Diesel "clag" ?
 

It seems diesel loco fans, particularly heritage locos, are rather fond of "clag".

That is the dense black smoke that can be exhausted when the said loco is under load.

As this black diesel fog is likely to be carcinogenic, should we be concerned ? More so because of the current climate change discussions.

Or, am I just an old fart being a killjoy ?:confused:

To the best of my knowledge the CLAG is Carbon Monoxide, mixed with all sorts of nasties from the internal combustion process.
Carbon monoxide is short-lived in the atmosphere (with an average lifetime of about one to two months), and spatially variable in concentration.
There is no mention in Wiki as to this gas having carcinogenic properties, although it will kill you in certain circumstances. Just ask any canary who worked down the pit. The gas enters the blood stream some 200 times faster than Oxygen.
Best try to avoid it is my tip.☠☠☠☠
Stuart.

Do you mean avoid clag, or diesels altogether??!!:)

Tony

As an ex-firefighter, I was taught that Carbon Monoxide is EXTREMELY POISONOUS. It grabs onto the Haemoglobin in the blood and forms CarboxyHaemoglobin - preventing the usual arrangement where oxygen from the lungs binds with Haemoglogin to form OxyHaemoglobin. This will lead to unconsciousness and eventually death. Once it's in your bloodstream it's hard to get out.

The giveaway symptom is drowsyness, together with a 'cherry red' complexion - the victim looks very healthy, but is in fact in great danger.

However this rarely occurs in the open because it should dissipate into the air. It's in enclosed spaces like sheds and cellars where it can build up.

I'm led to believe that modern internal combustion engines don't produce significant amounts of CO, due in part of the catalytic converter scrubbing it.

However this is all from memory when I was a lad, back in the 1980s. The world was very different then. :(

Don’t want to upset anyone Tony, but it’s definitely one of the above.
Stuart.:D

Although it will be present in the exhaust fumes Carbon Monoxide is colourless. The visible "clag" will be mostly caused by inefficient combustion of the fuel and many of the hydrocarbon components that are blended to make up this fuel are carcinogenic.

We were told, when I worked in a coal mine, you didn't have to worry about whitedamp (CO), you would be dead before you realised it was present.

I remember a conversation about various machinery exhaust fumes.
And, carcinogenic substances involved in construction and transport.
Asbestos being one of the more dastardly.
There was an electric loco in the USA which had an oil bath transformer.
Cleaning that proved to be very carcinogenic for maintenance staff.
BUT, I was told that of all the chemicals, including those in exhaust fumes, the WORST found on weasels was Aflok (not sure how to spell it being a company title).
Pink coloured Aflok had heaps of heavy elements in it to prevent corrosion in the loco donk water cooling supply.
Part of loco prep was to open the water tank level sight gauge to drain out the sight glass.
Then shut to view the water level appear to ensure sufficient water supply existed.
So, we got it on our hands every day.
I guess that with any technology, there will always be something which later proves to be nasty.
Leaded paint, leaded petrol, DDT, and so on.
BUT, as to weasel exhaust fumes, GOTTA LUV Aussie Alco black plumes erupting from the exhaust stack.
Honorary soot belchers.
Just hold year breath when it stomps past.
Steve.

Standing on the top of the front water tender of a Garratt, while taking on water, and the driver shovels a few lumps of coal into the box, we would get a good coating of smoke and all the other muck mixed in with it. Still, I don't think it was much worse than the 20 I used to smoke a day. Between the 1/- pack of 20 fags and the smoke from the firebox, how the hell am I still alive?

TUT tut Syd,
20 a day would cost you an absolute fortune here now days.
And finding the ciggy pack in yer soot covered overalls would be a challenge.
Packs of ciggies here painted BLACK to infer the gunge going into yer lungs.
They built railroaders tough in the good ole days.
That be why you is still above ground.
I gave that caper away a goodly 30 years ago.
But had to still put up with the passive smoke, NO not from a beloved aussie alco, in the cab.
Getting the OLD Blokes to give up the ciggies on the footplate was a challenge when such became illegal in the workplace.
YOU smoked Winfield RED, one of the worst, they would bark back at me.
AH the good ole days.
Steve.