BNSF and UP to convert back to steam for coal trains

[Chris30]

Barrington, IL has already began to build a new water tank / tower downtown for the new steam engines to refill at. By placing the water tower / tank downtown the coal trains will be able to block as many crossings in town as possible for as long of a time as possible. Barrington residents were so happy they had a parade.

CC

[narig01]

  OK we need some water tanks so we have the water to wash this away.

Rgds IGN

[edbenton]

I am already working on NEXT Years also.

[miniwyo]

Lol  I like this one!  Good Job Ed!

 

 

Gonna nerd out just a little though. Today is a very special day....

It's 2003^2 (squared) day! Get a calculator and either do 2003^2 or 2003x2003 and you will see why its special.

[edbenton]

Hey you have to Remember I was the one that threw everyone in a fit think 2 YEARS Ago that the UP was going to Retire then SCRAP their entire Heritage Fleet including the Steam Engines.

[carnej1]

edbenton

Since both the BNSF and UP pull large quanities of coal out of the PRB they are making inquires into the viability of a ultra mordern steam engine based off the aborted ACE3000.  However this one would have be a high pressure design that would be basically a generator on rails that would be used to drive a AC traction system.  Rumors are that it would have about 8K in HP have 12 Drive wheels and weigh as much as a pair of EVO44AC's fully loaded.  It would also be set up to burn PRB coal first then waste oil second that way the RR's could use it to burn their own waste oil from the shops.  As to the Water needs any fire Hydrant will do and it carries 100K gallons in its aux tender and supposdely has a range of 1000 miles on water.  Fuel range it can go min of 1000 miles before needing a fill up. 

 Maintance will be simple since anything that needs to be replaced will be modular and standarized pull and replace also diagnostics will be simplified with computers running it tey find a fault they let the crew of 2 know and the next shop also.  Everything related to the Steam plant but the boiler itself has a backup from the stoker to the feed water heater all automated.  The Generator is Turbine driven that way you can get it to an efficant speed and leave it.  TE is around 300K cont and 450K max.

 Ed,

 Kudos on the clever April 1st post but I fear the "Should steam make a comeback" thread is about to rear it's ugly head again...NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

[Soo 6604]

I wonder how "Cap and Trade" would effect this. Small "factories" emitting all that coal soot and smoke not to mention the scrubbers that would have to be installed in the smokestacks.

I don't see this happening because the Chicoms are working on a nuclear powered steam locomotive which should be out later this year. HP on that should be around 8500 but would require water refilling about every 100 miles or so. Plans are to have a few water tankers just behind the locomotive.

[creepycrank]

On this subject of using coal for railroad fuel there is a process ( Fiischer Tropsch I think) for converting coal into synthetic diesel fuel by the Germans in WW2 and is used in some coal fired plants in this country now as a means of controlling emissions before combustion instead of having using hard to maintain scrubbers.

[tree68]

I'm not sure the area could withstand the onslaught of railfans eager to see steam in revenue service...

Then, again, it would certainly provide an economic stimulus for the area!

 

[bedell]

Happy April First!

[spokyone]

edbenton

Since both the BNSF and UP pull large quanities of coal out of the PRB they are making inquires into the viability of a ultra mordern steam engine based off the aborted ACE3000.  However this one would have be a high pressure design that would be basically a generator on rails that would be used to drive a AC traction system.  Rumors are that it would have about 8K in HP have 12 Drive wheels and weigh as much as a pair of EVO44AC's fully loaded.  It would also be set up to burn PRB coal first then waste oil second that way the RR's could use it to burn their own waste oil from the shops.  As to the Water needs any fire Hydrant will do and it carries 100K gallons in its aux tender and supposdely has a range of 1000 miles on water.  Fuel range it can go min of 1000 miles before needing a fill up. 

 Maintance will be simple since anything that needs to be replaced will be modular and standarized pull and replace also diagnostics will be simplified with computers running it tey find a fault they let the crew of 2 know and the next shop also.  Everything related to the Steam plant but the boiler itself has a backup from the stoker to the feed water heater all automated.  The Generator is Turbine driven that way you can get it to an efficant speed and leave it.  TE is around 300K cont and 450K max.

[edbenton]

Since both the BNSF and UP pull large quanities of coal out of the PRB they are making inquires into the viability of a ultra mordern steam engine based off the aborted ACE3000.  However this one would have be a high pressure design that would be basically a generator on rails that would be used to drive a AC traction system.  Rumors are that it would have about 8K in HP have 12 Drive wheels and weigh as much as a pair of EVO44AC's fully loaded.  It would also be set up to burn PRB coal first then waste oil second that way the RR's could use it to burn their own waste oil from the shops.  As to the Water needs any fire Hydrant will do and it carries 100K gallons in its aux tender and supposdely has a range of 1000 miles on water.  Fuel range it can go min of 1000 miles before needing a fill up. 

 Maintance will be simple since anything that needs to be replaced will be modular and standarized pull and replace also diagnostics will be simplified with computers running it tey find a fault they let the crew of 2 know and the next shop also.  Everything related to the Steam plant but the boiler itself has a backup from the stoker to the feed water heater all automated.  The Generator is Turbine driven that way you can get it to an efficant speed and leave it.  TE is around 300K cont and 450K max.