Union Pacific GE Dash 8 Start UP!

Union Pacific GE Dash 8 Start UP! | Train Fanatics Videos

No key is needed to start this General Electric locomotive!

In surprisingly simple sequence, the engineer shows us how this 4,000 horse power locomotive is started!

At first he pans over the instrument control panel and you can see various switches including the fuel pump, over speed, cab sig, ditch lights, and flange lubricator.

He starts by turning checking the engine control knob to make sure it is in the start position. At this point, you can hear a clicking or popping sound which is the the air dryer drying out the air from the compressor as it is on it’s way to the air tanks.

He exits the cab and opens the door to the engine room. Here he follows the instructions on the door panel.

The inside instructions on the door panel read:

Engine starting instructions

    1. Move start switch to the prime position and hold until fuel fills the sight glass and there are no bubbles.
    2. Move the start switch to the start position and hold until the engine starts. There will be a 5 to 8 second delay after moving the
      switch to start before the engine will rotate.
    3. He exits the engine compartment and returns to the cab to turn the engine control knob to “run”.

 

Once the engineer gets the engine to rotate, the “whoop” noise is the air compressor kicking in.

Let us know if have any experience with the Dash 8 and if it is as easy as it looks! We would love to hear from you!

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