Theoretically, anything that generats a gas at pressure can be used. Some things are more efficient than others, and some do not generate a gas that causes sudden death, but other than that....
One of the options to electric cars is hydrogen - could try that, too. But even more so than in a car, the integrity of the pressure vessel is critical, at the kind of pressures they are using. Plus gaseous hydrogen in the presence of oxygen is rather flammable, as the passengers and crew of the Hindenberg found out to their extreme detriment.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
A fireless steam locomotive UK style. The locomotive is now at the 'Locomotion' Musum, Shildon, County Durham, England.
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
rrinker Theoretically, anything that generats a gas at pressure can be used.
If you remember the original Fowler's Ghost, you know that 'heat recovery' by condensing exhaust steam into feedwater is a losing proposition in a comparatively short time: the latent heat of condensation being so great that 1lb of condensing steam raises over 6lb of water to the boiling point from room temperature. So a better source to stick the exhaust -- condensers using air being bulky and likely needing fan power -- and condense it quickly needed to be found. The idea is to pass the steam through a chemical that reacts with it... and ideally releases heat in the process. If you jacket a fireless locomotive 'boiler' with this stuff inside, you can get a triple treat: the water exhaust and its residual heat disappear, the jacket keeps the hotter supercritical water charge hot longer, and by passing the (inherently saturated) throttle steam to the cylinders through the hot material in the jacket you can get up to 40 degrees F of superheat at pressure, which cuts down on wall and nucleate condensation just as in fired engines.
Then you can use any applicable heat source to 'boil off' the water from the jacket material -- slowly if necessary -- to reuse it. (It was this part of the process that made early commercial 'soda motors', like the Perkins design earlier, uneconomical ... and of course the introduction of practical electric trolleys 'subsidized' by developing utility companies, and then development of practical-scale gas engines, put the final kibosh on the idea for street transit or subway use...
Since someone revived this thread my answer to the original question is YES.
For fun, I purchased this fireless locomotive (a European Liliput model) and converted it for the North American context. For some reason, Europeans put the pistons near the cab for their prototypes. So, I managed to reverse the pistons on this Lilliput engine that I found on Ebay, and converted it to DCC with an LED headlight. I also shaved the wheels a bit to make it work properly on our North American rails... Did that with my Dremel with the engine turning upside down. I tried a needle file but that would have taken forever. I gave her a new color and did a bit of weathering. I painted the engine with Vallejo acrylic paint. The first coat did not stick to anything, so I used Vallejo acrylic primer for my second try. That seemed to work.
Simon
0-4-0 fireless_0004_zpsvfwofwpt on Flickr
I know of a new company called Apogee Locomotive Works that produces 3d printed shell kits of fireless locomotives. They fit on Ho scale Bachmann Porters. Last I checked they have quite a few different ones.
TractionAction1700I know of a new company called Apogee Locomotive Works that produces 3D-printed shell kits of fireless locomotives. They fit on HO scale Bachmann Porters. Last I checked they have quite a few different ones.
https://www.apogeelocoworks.com/home
It is a misnomer to say these locos had a boiler. They have a steam tank not a boiler hence the size. National Cash Register in Dayton Ohio used one until about 1970. It is now in a park near the plant. Very slow speed. I never saw it move more then 2 cars.