.
Diesel Locomotive Engine Trial Sectors Such
Demand for lower operating costs and a minimal environmental footprint compels industrial sectors such as the locomotive industry to seek improvements through any means necessary, and locomotive lubrication will be a key component of achieving those goals for the foreseeable future.Raj Shah, Ph.D., is a director at Koehler Instrument Co. These bearings are different sizes, take different loads and rotate at various speeds, so they each require greases with compositions optimized for the specific application and environment.Typically, traction motors use an NLGI Grade 3 lithium grease made with mineral oil, while U-tube bearings need NLGI Grade 2 under GE Specification D50E34 and D6A2C17, respectively.Wheel bearing and generator greases are also preferably synthetic, with choice depending on the desired service life and ambient conditions such as seasonal temperature.Lubricants with performance specifications and material composition optimal for their specific operating environment play a crucial role in ensuring various locomotive components run smoothly and efficiently. Depending on the type of service, it is usually recommended for compressor oils to have a drain interval of one year since oxidation and contamination can cause lubricant deterioration beyond that period.While oils are used for a variety of locomotive lubrication systems, greases lubricate the bearings in the main generator, traction motors, U-tube bearings, radiator fans and wheel bearings. Recent GE specifications D6B31A1 and D6B31B1 instead use synthetic diester base stock or a PAO-ester blend. These may have a reciprocating or rotary screw design, but in either case employ an air compressor to generate pressurized air that is fed into the brake system.Typically, a highly refined mineral oil based lubricant of ISO VG 68 or 100 with some antiwear and antioxidant additives is used in the compressor. Hence, oil monitoring is as important here as for engine oil.Just as automotive engine oil advancements can inform formulation of locomotive engine oils, the railroad industry can benefit from lessons gained from using lower-viscosity oils to improve efficiency in wind turbine gearboxes.Another critical area for lubrication is the air-brake systems used in most locomotive units for both stopping and emergency braking.
In biorenewable resources and technology from Iowa State University.John Calderon is a student of chemical engineering at Stony Brook University and an intern at Koehler Instrument Co. An expert in fuels, lubricants and engine combustion, he holds a Ph.D. And was previously a senior engineer at General Electric Co. Contact him at Kuzhiyil is a staff engineer at ExxonMobil Corp.
