And petrol station goes BOOM!

[protege]

playing devil's advocate, but if it was a diesel it is perfectly safe to leave running sense there aren't any spark plugs

That's because diesels are *compression* engines, rather than *ignition* ones. That is, before the fuel goes into the cylinder, air is compressed. When you do that, the air heats up, and ignites the fuel.

Some diesels, like locomotives, are a bitch to start up again. That's why many railroads let their locomotives idle when they're in the service areas. A locomotive isn't like a car--there are no keys to turn. No, a locomotive has to be cranked over by hand, which takes time. Time, that the railroads think would be better spent actually hauling things

[Lace Neil Singer]

Not as effective or as much fun.

It is if you throw the bucket, too. XD

[Gerrinson]

I saw a complete nutter at the gas station last week. Cell phone in one hand, talking around his list cigarette. While I'm temporarily stunned in amazement, he lets go of the pump handle grabs his cigarette and then reaches for the pump handle with the hand holding the lit cigarette!

I gave him a shout and possibly called him a "dumb f*** looking for a Darwin Award" while pointing at the no smoking and no cell phone sign next to his head. He flipped me off and called me a few names back. But he put his cigarette out first so I let it slide.

I'm hoping to never to see him at a gas pump again as I might not be able to warn him off fast enough next time.

Oh, and this wasn't some kid who's just gotten his first car. This guy had to be at least in his mid-40's. I'm pretty sure gasoline has been flammable for at least his entire life...

[mattm04]

My dad leaves his car running...always has. Drive me bonkers.

I saw a guy let his truck run while fueling, so he could listen to the radio. I wen tto the attendant and told them. The thank me and stop his pump and then they get on the PA, "Driver at Pump X, the pump has been stopped until you shut of your truck!" The driver makes no attempt to shut off the engine, just crosses his arms and stares at the clerk. The clerk then gets on the PA again "Driver on Pump X, I ma ordering you to leave the property NOW!"

He takes the nozzle out of this truck, throws it at the ground and peels out.

[Chromatix]

Actually, a locomotive engine has an electric (or sometimes compressed-air for some older types) starter just like any other engine. When still warm, it'll start in a few seconds, though it'll probably make a lot of smoke (called "clag" by loco enthusiasts) while doing so.

The locomotives that are *hard* to start are the ones that have been left sitting for weeks, months or years at a time. Or have just had a major service.

[protege]

The one I was referring to, was an old EMD FL9 up in Connecticut. First step was to open the valves (to let any water out). Some will drain out--the rest usually comes out when you spin the engine over by hand. That has to be done...otherwise you risk damaging the engine. Once that's over, you can fire it up, by flipping the switch.

Some smaller engines, like a little Plymouth switcher I once got to run (gotta love those private museums ) actually have keys like a car. Not surprising, since that engine really was like driving a big truck. Chain-drive, but it had a handbrake, footbrake, gearshift, etc.

[Chromatix]

I don't doubt that there are extra procedures to follow if a big or old engine's been sitting for a while (even overnight). Heck, aircraft engines usually need to be started carefully, and they tend to be relatively small compared to locos. I'm just saying that it shouldn't be a huge pain to restart any diesel below "omgwtf massive marine" size.

Locomotives do differ a lot in technology though. The very small ones can be mechanical drive and based on road-vehicle technology for cost reasons. The bigger ones usually have an electric transmission, or sometimes a hydraulic one (involving several torque converters).

You might want to read up on the BR Class 101 DMU sometime - a 1950s design. Driving that is somewhat interesting - it has four gears, but everything is controlled by electropneumatic remote-control gear, so you have to idle the throttle, wait 2 seconds, then change gear, wait 2 more seconds, then notch up again. It sounds very clunky, but it's effective and surprisingly comfortable. When they were retired in favour of newer but cheaper "railbuses", there was a huge outcry.