Hybrid (Green) Locomotives, A growing category

[samfp1943]

While looking around for some information on another Thread here,(NRE 3600hp locomotives.)  I found a website listing manufacturers and their products.  prior to finding that, I pretty much had thought that the group only included a few smaller suppliers/manufacturers.

In order not to co-opt the other Thread I thought I would start this new Thread and post some of the resources I had found, after a brief search.

The following site is a blog type that has info on the Hybrid GE Locomotive that captures the electric power generated during regenerative braking actions.  Also mentions in conjunction with hybrid Power locomotive applications other manufacturers and their products.

http://forums.industryweek.com/showthread.php?p=59701. 

The following is a link to a website that shows photos of various hybrid locomotive manufacturers and their products and some descriptions of their lines. I was truly amazed at the number of manufacturers in this goup. from the small to the large (GE/Progress Rail (EMD)  :http://www.greenrailnews.com/allbuilders.html

and this additional page from the same website;  

Starts in April of 2011 and lays out who's buying, and selling in the Hybrid RR Business: http://www.greenrailnews.com/last25.html

Another interesting find is that these hybrid locomotives are being built with any number of different kinds of motors represented in the hybrid industry: From Deutz (German/air cooled(?) for NS ) to GE,Catepillar and DDA, EMD. No doubt I have missed a supplier. Also note that the WP&YRR engines are now listed within the second listed link as hybrid rebuilds. 

Look forward to seeing what others think or find on this topic.

Thanks!

[creepycrank]

There's an awful lot of things here. I address the battery issue. The NS 999 battery locomotive has been sitting on Altoona shop's "display track" for almost a year now waiting for replacement batteries. It was equipped with over a thousand truck batteries that proved impossible to charge evenly. I suppose they could use the same batteries used for submarines in Europe as those should at least be shock proof. 

The GE hybrid uses a molten salt battery that has to be kept molten at about 600 degrees F. I would think that train crews would prefer that the battery be at the other end of the train in the event of a derailment.

The problems of straight gensets is described elsewhere.