en.Wedoany.com Reported - During the summer peak season, the Zhuzhou Locomotive Depot of China Railway Guangzhou Group Co., Ltd. organized maintenance personnel to conduct a comprehensive overhaul of all 326 electric and diesel locomotives in the depot, focusing on key components such as front windshields and brake air pipes to ensure stable traction power.
The front windshield of a locomotive is regarded as the "eyes" of the train. After prolonged exposure to wind, frost, rain, snow, and external impacts, it is prone to scratches, cracks, and aging rubber seals that cause water leakage, directly affecting the driver's visibility and operational safety. This makes it a key focus of the summer overhaul.
At 9:00 on July 7, as the temperature inside the maintenance shed continued to rise, 57-year-old maintenance worker Liao Jibin climbed onto a work platform over 2 meters high and used an electric rubber cutter to cut evenly along the window frame, removing the old sealing rubber strip from the outer side of the front windshield. Due to the narrow inner space, cutting the rubber strip was challenging, and the blade was prone to hitting the iron frame. He half-lying on the driver's console to control the cutting direction, after clearing the old rubber strip, he smoothly removed the entire old glass from the wider upper gap.
Controlling the amount of sealant is a critical step in replacing the new glass: too much sealant causes uneven glass installation, while too little leaves air holes that can lead to water leakage. Liao Jibin cut a square pad from the old rubber strip to calibrate the height, then lifted the 50-jin (25 kg) new glass and inserted it diagonally into the window frame. After fine-tuning the alignment, he evenly applied sealant around the perimeter, smoothed it, and applied a glossy finish to fill and compact the gaps.
The brake air pipe system is a critical component for operational safety. Locomotive braking relies on air pressure, and any air leakage in the pipes directly weakens braking effectiveness. During the summer peak season, with high train density, brake hazards must be eliminated.
At 10:00 on July 7, 57-year-old party member Yang Longjiang arrived at the scene after receiving an emergency repair order. Using a four-step inspection method—"apply, look, listen, and feel"—he applied leak detection fluid at the joints to observe bubbles, listened for air leakage sounds, and felt the pipe walls for airflow. He quickly identified the leak point at the air pipe joint of the pressure regulating valve below the brake cabinet.
At 10:30, a slight air leak was detected in the train pipe of another locomotive, with the leak located under the driver's cab floor. He lifted the floor panel and inspected all 10 air pipes and joints one by one, confirming the fault after half an hour. After completing the repair in the stuffy and cramped space, his work clothes were soaked through. He recovered by drinking two cups of herbal tea.
During the summer peak season, such maintenance tasks are repeated daily in the depot, with personnel controlling each process step to ensure the safe operation of trains.
