Hot Water Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> david vartanoff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > I stand corrected, although I wonder about water
> > during winter in the northern climes...
>
> They simply keep the units running, or plug them
> into stand-by electric power, if so equipped with
> stand-by heaters & circulating pump.

Or use an added small diesel engine (APU) that keeps the main diesel warm when it is shut off; Or use the locomotive's computer to start/stop the prime mover as necessary to keep the temperature warm. Here is CSX's blurb on what they do:

Quote:

CSX
Locomotive Idling Reduction Technology
To reduce fuel consumption and carbon emissions during idling, CSX has invested in 2 separate pieces of idle-reducing technology: Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) and Automated Engine Start Stop (AESS). As the name suggests, APUs provide auxiliary power to a locomotive allowing the larger diesel engine to be shut down. AESS acts similarly by automatically shutting the locomotive down when not in use and automatically starting it when needed. In addition to these systems, CSX invests heavily in training our employees on proper locomotive shut-down rules to eliminate unnecessary idling.

[www.csx.com]

One APU manufacturer: [www.hotstart.com]

Various manufacturer/technologies available: [www.epa.gov]