Locomotive engine with skipfire control system

A locomotive comprising:

• an engine including a plurality of fuel injected cylinders, each cylinder having a fuel injector and an injector rocker arm movable to actuate the fuel injector to inject fuel to the associated cylinder, the engine also including a camshaft engagable with each of the injector rocker arms to move the rocker arms for actuation of the fuel injectors;
• and
• a skipfire control system comprising:
• a plurality of skipfire mechanisms, each of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms being operatively associated with a respective injector rocker arm of the plurality of cylinders, each of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms including an actuator movable between (1) an inoperative position wherein the actuator allows the camshaft to engage and move the associated injector rocker arm to actuate the associated fuel injector, and (2) an operative position wherein the actuator disengages the associated injector rocker arm from the camshaft to prevent the associated rocker arm from being moved by the camshaft to actuate the associated fuel injector;
• and
• a skipfire controller operatively connected to the plurality of skipfire mechanisms, the skipfire controller being responsive to an engine operating parameter to actuate selected ones of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms so as to move the actuators thereof to the operative positions to thereby prevent actuation of the fuel injectors associated with the selected ones of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms.

A method of skipfiring a locomotive engine including a plurality of fuel injected cylinders, each of the plurality of cylinders having a fuel injector and an injector rocker arm movable to actuate the fuel injector to inject fuel to the associated cylinder, the engine also including a camshaft engagable with each of the injector rocker arms to move the rocker arms for actuation of the fuel injectors, the method comprising:

• providing a plurality of skipfire mechanisms, each of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms operatively associated with a respective injector rocker arm of the plurality of cylinders, each of the plurality of skip fire mechanisms including an actuator movable between (1) an inoperative position wherein the actuator allows the camshaft to engage and move the associated injector rocker arm to actuate the associated fuel injector, and (2) an operative position wherein the actuator disengages the associated injector rocker arm from the camshaft to prevent the associated rocker arm from being moved by the camshaft to actuate the associated fuel injector;
• monitoring an engine operating parameter;
• and
• actuating selected ones of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms responsive to the engine operating parameter so as to move the actuators thereof to the operative positions to thereby prevent actuation of the fuel injectors associated with the selected ones of the plurality of skipfire mechanisms.