Home > Who We Are > News > HOTSTART Introduces Low-Cost, Diesel-Powered Heating System For Locomotives
SPOKANE, WA - Kim Hotstart Manufacturing has introduced Junior, a compact, competitively priced diesel-powered locomotive heating system that eliminates wasteful idling and is small enough to fit in any locomotive.
The addition of Junior to Hotstart's® idle reduction product line provides short lines and switching operations a low-cost option for diesel-driven locomotive heating. Compared with Hotstart's® larger, more sophisticated Diesel Driven Heating System (DDHS) and other APUs in the market, Junior is small enough to fit in the nose of most locomotives as well as any car body or walkway. Junior's simplified design features accessible components that allow for quick and easy servicing.
Junior eliminates idling when a locomotive is shut down or put in layover where no electrical service is available. Operating independently of other locomotive systems, Junior circulates heated coolant through the engine, compressor, expansion tank, oil cooler and wet cab heater to keep the entire locomotive's water system warm during shutdowns. Depending on ambient temperature, Junior will maintain the prime mover's coolant between 90-120°F while also maintaining the battery's full charge.
Junior includes a 2-cylinder Yanmar water-cooled diesel engine coupled with a water-circulation pump plus a belt-driven 72-volt DC alternator. During engine shut-down, Junior consumes less than a half gallon of fuel per hour compared with 3-5 gallons per hour idling locomotives typically use. Fuel savings are significant. Butte Anaconda & Pacific Rail in Anaconda, Mont. installed Junior on a GP9 in January 2007 and has accumulated over 2000 hours of run-time on the heating system. At a conservative estimate of $2 per gallon, BA&P has saved approximately $14,000 in fuel in four months.
In addition to lower fuel consumption, BA&P reports reduced wear on the prime mover and the elimination of wet-stacking. "Since we stopped idling we've eliminated the slobbering and that means fewer trips back to the shop for cleaning", reports CMO, Doug Krattiger.
Founded in 1942 with the original patent for engine coolant heating, Kim Hotstart (www.kimhotstart.com) designs, engineers and develops innovative engine heating solutions.Kim Hotstart engine heaters and accessories are installed around the world in locomotives, generator sets, heavy-duty trucks, construction and mining equipment, pipeline compressor stations, hydraulic power units, fuel tanks, ships and other applications.Kim Hotstart is headquartered in Spokane, Washington.
Michael Floyd
Marketing Communications Manager
(509) 534-6171