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Last month, Burlington Northern Santa Fe retrofitted three yard switchers with Kim Hotstart Mfg. Co.'s Hot Start™ locomotive shutdown systems at its Vancouver, Wash., terminal.

The Class I received an $85,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the technology. Using a 27-horsepower diesel-driven unit, the Hot Start or Diesel Drive Heating System is designed to heat engine coolant and oil, charge batteries and power cab heaters when a locomotive is shut down to reduce fuel consumption, and engine wear and noise.

"This project will help the people of Vancouver and the environment while acting as a catalyst for similar projects across the nation," said Mark Stehly, BNSF assistant vice president of technology development and environment, in a prepared statement.