Engine cleaners in Australia

I found this on another forum, rather than directing people to that forum I will cut paste it here. It describes what a day at work as an engine cleaner is like in britain. Oops, it's Australia not britain, and now I can't change the title. *sigh*

"I started on the railways in 1985 and left in 2000.
I'll describe a normal working shift in as much detail as possible.
I worked in what was known as the "steam shed" and worked back shift. Sign on at 11pm and off at 7am. It was known as a straight shift.
Having signed on in the main shed I'd make my way down to the steam shed and place my food in the frig in our humpy which was an old demountable one room building. In winter time we'd leave the heater on all day so it was warm when we started work. Accommodation was basic and we had to fight tooth and nail to get a bar fridge to keep things cold and a microwave to heat meals up. There were three lockers in the humpy and our wet weather cleaning gear were also in the humpy as being made of thick pvc type plastic they'd go very stiff in the winter if left in the unheated plant room and be almost impossible to put on without tearing.
Lets say I'm doing an inspection clean on a GM 81 class, similar to a class 66.
First the electricians and fitters have been down to do a pre-inspection. I now have to blow out all the dust in the electrical cabinets ( which they have left open). So I get kitted up in a Tyvek barrier suit which is a one piece type of clothing like a boiler suit but prevents dust and dirt from getting on your cloths. I also where a respirator and special gloves. Taking a long steel reinforced air hose and two copper pipe wands (one short the other long) I take those out to the loco. I turn on the air compressor in the plant room, a noisy Atlas Cop Co. I return to the loco and proceed to blow out the cabinets in the generator room. I also blow out the generator itself. I then move to the outside of the loco and using a small ladder lent against the loco side blow out the radiators from which a lot of dust and dirt creates a huge dust cloud. I then move underneath the loco to blow out the traction motors all 6 of them.
Once I've finished there's dirt everywhere and I change out of my barrier suit and turn the air compressor off and get into my wet weather gear.
I fill my 10 litre pump pack ( like a garden sprayer) with a neat alkaline detergent called "Spartacus". I then proceed underneath the 81 class and commence to spray all the traction motors, gear cases, air tanks, fuel tanks bogie frames and rear of the cow catchers or pilots.
I then go outside the steam shed and start one of two hot water pressure blaster. I make sure the temperature is 95 degrees.
I then start the diesel engine and once enough air is in the main reservoir I turn the engine control switch to it's run position and making sure the handbrake is applied and the reverser handle is in neutral I move the throttle to 4th notch. This will make sure that no water enters the traction motors. If the throttle is moved to a higher notch it creates a hurricane type of wind from the traction motor blowers. My workmate starts to wash the exterior of the whole loco but not the roof by spraying a powerful acid from his pump sprayer over the exterior and then using a broom and a modified homemade bucket from a 20 litre plastic detergent container that's been cut in half length wise and filled with the aforementioned Spartacus. The acid dissolves all the brake dust and the Spartacus removes any oil and dirt.
I'm now ready to wash underneath. So I'm in my wet weather gear. I have my face mask on. My gumboots on. My ear plugs in and I'm wearing special rubber gloves which come up to my elbows but with the ends turned back on themselves to prevent water and dirt from running down the inside of the gloves on my hands. I also wear a rag tied round my face over my nose (like a bank robber) to prevent any muck hitting me in the face. I have the face mask at a 45 degree angle because once watery muck gets on it I can't see. I proceed under the loco and sit on a small low four wheel stool and I clean slowly and move backwards from one end and then I turn round and do the same until I return to where I started I come out from underneath and I'm black with dirt, oil and grease from head to toe.
My work mate (pommy Jim) moves the throttle to idle and taking the hot water blaster from me washes me down get rid of the excess dirt. He then sprays me with Spartacus and using a broom washes me and hoses me off. Jim and I take it in turns to do underneath locos.
I take off my wet weather gear and taking my pump pack I proceed to one side of the engine room and start to spray the engine,compressor, floor, walls etc. The engine room is hot water blasted with us taking turns so as not to saturate one another. We finish off by hosing the engine room out with cold water taking care not to hose the light bulbs which will explode on contact with cold water.
After this it's now time to move the loco back and at floor level do the outsides of the bogies, fuel and air tanks.
Firstly we both spray the bogies, fuel and air tanks in Spartacus and once again placing the loco in 4th notch and each using a hot water blaster clean them all off.
It's now 3 to 3.30am. I go back underneath and open the water drain cock to drain the sump under the diesel engine of all the water we put into it.
When I come out Jim has the kettle boiling and we have something to eat,a nice cuppa, and a smoke. Once the water has all drained I shut the drain cock come back into the humpy and phone the charge man to tell him the loco it right to be moved to the main shed for the main day work inspection.
He usually tells us of another loco or two that's coming down for a wash. As washing those locos is not a rush we can take our time and clean the pit out at the end of the shift ready for the next night.
Sometimes nothing comes down so we have a sleep having nicked long bench seats from old coaches which make good beds with a pile of clean rags for a pillow.
There was three of us in the steam shed but there was two on and one off."

 

What makes it so difficult with an 81 class is the engine room is in a 'cowl' so it's a confined space, not like a hood unit.
The 81 class locos were originally based in New South Wales but with the privitisation of the state owned rail networks, they can roam the country (we even have one shunting ((switching)) here in Perth)
This is an 81 class loco,
http://www.steammachine.com/prototype_archive/nsw_diesels/NSWPTC_81_ClassDieselElec_pic04.JPG

 

That loco was used on a regular passenger run (the sitting cars and power van behind it) hence it's clean appearance. Appearances varied, depending on the assignment and time on the road, much like US locos.