by wesnerj
Can anyone tell me what load box testing will tell about a locomotive?
Railroad Forums
Load Box Testing a Locomotive
- General discussion about locomotives, rolling stock, and equipment
Moderator: John_Perkowski
by Justin B
A load box is just a set of resistor grids that a locomotive can be hooked up to. It shows the amount of current being generated by the main alternator or the generator. By using a simple set of calculations a mechanic can tell if the prime mover and the electrical system is generating the rated HP. This is done after a locomotive is repaired to make sure that the repairs did in fact work. Most if not all modern (1970s and up) locomotive have a self test feature that uses the dynamic brake grids to load test.