Sustainability Efforts Heat Up

At Watco, we’re always looking for ways to do things better. Our short lines are utilizing a simple solution to reduce emissions, be better neighbors, and reduce costs.

Locomotives use water to cool their engines, and most carry 250 gallons or more. If that water freezes, it can destroy the engine and require a complete rebuild or replacement. Preventing that usually means letting engines idle anytime temperatures drop below 40, but that’s not the case anymore.

Auxiliary power units (APU) aren’t new technology, but they’ve become more affordable and easier to install. Engines with APUs equipped don’t have to idle in cold weather, reducing fuel usage, noise, and carbon emissions. And Watco is moving quickly to add more of them to our locomotive fleet.

“Even when we have to tie down out in the field, the diesel heaters are much quieter and use a lot less fuel than idling the locomotives,” Bradford said. “We’re being better neighbors by reducing air and noise pollution, and we’re reducing fuel consumption, maintenance, and expenses at the same time.”

APUs are installed on the locomotive’s engine and generate enough heat to prevent the coolant water from freezing. The electric models require that the units are near a depot, shop, or yard to be plugged in. The other version is powered by a small diesel engine. Locomotives with these installed can be safely tied down anywhere along the line. Some even have both types to maximize versatility.

“We added the heating units to seven locomotives in 2022, and did seven more in 2023,” said Loren Bradford, Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (KO) general manager. “We purchased 250,000 fewer gallons of diesel, which saved us almost $1.5 million last year.”

Currently, about 35 Watco locations have at least one locomotive with an APU installed, mostly on short lines, terminals, and switching locations in coldweather climates. Sixty-six have been installed in the past two years, bringing the total to 212 locomotives. We’re also awaiting approval for a Diesel Emissions Reduction Act grant. If it’s awarded, the funds will help Watco install 53 more units on six short lines in the next two years, further reducing fuel consumption and emissions.

Several factors affect overall fuel consumption, like total carloads, train weight, miles traveled, and weather. Taking all that into consideration, these APUs were part of the equation that helped Watco reduce overall fuel consumption by 1.1 million gallons in 2023 versus the previous year, removing nearly 11,200 metric tons of CO2 emissions from the atmosphere.

“Locomotive layover heaters are a great investment that has allowed Watco to reduce fuel and lube oil consumption as well as locomotive maintenance costs,” said Wayne Wiza, director of locomotive fleet quality assurance. “These systems are also crucial in reducing our carbon footprint as we strive to reduce diesel exhaust emissions from our locomotive fleet.”