Since the earliest days of the FDL engine, it's been common for GE locomotives to occasionally burp some flames out of the exhaust stack (discussion of which can be found here). Nothing new there. But today, nearly 50 years later, this phenomenon still exists, and occasionally that brief burp of flames turns into a full-blown fire that requires the crew to stop the train and call for help.
We've all seen the photos of GE locomotives set-off on sidings with huge burns and blisters on the sides of their hoods. These photos have become so common that they aren't surprising or shocking to most railfans and railroaders.
I subscribe to an online news service that sends me an e-mail whenever a news article with the word "locomotive" is found. At least once a month -- and sometimes as often as twice a week -- I get news articles about locomotive fires that required intervention from the local fire department. Not all of these articles include photos, but many of them do, and invariably the locomotive in the photo is a GE.
Here is an example I received this morning (and the third such article I've received in the past two weeks):
http://www.wowktv.com/story/16041852/fi ... otive-fire
The photo is very poor, but if you look closely you can see the distinctive lines of GE's North American safety cab in the background.
Why does this happen? It seems like GE has had quite a long time -- decades -- to figure this out and stop it from happening. Why does it still happen with relatively new locomotives such as Dash 9s and AC4400s? Does this ever happen with Evolution Series locos?
We've all seen the photos of GE locomotives set-off on sidings with huge burns and blisters on the sides of their hoods. These photos have become so common that they aren't surprising or shocking to most railfans and railroaders.
I subscribe to an online news service that sends me an e-mail whenever a news article with the word "locomotive" is found. At least once a month -- and sometimes as often as twice a week -- I get news articles about locomotive fires that required intervention from the local fire department. Not all of these articles include photos, but many of them do, and invariably the locomotive in the photo is a GE.
Here is an example I received this morning (and the third such article I've received in the past two weeks):
http://www.wowktv.com/story/16041852/fi ... otive-fire
The photo is very poor, but if you look closely you can see the distinctive lines of GE's North American safety cab in the background.
Why does this happen? It seems like GE has had quite a long time -- decades -- to figure this out and stop it from happening. Why does it still happen with relatively new locomotives such as Dash 9s and AC4400s? Does this ever happen with Evolution Series locos?
MEC407
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
Moderator:
Pan Am Railways — Boston & Maine/Maine Central — Delaware & Hudson
Central Maine & Quebec/Montreal, Maine & Atlantic/Bangor & Aroostook
Providence & Worcester — New England — GE Locomotives
