Diesel Mining Locomotive

an ore locomotive with diesel drive used to move ore cars in underground mines. The first diesel mining locomotives were used in mines early in the 20th century. The improvement of engines and the use of cheaper fuels helped spread the use of diesel mining locomotives in the coal industry of Great Britain, Belgium, and other countries.

The diesel mining locomotive has a four-stroke diesel engine with water cooling. Speed (from 3 to 14 km/hr) is controlled by a mechanical gearbox; on large diesel mining locomotives (60 to 100 hp) it is controlled by a hydromechanical transmission. Diesel mining locomotives are built for normal mine operations or for safe operation where there is danger of gas explosions. Diesel mining locomotives have greater capacity than battery-driven electric locomotives, and they can be used to move strings of ore cars on considerable slopes. Despite special systems for cleaning the exhaust gases, however, diesel mining locomotives pollute the mine atmosphere and make it necessary to supply additional pure air to the mine (2cu m/min for every horsepower). Diesel mining locomotives are used to move strings of cars along the main passages of mines and also as auxiliary transportation in hydraulic mines when work areas and tunnels are being dug.