What type of oil do locomotives use?

Summary. In closing, don't use 3-in-1, WD40 or cooking oils. Instead, use a dedicated model train lubricant such as Gaugemaster's lubrication fluid or Labelle oil and greases and your engines and rolling stock will run smoother, longer and more reliably. Get my recommended Labelle oil.

What oil does a locomotive use?

Railway diesel engine oils are typically higher alkalinity, fully formulated, dispersant/detergent products of SAE 40 or SAE 20 W-40 viscosity grade. What follows is a discussion of railroad locomotive engine oil properties and how different chemical components contribute to the overall oil performance.

Do trains use motor oil?

Keep in mind, the average locomotive engine crankcase holds between 200-300 gallons of lube oil, changing oil in just a few locomotives gets expensive very quickly.

What oil does heavy equipment use?

“This equipment manufacturer recommends low viscosity engine oil SAE 5W-40 for temperatures ranging from -22° F to 120° F and SAE 15W-40 from +15° F to 122° F,” says Mark Betner, heavy duty product line manager, CITGO Petroleum Corp.

What type of fuel does a locomotive use?

Diesel fuel is stored in a fuel tank and delivered to the engine by an electric fuel pump. Diesel fuel has become the preferred fuel for railroad locomotive use due to its lower volatility, lower cost, and common availability. The diesel engine (A) is the main component of the diesel-electric locomotive.

Engine Oil Codes Explained, SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) numbers - Oil Viscosity Explained

How many miles per gallon does a locomotive get?

The 2018 CSX system-wide train efficiency metric equals: 208,712,027,000 ton-miles / 423,998,863 gallons = 492 ton-miles per gallon. In other words, CSX trains, on average, can move a ton of freight nearly 500 miles on a gallon of fuel, based on our 2018 revenue ton miles and 2018 fuel use.

How many gallons of diesel does a locomotive hold?

Fuel Tank. This huge tank in the underbelly of the locomotive holds up to 5,500 gallons (20,820 liters) of diesel fuel, plus an additional 300 gallons (1,135 liters) of coolant, and 250 gallons (946 liters) of engine oil.

What is heavy duty diesel engine oil?

Heavy duty-diesel engine oils are comprised of approximately 75 to 85 percent base oil with the remainder made up of additive systems. The sulfur concentration in the base oil can range from zero (synthetic base fluids such as PAOs) to as high as 0.5 percent by weight (Group I base stocks).

How often should you change the oil in heavy equipment?

Typically, the low-end for oil changes are somewhere between 13,000-16,000 miles for heavy-duty vehicles, and 3,000-5,000 mile for light-duty vehicles. These days, the average for an oil change to be done sits at around 25,000 miles for heavy-duty commercial vehicles, and around 5,000 miles for light-duty.

Why are heavy machines often lubricated with oil?

Lubricating oils are used in the maritime industry (and others) for an array of purposes including engine and gear lubrication; to reduce friction on metal surfaces in engine drive shafts and motors; and to drive hydraulically driven winches, cranes and other onboard heavy equipment.

How often do they change the oil on a diesel locomotive?

The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Railroad Administration used to require changing of the oil in the main engine every 92 days. That interval has since been extended to 180 days and can be longer based on oil condition.

How many gallons of oil does a locomotive use?

A locomotive can typically run with 4,000 gallons of fuel and three gallons per week will be used to fuel it.

How many gallons of oil does a train car hold?

A rail tank car carries about 30,000 gallons (÷ 42 gallons/barrel = about 700 barrels). A train of 100 cars carries about 3 million gallons (70,000 barrels) and takes over 3 days to travel from Alberta to the Gulf Coast, about a million gallons per day.

Do trains use oil for fuel?

THE advent of fuel oil has become an important factor in railway loc6motion. It is estimated by the United States Geological Survey that from 20,000,-000 to 25,000,000 tons of coal per annum are replaced by oil, and a large part of this is used by locomotives.

What is loco oil?

A non-chlorinated, zinc free heavy duty diesel engine oil suitable for locomotive and stationary engine applications offering unsurpassed engine cleanliness, soot handling,and oil filter life in late model EMD and GE engines.

How much oil does a diesel locomotive take?

How Much Oil Does A Diesel Locomotive Hold? The locomotive will also carry 300 gallons of cooling water and 250 gallons of lubricating oil for its diesel engine, as well as fuel.

How long can a diesel engine go without an oil change?

The average recommendation for diesel pickup oil changes is between every 5,000-7,000 miles or every six months on vehicles that perform moderate towing. If you do not tow, or don't tow very often, you may be able to go even longer. If you are frequently towing heavy loads, you may need to change the oil sooner.

How long does full synthetic oil last in semi truck?

Frequently Asked Questions. How many months does synthetic oil last? On average, synthetic oil lasts from 6-12 months. Depending on viscosity grade, some synthetic variants are more thermally stable than others and may extend oil life by a few more months.

How often should excavator oil be changed?

Many manufacturers of heavy equipment have changed their recommended oil drain service intervals from 250 to 500 hours in recent years.

Do diesel engines need special oil?

Because diesel fuel is sometimes called diesel oil, be aware that the oil you have to change is not the fuel oil but the oil that lubricates the engine. This job requires lubricating oil that's specially designed for diesel engines — not gasoline engines.

What's the difference between diesel engine oil?

The Viscosity

Generally, diesel engine oil has a higher viscosity and lower-temperature pumpability when compared to gas engine oil. If it was used in gas engines, several issues might develop, such as heat generation, premature wear & tear, and more.

Which of the following is the most recent diesel engine oil classification?

What Is The Most Recent Diesel Engine Oil Classification? The API Service Category CK-4 describes oils for use in high-speed four-stroke cycle diesel engines that meet 2017 model year on-highway and Tier 4 non-road emission standards as well as previous model year diesel engines.

How much fuel does a locomotive burn at idle?

Using an average of 3.5 gallons of fuel burned per hour idling per locomotive – some easy math shows an annual consumption of over 20 million gallons of excess idle, which is over 4% of the total annual fuel consumption for that particular Class I railroad – do we have your attention yet?

How many miles does a train engine last?

We have one of the newest locomotive fleets in the industry. A typical BNSF locomotive will travel up to 4.8 million miles in its lifetime - equal to about 20 trips from the earth to the moon.

Why train engines are not turned off?

Trains, being large and heavy, need the optimal brake line pressure for its efficient stopping. For obvious reasons, loco pilots never compromise on brake line pressure. Another reason for not turning off diesel train engines, lies in the engine itself.