EMD Questions

[Erroneous Monk]

1. When looking at the below photo of an NS SD60M being scrapped I see the words "Engine Oi" and "Water" written along side that metal tube which makes up part of the walk way. Is that tube actually a tank for engine oil and water or are those labels directed towards something else in the vicinity? Also, along the fuel tank there's a label denoting "waste oil." Is the fuel tank split somewhere with the remaining section housing waste oil?

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/845362/

2. I've noticed CSX has retrofitted some of their standard cab EMDs with what looks to be metal cabinets in the noses. Apart from detracting from the locomotive's looks, what purpose does this serve? Does it have something to do with their R/C system?

https://www.railpictures.net/photo/814567/

[SD80MAC]

1. I’m not sure why “engine oil” and “water” are written on that engine where they are, but that’s just part of the frame and walkway. Oil is kept, well, inside of the diesel engine itself or in part of the fill tank which is usually located in the front of the engine. Water is stored in the water tank, usually located up and to the rear of the locomotive hood. Both appear to be gone by this point in the scrapping. Waste oil tanks are usually mounted either in front of or directly behind the fuel tank. It’s basically a sump for whatever falls or leaks onto the engine room floor.

I suppose it’s possible that that is the waste oil tank on that SD60, but I’m fairly certain they weren’t integrated into the walkway like that.

2. Those cabinets on the nose house the Remote Control computers and controls, as well as the display panel. There was apparently no standard practice when CSX was installing RC equipment in actual locomotives (after the Sleds and Drones were deemed more trouble than they were worth) and as a result, every shop converting them did it differently. Having seen all of the RC equipment installed inside of the nose and or on the back wall in the electrical cabinet on many CSX RC-equipped engines, it never made sense to me why some shop foreman decided it would be a good idea to cut a whole new cabinet and door onto the outside of the nose. Seems like way more work than necessary.

[PatAzo]

Look closely and there are arrows next to engine oil and water. There is also a note on the frame for the air compressor. I'd hazard a guess it's guiding workers who know nothing about locomotives in the general direction where these things were before scrapping started.

Years ago I installed two 8,000kw induction furnaces in Albertville. They melted a lot of scrap material trucked over from this scrapper.

[pudgy]

Could be the writing on the sides was to indicate those liquids had been drained out, as a check against forgetting to do so before cutting began.