Future Power

[tree68]

"Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases."

From:

afdc.doe.gov/altfuel/biodiesel.html

Cooking fries today, hauling fries tomorrow.[8D]

[Anonymous]

How about:

methanol or ethanol

Don't they make fuels out of guar? (maybe the same thing as ethanol)

Couldn't they use hydrogen or nclear power to work a steam turbine?

Mag trains seem to work well, how about that?

I'm afraid we'll have to come up with something else someday. Not any time soon, probably but someday. And think of this...we've only been flying for about a hundred years, using internal combustion engines for cars for about 90, and diesel power for the last 60 or 70 years or so, men in space for only 40+, so who knows what might come along? But I doubt there are many of us alive today who will see any major changes in transportation in any form.

Just my 2 cents.

mike

[overall]

There is a working prototype of a fuel cell locomotive right now. I read about it in Feul Cell Magazine. That issue is sitting on my desk at work. I will get some more information on it and post it tomorrow.

George

[Anonymous]

QUOTE:
Don't they make fuels out of guar? (maybe the same thing as ethanol)

You can buy ethanol blended gases at gas stations for your car, only problem is the ethanol burns quicker so you won't get as many miles to the galon as you would normal non-blended gasoline.

QUOTE:
"Biodiesel is a domestically produced, renewable fuel that can be manufactured from vegetable oils, animal fats, or recycled restaurant greases."

Bio Diesel is awsome, and more and more people are using it in their diesel cars and trucks...only problem is getting the stuff. You gotta have connections with someone who does a lot of deep-frying.

Bio Diesel would be an awsome alternative, it's great for the environment and uses up all the cocking oil that would normally be disposed of....they just gotta get that stuff into the main stream.

I think if you want to look the soonest into the future you have to take a look at the green goat like tree mentioned...it's as close as you can get to a hybrid loco at the moment.

[Anonymous]

I don't see atomic locomotives ever being used. Just think what would happen if one gets derailed and broken into pieces!

[passengerfan]

Personally I think the expense in developing alternate fuel will exceed its worth. Fuel cells are very expensive and for certain regions of the country electric power may be the way to go. Those certain areas would probably be CN and CP from Alberta west. BNSF from Montana west to Seattle and Portland. Also BNSF from Vancouver to the California border. Electric only makes sense where traffic warrants or where there is abundant electricity at reasonable prices. Other possible areas for electric operation would be UP from Cheyenne west to Ogden or possibly to Oakland. To put in electric to the southwest would not be economically feasible due to the cost of power in that region. The Northwest and possibly around the Great Lakes would also be better served by electric. But fuel cells and other alternative fuels will be a long time coming to railroads. I dont no about the BN experiment with liquified petroleum a few years back, but I do no that several trucking companies experimented with this fuel alternative and found that the trucks required 1/3 more power to deliver the same load the same distance as a conventionally powered diesel. Kenworth and Boeing experimented with turbine powered trucks some years ago and found they provided ample power and were capable of topping Snoqualmie Pass grossing 80'000 lbs at the speed limit of seventy at the time. Slow starting but once under way they were hard to beat. Fuel prices defeated the technology. The UP found the same thing with their turbines. If diesel fuel continues to increase as it has in the last year then I am sure railroads will look once again at stringing wire.

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

Dual-powered designs like the Green Goat will probably become more common in appropriate usages like yards and industrial switching where the duty cycle allows for battery charging.

Road service will probably continue to be performed by diesel-electrics, with the differences in the details, such as AC or DC traction motors.

Steam is dead (it's too labor intensive). Straight electrics are unlikely because of the capital demands for overhead wire and related modifications. Gas turbines are unlikely because they aren't that efficient at anything less than full speed.

There may be some new design in the future that is in the early stages of development, but my crystal ball isn't that clear.

[Anonymous]

No no no, you all have missed the true power of the future, gerbal power! that's right folks, Loco's of the future will be driven by Gerbals on a wheel! and all loco's will then be rated in gerbal power, the new Gerb40, for instance will require 40 gerbals to turn the wheel, the Gerb-4000, would require 4000 Gerbals to run it. all that's required is that there be frequent replacement points alongt he way to replace those that perish in transit.

[Anonymous]

I could go for Atomic Power for trains. Not the locomotive itself, but providing the juice for Electric Locomotives.

[jsoderq]

Steam is dead forever, not reliable and requires a large skilled workforce for maintainance. Very difficult to dynamically balance so steamers pounded the rails to death. Diesel will remain king for the same reasons it already is - reliable , relatively easy to produce and maintain and efficient to get the job done. Alternate fuels? possible but will require time to develop. Atomic? no way - too many safety issues. Electric- too expensive to install and still dependent on fossil fuel for most production also requires additional maintainance for the overhead. A minor problem in urban areas is the flashing from the overhead arcing. If you ever road NEC at night you seen this - spectacular but probably irritating if you live next to the tracks.

[Anonymous]

Most likely hydrogen powered fuel cell /turbine hybrids and more electrification in specific corridors like the heavily used mountain areas as said earlier and the dense lines around Chicago. Diesel will not be king forever because of peak oil but it will be on of the last oil based technologies to disappear. (5 times more efficient than semi-trucking hence more certain future). The hydrogen will be generated by wind on the high plains, hydro in BC, Quebec and the NW states, solar thermal and algae ponds in the desert SW and biomass in all areas, particularly the midwest, south and southeast. There is no place for atomic power in all of this. Too expensive, poisonous and potentially unsafe.

[Anonymous]

STEAM SUCKS! That's why the railroads got rid of the damn things in the first place.
Now that diesel is here thay'll never go away. It would cost the railroads today millions just to keep that (steam)junk running.So steam fans enjoy your choo choo steam loco's,because some day thay will be put back in there rightful place.....THE BOX!

[vsmith]

Nah, yer ALL Wrong!...

The future will be Nuclear Powered 2-8-8-2 ex-NW Mallet steam engines mass produced in India!


[:o)]

[Anonymous]

Your so funny! Just don't give up your day job.[:)].

[TrainFreak409]

QUOTE: Originally posted by vsmith

Nah, yer ALL Wrong!...

The future will be Nuclear Powered 2-8-8-2 ex-NW Mallet steam engines mass produced in India!


[:o)]

That has to be the most creative idea I've ever heard. But why an ex-NW 2-8-8-2, why not something different?

[8]TrainFreak409[8]