Within CSX’s NetOps center in Jacksonville, Fla., is a Fuel Conservation Desk that operates 24/7. Supported by multiple vendors and utilizing technology developed in-house, it monitors all active CSX linehaul locomotives in real time. (CSX photograph)
RAILWAY AGE, FEBRUARY 2021 ISSUE: CSX and MBTA’s commuter rail operation are improving locomotive performance and availability through precision monitoring and analysis of fuel and lube oil, respectively.
Fuel and lube oil are literally the lifeblood of a diesel-electric locomotive. Fuel is the second-largest railroad operating cost, after labor. And lube oil is far more complex than it may seem, as its chemistry is an accurate indicator of how well an engine is performing, and when a failure may be imminent. CSX and the MBTA’s commuter rail operation are using analytics and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven technology to optimize and analyze fuel and lube oil, respectively.