Next time there's an ice storm...

[sd45elect2000]

So genuine question... how good of a generator would a diesel locomotive make? How much electricity can you get?

I know all our accessory power is 74v DC, barely enough to run a cell phone charger... I assume there is a way to get more power then that, but does anyone know the numbers?

Lets look at the 72 volt numbers too. First off, 72 volts is a lot of power. IF you look at the head light breaker its probably 15 amp. SO 15 x 72 =1080 watts (nominal), more than enough power to barely charge a cell phone. Next time you are looking a the breaker panel , add up all of the circuit breaker values, multiply the sum by 72 and you will have an idea how much power there actually is in the control side.

[Missaberoad]

Locomotive horsepower X 700 (constant) = Wattage
E x R = P div 700 = HP
3000 hp div 700 = 4.2 MW.

Lets look at the 72 volt numbers too. First off, 72 volts is a lot of power. IF you look at the head light breaker its probably 15 amp. SO 15 x 72 =1080 watts (nominal), more than enough power to barely charge a cell phone. Next time you are looking a the breaker panel , add up all of the circuit breaker values, multiply the sum by 72 and you will have an idea how much power there actually is in the control side.

Thanks for the insight, very much appreciate it... Dumb conductor  so I have a pretty limited understanding of the electrical/mechanical side of things but assumed there was way more power available then the little plug on the side of the fridge.  Considering how much amprage goes to the traction motors...

Is there an easy way to get that power out? Does the jumper cable carry anything? Or would you have to wire something to the main generator?

Thanks again...

[sd45elect2000]

Thanks for the insight, very much appreciate it... Dumb conductor  so I have a pretty limited understanding of the electrical/mechanical side of things but assumed there was way more power available then the little plug on the side of the fridge.  Considering how much amprage goes to the traction motors...

Is there an easy way to get that power out? Does the jumper cable carry anything? Or would you have to wire something to the main generator?

Thanks again...

http://www.locoverter.com/

I have several in different wattages.

[Maletrain]

It seems like you would need some much higher capacity inverters to change 4.2 Mw of power from 74 VDC to 120 VAC (or 220 VAC).

Are there plenty of those "on-the-shelf" somewhere to quickly use stored railroad diesel-electric locomotives for wide-spread emergency situations?

[sd45elect2000]

4.2 mw is not 72 volt control side.

4.2 mw is main gen output nominal 1250 VDC.

[Hawghead]

I imagine those railroads could find people capable of firing them up.

Normally DS units (Dead Stored) have had their batteries removed, fuel, crankcases and cylinder blocks drained.  It's a little more complicated than just "firing them up".  I don't know about other railroads but the U.P. is currently keeping the bare minimum of locomotives in serviceable shape, to the point of trains having to wait until other trains arrive to steal the power from.

Scott

[sd45elect2000]

Normally DS units (Dead Stored) have had their batteries removed, fuel, crankcases and cylinder blocks drained.  It's a little more complicated than just "firing them up".  I don't know about other railroads but the U.P. is currently keeping the bare minimum of locomotives in serviceable shape, to the point of trains having to wait until other trains arrive to steal the power from.

Scott

Correct, it a good days work to get stored engines back into service. Then you find stuff like stuck contactors relays air issues ad nauseum..

[Missaberoad]

Normally DS units (Dead Stored) have had their batteries removed, fuel, crankcases and cylinder blocks drained.  It's a little more complicated than just "firing them up".  I don't know about other railroads but the U.P. is currently keeping the bare minimum of locomotives in serviceable shape, to the point of trains having to wait until other trains arrive to steal the power from.

Scott

CP is the same way, I had to spot and lift a 112 car grain elevator with one set of power today. We were crew 2 of 3  By directive we are running with as few locomotives as possible. With the same power issues it sounds like you are having...

[Maletrain]

4.2 mw is not 72 volt control side.

4.2 mw is main gen output nominal 1250 VDC.

The issue is DC vs AC.  The equipment that would convert 4.2 Megawatts of DC power to AC power would need to be able to handle 4,200,000 watts/ 1,250 volts = 3,360 amps on the DC side and at least 4,200,000 watts/ 13,800 volts = 304 amps on the AC side (assuming it was being put on the local power grid, not into individual homes needing 120 and 220 Volts AC).

