Western Railroad Discussion > I Thought They Abolished the Firemans Job?

Shot was taken in March, 1990 at the siding at Walnut, CA. The westbound hauler had gone by us a couple of miles east of here with this unit showing flames coming out from the dynamic brake blister and around the fuel tank. At the time we didn't think that the crew had realized the unit was on fire, so we took off after the train. By the time we got to the siding at Walnut, they had stopped the train. After trying to put out the fire with all of the fire extinguishers they could find on the units, they finally had the dispatcher send for the fire department. The next shots show the unit with some flames showing, the crew's attempt to put out the fire, and a final shot of the firemen hosing down inside the engine compartment.

---

You can just see the flames in the dynamic brake blister, and some flames around the fuel tank.

---

Shown here emptying the last fire extinguisher.

---

Firemen shooting water into the engine compartment.

---

The roof over the grids get hot enough to melt the soles of your boots. I know from experience.
Safety first, don't shoot the water in until you have killed the unit, isolated the unit and pulled the battery switch.

Absolutly great photo series. Thanks for sharing.

Jimmy "B"

fbe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The roof over the grids get hot enough to melt the
> soles of your boots. I know from experience.
> Safety first, don't shoot the water in until you
> have killed the unit, isolated the unit and pulled
> the battery switch.


If you have killed it and opened the battery switch, isolating it really does not matter.