Western Railroad Discussion > What happens when lightning strikes?

I am curious about what happens to locomotives when lightning strikes them direct?

Reason is, a recent trip east caused me to be in some nasty weather with lots of CG lightning (cloud to ground), and at one point I heard on the scanner a train of undermined flag or make call out an emergency shutdown, and speculate that they were hit by lightning. Given that newer locomotives are completely run by computers, I can understand that a direct hit is a mega-EMP jolt that might knock them offline for a moment, but what about older ones with less microprocessor control and more manual?

If this has been covered before, links to the previous discussions appreciated.

Thanks,
Roger

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1258538,1503013#msg-1503013

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,362628,1502463#msg-1502463

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,1418211,1502454#msg-1502454

There is some more, I just did a quick search on "lightning strike"

Chris

I take care of broadcast transmitters, which are connected to tall metal structures (towers) that get struck by lightning occasionally. A lot can be done to sensitive electronics to prevent damage from direct or close by lightning strikes. It is a safe bet that locomotives get hit from time to time, and that enough protection has been installed to help them survive most strikes. It would be impossible to make it survive every strike.

I can tell you that no two strikes are the same, and the damage inflicted is always different. That is especially true once the major weaknesses in the systems are taken care of. So, I'm sure that sometimes the electronics do get damaged to the point of a dead locomotive.

The older, less sophisticated locomotives would be less susceptible, but they still have electrical systems that can be damaged.

A locomotive body is pretty much a big Faraday shield for everything inside. There probably aren't many places above ground that are better protection from lightning for people and equipment.

I've never had it happen to me, and hope I never do, but a number of years ago a fellow engineer did have his lead unit take a direct hit at Fields, Oregon. The was indeed some serious damage but fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how you look at it, it was to the engineer's shorts; the unit kept right on going as if nothing happened. He did say the flash of light and sound was very impressive!

Having been (in airplanes that were) hit by lightning several times, I can attest to the fact that the "flash/bang" is VERY IMPRESSIVE, even when causing little or no damage. Once while climbing out of Crete..............

Ed

As the title suggests...you hear 'thunder'..as
opposed to the Lakers...

Which brings up this photo. Notice the two rods pointing up from the 2nd and 4th vents from the vestibule end. I have never seen anything like this before and the retired conductor that worked this mixed train doesn't remember seeing them though he worked this car. He has no idea what they were for. It is not an aberration, as another photo of this car also taken in 1957 shows the same rods in the same location.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/28/10 13:09 by wabash2800.

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Re Railbaron's post, engineer whose shorts were "damaged" should in future mark off when t-storms are forecasted in order to preserve shorts in good condition :>)