E8 Air Conditioning

[dlocable]

Gang,

I am looking at installing an air conditioner in an E8 locomotive. I really don't want to go with a standard RR packaged unit since they really were not made for covered wagons, and the rooftop unit is completely out of the question due to esthetic reasons. So this brings me to building my own system. I was thinking of placing the evaporator in the top of the electrical cabinet above the resistors (yes, I know it'll be hot). The condensing unit would probably under the loco somewhere. Does anybody have any good or bad experience with installing A/C in a covered wagon? I'm thinking the size should be in the 1-1.5 ton range. Any thoughts?

Thank you.

E-Bob

[DutchRailnut]

most aftermarket E and F- AC units were fitted under firemans seat via hatch in side, the Evaparator outlet duct came out from Firemans seat riser. the air intake for Eveporator was in stairwell to nose.
The Condensor unit had outside air intake and a fan feedig the Hot air to front tracktion motor blowers.

[dlocable]

What were the conditions like in the cab? Hot, cold, humid,etc...? Did crews run with the doors open anyway?

[DutchRailnut]

on f units, cab was warm but drafty, in summer just keeping inner door to nose cracked open, it sucked enough air out of cab to keep temp tolerable.

[andre]

if you enter the nose compartment and look under the cab floor there should be a crawl space. you may need to bring a flashlight with you to view the crawlspace but there may be enough space there to install the unit

[DutchRailnut]

the crawl space is occupied by traction motor blowers and field shunting resistors, there is however room under firemans side seat like I earlier noted.

[andre]

honestly, i think if you can find a way of securing a portable "standalone unit" similar to the non-window units sold for the home can be modified to fit inside the nose with the exhaust venting into the nose and cool conditioned air blowing into the cab somehow via a vent or duct. Only challenge would be running an outlet into the nose (if such unit has or doenst have already) and make sure it does not violate any FRA or OSHA regulations

(i am not an expert on HVAC or refrigeration)

Does your E unit still have the steam or HEP generators on the rear of the engine compartment or is the space empty??

[mxdata]

I agree with Andre on this one, considering that "railroad" grade air conditioning units run around $30K and their components seem to be no more shock resistant that home or R/V equipment. And in a lot of years dealing with them I have never seen the "railroad" air conditioner builders honor any warranty either, they always manage to come up with an excuse why it failed. For that $30K you can buy a very small diesel generator unit and a commercial free standing air conditioner, in fact you can buy several of them, and spares, and a lot of other things too.

MX

[andre]

didnt see any posts on the topic for a few days, just wondering how the progress is going on the E8 a/c project

[DutchRailnut]

put two Walgreens 5000 BTU window units in Engineer and Firemans side side windows, no one will notice.
only run you two times $96.00 on sale