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[quote user="ironhorseman"] Technical QuestionHere's the stats they provided (Trains Newswire, Sept. 11)."Xanterra provided TRAINS News Wire with a letter it wrote to a steam fan concerned about the cancellation that outlines some of the operational factors of running steam and diesel locomotives. In the letter, Xanterra claims a steam locomotive uses 1,450 gallons of diesel fuel to run a round trip from Williams to the rim of the canyon, while a diesel locomotive uses only 550. The letter also cites the water savings, plus the savings in journal oil, steam oil, and bearing oil, plus the 1,200 gallons of water used daily by the steam engine."So just how exactly does a steam engine use diesel fuel?I've heard of wood, coal, and oil burners, but how does diesel come into the equasion? I've looked all over the internet for this information, but most resources seem to think that steam engines for forever only powered by coal. I don't have access to a real library where I'm at right now. Does anybody have source for this? Is a diesel burning steam engine really an oil burner?And politically speaking, Xanterra flip-flops in it's own explantion. First it's rising fuel cost and falling ridership, then they print the fuel stats, then they state cutting the steam program was purely environmental. I think their hidden agenda is to buy up steam lines and then cut the program. Environmental terrorism. Why do you think this announcement was made on Sept. 11? We'll be wearing leaves for underwear and living in grass huts eating mushrooms if they had their way. We should all down there in a big group and chain ourselves to various things and sing songs about steam powered locomotives and eat fine cuisine off of fine china with sparkling silverware while wearing oil-stained coveralls and write our demands in coal on new, non-recycled paper.[/quote]It sounds like you have green nailed pretty well.  The whole green movement is being promoted with the missionary zeal of a religious movement, and there is a lot of horsepower behind it.  Certainly all governments, all educational systems, 95% of all politicians, and the majority of all news media are pushing it.  I would guess that at least 75% of the public is solidly onboard.  I would say that the need to be green is the biggest challenge facing historical steam preservation.  My first impression was that Xanterra was concerned about greenness being threatened by the locomotive emission.  Even if the actual pollution were not excessive, the steam itself gives the impression of eco-sinning.  Every time television brings up the subject of industrial pollution, they show stacks pouring out steam, so it's not surprising that the public now makes no distinction between water vapor and toxic emissions.  But from what you posted, it sounds like they are mainly focused on fuel efficiency, which is another aspect of green.  My understanding is that GC burns oil in their steam locomotives.  Traditionally, this has been bunker C oil, but they may be burning straight diesel or some other blend, so the fuel is similar or identical to what they would burn in their diesel locomotives.  Here is a link that mentions diesel fuel being burned in steam locomotives:  <a href="http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Steam_Locomotive_Operation">http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Steam_Locomotive_Operation</a>There has been a lot of discussion here about modern steam.  It would be interesting to explore the issue of what the potential might be for improving fuel efficiency of their steam locomotives.  I know that those locomotives have already been fitted with some modern improvements such as Lempor exhausts.Because the green movement is so preachy, it is possible that Xanterra may simply have underestimated the public reaction to their ending of steam.  With Xanterra's viewing the world through their green-is-good lens, they may have made a rush to judgment in which ending steam seemed like a no-brainer to them.  They may not have even considered nor understood the love that many people have for the steam locomotives.  So they may be surprised at the public backlash.  If that is the case, it would pay to write them a letter and express disappointment at their decision and your commitment to boycott a non-steam Grand Canyon Railway.
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