That is far more than the equipment shown in the previous reply can handle.

So, the question remains, is there sufficient on-the-shelf inverter capability to really use these locomotives to support a local power grid in an emergency situation?

To use them, they would need to be in isolated pieces of the grid that would not draw more than 4.2 Mw.  They could not be connected together without having some equipment designed to keep their power outputs in-phase.  Without that phasing equipment, they would start interacting with each other if trying to feed the same circuit, and would either trip or be destroyed.  So, they would also need to be moved to the points where they could be used for relatively local power supply.

That all said, rather than eventually simply scrapping those locomotive engines, it seems like they could be used to supply backup power to specific grid points if they were moved there and installed with the proper equipment ahead of time.  But, that would probably not be cheap, much less free.

[peteski]

Locomotive horsepower X 700 (constant) = Wattage

E x R = P div 700 = HP

3000 hp div 700 = 4.2 MW.

I'm confused. 
One mechanic or hydraulic horsepower is equal to 745.699872 watts
https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/hp-to-watt.html

So 3000HP would equal 3000 * 745 = 2.235MW  Correct?

[Maletrain]

Locomotive horsepower X 700 (constant) = Wattage

E x R = P div 700 = HP

3000 hp div 700 = 4.2 MW.

I'm confused. 
One mechanic or hydraulic horsepower is equal to 745.699872 watts
https://www.rapidtables.com/convert/power/hp-to-watt.html

So 3000HP would equal 3000 * 745 = 2.235MW  Correct?

Looks like some compounded algebra, round-off and decimal point placement problems.

"P div 700 = HP" is more accurately "P div 745 = HP"

which should be algebraically rearranged into "P = 745 times HP" as Peteski posted.

And, 745 x 3000 HP = 2,235,000 watts or 2.235 Mw

[sd45elect2000]

700 is universally used as a constant. However, if you wish to compensate for ambient air temp, fuel density, airbox pressure and barometric pressure then you may get slightly different numbers by recalculating the constant.

In addition expressing the Main Alternator output as strictly DC isn't entirely accurate. Removing the rectifiers from the main alternator will give you 3 phase output. I may have mislead.

[Maletrain]

700 is universally used as a constant. However, if you wish to compensate for ambient air temp, fuel density, airbox pressure and barometric pressure then you may get slightly different numbers by recalculating the constant.

In addition expressing the Main Alternator output as strictly DC isn't entirely accurate. Removing the rectifiers from the main alternator will give you 3 phase output. I may have mislead.

If you remove the rectifiers, you would get AC current, but not clear what frequency and voltage as loads changed.  So, you would need to add another control system to keep the frequency and voltage within specs for grid or households.  Those types of control systems are available, because they are used for other backup generators.  The question is whether they could be quickly accessed to use locomotives that are sitting on dead tracks when an emergency strikes.

[Hawghead]

CP is the same way, I had to spot and lift a 112 car grain elevator with one set of power today. We were crew 2 of 3  By directive we are running with as few locomotives as possible. With the same power issues it sounds like you are having...

YOU CAN LIFT AN ENTIRE 112 CAR GRAIN TRAIN!!!!  Oh wait, you mean you had to spot and pull a 112 car grain train.    Hey could you do me a favor and have your brothers stop locking the inside cab doors on DPUs.  The only people who have those keys are the roundhouse guys. 

Scott

[Missaberoad]

YOU CAN LIFT AN ENTIRE 112 CAR GRAIN TRAIN!!!!  Oh wait, you mean you had to spot and pull a 112 car grain train.    Hey could you do me a favor and have your brothers stop locking the inside cab doors on DPUs.  The only people who have those keys are the roundhouse guys. 

Scott

Regional language differences are fun... 

Up here we lift cars, although I have heard pull used occasionally...

Thats interesting about the inside deadbolts... Coach keys (or caboose keys) are still standard issue up here.
I'll have to make it a point to lock the outside padlock going forward...