Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle I I #319.2

319.2. Locomotive emissions 

Since this story starts over forty years ago, 
As some of you were not even a gleam in your fathers eye back then,  there are several important things to keep in mind,

The SP had spent 1984 thru 1988 in trust during the attempt to merge with the SantaFe. Then been acquired by Anschutz in October of 1988.
The operating ratio was over 100 and going the wrong way.  It ultimately got  over 105.  Budgets were severely constrained .
SP had been chronically short of power for the 1970s and 1980s
remember all of those locomotives in dead lines in LA at the Cornfield, Links and Aurant.
The FRA was not helping a bit. They were more worried with dirty,oil soaked walkways than with smoke.  Of course these are related.

So why do locomotives smoke in the first place
well some locomotives are worse than others; Alcoa are by far the worst.   However most of those had been moved out of California by 1980.
Older GE locomotives with four cycle engines  particular when first put under load smoke much worse than EMDs 
dirty or plugged filters
defective or worn injectors will smoke a lot,  so do worn pistons.
any engine that has been a rest for some time will smok when first put under load, worse if it has any oil leaks
This is not even a complete list. Any time you load an engine extra hard it may emit some smoke.

On top of all this, our attorney thought that one of the SCAQMD inspectors was picking on the SP based on the number of tickets and where they were. issued.  well, maybe so but the Up and the SantaFes turn was coming. 

To jump ahead just a bit.   After the SP signed the first consent agreement with SCAQMD,  they jumped on the AT&SF and the UP with a vengeance.
However, they did not forget us  This was particularly the case with their Colton based inspector.

And right then The California Public Utilities Commision(CPUC) thought that railway electrification would be a good idea and so did Southern California Edison.
So did the California Air Resourse Board.

This was to be a perfect storm.   Next the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG)  saw a way to push corridor consolidation
Now this became a California State wide effort. There were then four class ones operating in California.   We invited the BN to the table.

A high level committee was formed by the class ones.
AtSF was represented by Carl Ice, then Chief Mechanical officer and Mark Staley their Environmental expert from the Mechanical Department
BN was represented by Richard Russick head of PR
SP by MDO, and Carol.Harris, a commerce atty specialist in California regulatory affairs
UP by John Rebensdorf and asstantant chief engineer Bill Wimmer.

This group then hired a consulting firm specializing in environmental regulations;  Kirk Markwald Associates.
(It was Kirk Markwald that I saw in the hardware store yesterday)

Now, back to the details.

.




 



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/20 19:36 by mdo.

This one is now complete next comes 319.3
and after six edits Spell check is messing with me
alcos.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/24/20 19:46 by mdo.

Thanks Mike I remember the air district inspectors coming out with the Glass plate with the levels of smoke or opacity on therm and holding them up to a locomotive  exhaust to see if they were smoking. I could not remember the name, but the inspectors were verify subjective in its application. 
 

Be safe



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/20 19:37 by cctgm.

cctgm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks Mike I remember the air district inspectors
> coming out with the Glass plate with the levels of
> smoke or opacity on therm and holding therm up to
> a locomotive to see if they were smoking.
>
> Be safe

that was a ringleman chart and I still have mine. An  eight frame chart of different levels of Smoke opacity. We got tickets for any level over ringleman two
All of you guys have good memories.  Those charts were given to every LA Division engineer.  

mdo

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> cctgm Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks Mike I remember the air district
> inspectors
> > coming out with the Glass plate with the levels
> of
> > smoke or opacity on therm and holding therm up
> to
> > a locomotive to see if they were smoking.
> >
> > Be safe
>
> that was a ringleman chart and I still have mine.
> An  eight frame chart of different levels of
> Smoke opacity. We got tickets for any level over
> ringleman two
> All of you guys have good memories.  Those charts
> were given to every LA Division engineer.  
>
Still got my mine; what time are we called for?

Charlie

I love all you old LA Division guys.  Am wearing me blue LA Division safety vest as I write this