Locomotive Maintenance Officers Association (LMOA)

LMOA represents Railroaders and Rail Suppliers with a mission of driving improvements and recommendations for safer, more reliable rail operations. Its mission includes reducing maintenance costs, improving locomotive productivity and reducing the environmental impact of locomotive operations and maintenance.  The 2019 conference will present topics of interest to locomotive maintenance professionals including:

• Locomotive Emissions Labelling and Record Keeping
• Best practices for locomotive storage, battery life and fuel usage
• Locomotive systems and maximizing the use of data analytics
• Opportunities and trends in predictive maintenance

Monday, September 23

9:00 AM – 9:45 AM

Mechanical Maintenance Committee Session 1:

Chair: Mark Duve, Norfolk Southern

Locomotive Storage Revisited – Tom Kennedy, Kennedy Rail Consulting

When locomotives are stored, there were various recommendations from a previous LMOA paper that will be revisited including potential issues with new engine technology and lessons learned from units that were returned to service after storage.

Problem Solving Basics – Tim Standish, Progress Rail

There are various problems that impact locomotive performance with the most troublesome being those that keep coming back after you thought they were resolved.   Problem solving steps and tools will be reviewed to ensure root causes are properly determined and permanent corrective actions are put in place.  A problem solving example will put some of these tools to use.

DC to AC Conversion Alternatives – Don Graab, Triangle Brothers & Associates and F Boris Iglesias, CAF Power and Automation

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Mechanical Maintenance Committee Session 2:

Emissions – Locomotive and Engine Labeling and Record Keeping – Mark Duve, Norfolk Southern

Label considerations will be reviewed to reduce confusion as to where labels are located and what information is included on them.  Paper will also go over thoughts on emission records to help maintenance departments with tracking along with sharing of this information with other roads.

Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) Overview and Experience – Allen Meek, Cummins

As more units utilizing SCRs and DEF are being introduced into railroad fleets, it is an opportune time to go over the DEF system, its components and experiences to help mechanical departments understand the system and how they can help understanding to help these systems perform as intended.

Battery Electric Locomotive – Michael Cleveland, BNSF

Overview of the battery electric locomotive to form a hybrid locomotive consist to help reduce emissions and fuel consumption.  This paper describes the motivation for this initiative, technical and operational approach, expected behavior, and path for future development.

11:00 AM – 11:35 AM

Fuel, Lubricants, & Environmental Committee Session 1:

Chair: Corey Ruch, BNSF Railway

Effects of a Hydrogenation Derived Renewable Diesel (HDRD) Fuel Surrogate on Emissions and Fuel Efficiency of a GE Tier-2 Line Haul Locomotive – Jerainne Heywood, Wabtec Corporation

Renewable Diesel (aka HDRD) Fuel is becoming more prevalent in the North American diesel fuel supply.  Because no additional labeling is required for HDRD fuel, it is not easy to identify which specific fuel streams contain HDRD or the quantity in any given fuel delivery.  As such, minimal emissions and efficiency testing has been performed with HDRD.

This presentation details emissions and efficiency test results from prior experience with Fischer Tropsch (FT) diesel fuel.  FT diesel fuel is chemically similar to HDRD, thus provides a good basis for comparison and prediction of HDRD performance.

Used Oil Analysis – Is it Reliable? – Dennis McAndrew, Dennis McAndrew, Inc

Analysis of locomotive lubricating oil (aka Used Oil Analysis, or ‘UOA’) is an important tool for reducing costs associated with engine operation by determining engine maintenance needs, maximizing reliability and efficiency, and minimizing unplanned engine down time.  However, these benefits rely on accurate, precise, repeatable and reproducible data from the oil analysis laboratory, as well as proper interpretation of the data.

This presentation details evaluation of several UOA programs noting what tests were acceptable, where improvements were needed, and provides suggestions for future refinements of the UOA programs.

1:45 PM – 2:30

Fuel, Lubricants, & Environmental Committee Session 2:

Review of AAR M-963-84 Specification for Journal Box Lubricating Oil – Anju Singla, American Refining Group

AAR M-963-84 is an All Year Journal Box (JB) Lubricating Oil specification, last revised circa 1985.  Lubrication technology has advanced considerably since that time.  Further, confusion between Journal Box lubricating oil and Traction Motor Support Bearing Oil has led to a request for review of the M-963 JB oil specification.

