Chicago Burlington & Quincy Railroad NW2 9218 at Eola, Illinois on February 13, 1966, Kodachrome by Chuck Zeiler. This locomotive is equipped with a Vapor standby heater, evidence being the enclosure just ahead of the cab. The idea was to allow the diesel prime mover to be shut down in cold weather and the standby heater would heat and circulate the cooling water though the block. It was seldom (if ever) used due to the difficulty starting the prime mover with cold batteries as well as the other cold appliances (generator, air compressor, etc.). |