Recognizing the advantages of replacing a steam locomotive with an internal combustion locomotive for switching, the Riverdale, Ill., plant of the Acme Steel Co. purchased from the Plymouth Locomotive Works a 65-ton double-unit, electric-drive locomotive, powered by two butane-burning engines.
Among the favorable factors considered for this type engine was that the company stores on its property a large quantity of butane gas for other plant purposes and only the addition of a pump and fuel line to serve the locomotive was necessary.
The locomotive is 40 ft. long over-all inside of the coupler knuckles, 14 ft. high over the cab and IO ft. wide. It is equipped with two Climax 8 cylinder 6 in. by 7 in. heavy duty gasoline engines modified in point of compression ratio and carburetion equipment to burn butane fuel and designed to produce 523 hp. at 1200 r.p.m.
Each of these engines is directly connected through heavy thermoid couplings to a Genera1 Electric Type GT-116oA d.c. generator, with a continuous rating of 290 amps. at a nominal voltage of 500, which supplies current to the truck motors over which each is mounted.
Each of the truck motors develops 116 hp. for I hour at a nominal voltage of 250. Two butane tanks, of 125 gal. capacity each, are suspended beneath the locomotive frame and are interconnected to equalize the pressure and fuel level.
At approximately IO deg. F. and above, the vapor pressure of the fuel forces the gas into the mixing valves mounted in place of the carburetors on the main engines It is reported that the locomotive has been consuming an average of 10.75 gal. of fuel and 0.1 gal. of lubricating oil per hour in heavy plant switching.
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