This presentation details findings from the specification review, results of compatibility testing and recommendations for possible amendments to the existing AAR M-963 specification.

Engine Oils for Improved Fuel Economy and Oil Consumption in Railroad Service – Fred Girshick, Infinium US

It has long been known that lubricating oils can affect the fuel efficiency and oil consumption of internal combustion engines.  However, measuring these changes with sufficient precision to ensure confidence has been challenging.

This presentation details the findings of an extended railroad service field trial conducted with precision fuel economy measurements.

2:45 PM – 3:30 PM

Electrical Maintenance Committee Session 1:

Chair: Amarjit Soora, ZTR Control Systems

Lost in Transition – Jason Smith, Progress Rail

A paper covering the findings of an investigation into AR20 Transition Fuses and Diodes.  A collaborative “tiger team” of a Class 1 Railroad and OEM performed the work and analysis.

What Can the Load Regulator Tell Me? – Dean Becker, Progress Rail

The Load Regulator is a key part of a locomotive’s control system when governor-controlled diesel engines are used.  Understanding the principles of operation will help when troubleshooting reports of low power on a locomotive.

3:45 PM – 4:30 PM

Electrical Maintenance Committee Session 2:

Battery Technology Options – Amarjit Soora, ZTR, Shane Sledge, Norfolk Southern,and Chad Muir, East Penn Manufacturing Co.

Lead acid batteries have been the predominant battery type on diesel electric locomotives in North America.  This paper looks at how starting technologies have evolved and possible battery alternatives.

AAR AESS and Battery Task Force Update – Sid Bakker, TPSC

An update on the findings from the AAR TAG.  Some notes and focus on AESS settings and deficit charge.

Locomotive Storage – Various Contributors from Electrical Committee

As more locomotives go into storage due to Precision Railroading, the committee has refreshed a previously published paper from the electrical committee entitled “Locomotives Placed in Storage – Electrical.”

Tuesday, September 24

9:45 AM – 10:00 AM

General Session – LMOA Business

President Ian Bradbury’s State of the Union and incoming President Tom Kennedy’s Acceptance Speech

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Facilities, Material, and Support Committee Session 1:

Chair: Bob Harvilla, PowerRail, Inc.

Innovations in Wheel Set Profile Maintenance – Brandon Teal, Simmons Machine

This paper will review the latest technological innovations in maintaining locomotive wheel profiles, along with the latest machinery available in the market.

10:45 AM – 11:30 AM

Facilities, Material and Support Committee Session 2:

Reducing Locomotives Held for Material – Mike Zerafa, PowerRail, Inc.

This paper will feature forecasting and cooperation initiatives between railroads and suppliers, to assure the material necessary to repair/maintain locomotives is available when needed, where needed.

Graffiti Resistant Locomotive/Car Paint – Steve Johnson, Florida CirTech Innovation Center

12:30 PM – 1:15 PM

Locomotive Software and Systems Committee Session 1:

Chair: Viktor Gvelesiani, ZTR Control Systems

Big Data and Real-Time Processing – Connie Nordhues, Wi-Tronix and Peter Scholtens, Integrity Rail Products

This paper will review the significance of real time data acquisition and edge processing in predictive analytics and maintenance models of locomotive subsystems and components.

Implementing Predictive Maintenance for Locomotives Using Big Data – Jason Mann and Connie Nordhues, Wi-Tronix

This paper is about creation and use of locomotive data for predictive failure modeling and its impact on reliability and maintenance of locomotive fleets.

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM

Locomotive Software and Systems Committee Session 2:

Analytics Through Repairs Integration – Casey Pytel, Progress Rail

This paper is about the importance of integration of locomotive data and data analytics (including predictive failure analysis and maintenance) with railroad operating and maintenance systems, the effects of such integration on railroad efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance of maintenance systems

Standardized LIG Data Parameters – Cody Fischer, CP Railway

This paper is about the benefits of standardization of LIG data streams across multiple vendor platforms, the effects on data storage (time/location stamp), decoding, analysis and use by other locomotive subsystems.