Northtown Diesel Shop Service Track in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Locomotives are required to be serviced and inspected, every 24 hours. Typically, a locomotive has a fuel capacity of 4,000 gallons of No. 2 Diesel and usually consumes 3.5 gallons of fuel per mile. Refueling is commonly done in a yard at a service rack. Refueling can take 5 min or half an hour depending on how much is needed and how good the pump is. In addition, the locomotives take on sand and water at a service rack.