Hotstart Field Service Technician Mike Janke recently joined the managing director of Hotstart Asia Pacific, Mitsuomi Nakamura, to review the unit's performance, acquired to address complaints from residents of Ofunato, Japan, about excessive engine exhaust smoke generated each morning.
Iwate hauls cement from the local mine out of the valley to a processing plant in Ofunato. Each locomotive hauls 18 cement cars capable of carrying 35 tons each. On a normal day, they make 13 trips from the mine to the plant and back, Hotstart says.
To address environmental concerns, Iwate purchased a HOTflow™ CSM Engine Heater, designed to pre-heat engine coolant and circulate it through the engine to keep it warm and ready for a quick startup.
Iwate Kaithatsu Railways operates in its Iwate prefecture, located in northeast Honshu, Japan's "main" island.