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Battery-Powered EMUs in 1923

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  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
  • 1,503 posts
Battery-Powered EMUs in 1923
Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Friday, June 26, 2009 7:09 PM

 I was thumbing through Ron Ziel's book The Long Island Railroad in Early Photographs when I came across a photo of battery-powered EMUs running on the West Hempstead Branch. They were equiped with pickup shoes and could run of either their batteries or the third rail. The photo is dated 1923.

If B-EMUs could be built and used in regular service with 1920's technology than why not today with modern NIMH or LI-ION batteries? 

Also the book provides a facinating look ata bygone era in railroading; its ISBN number is: 0-468-26301-0

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.

www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com 

  • Member since
    March 2016
  • From: Burbank IL (near Clearing)
  • 13,540 posts
Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, June 27, 2009 10:21 AM

One should keep in mind that the Green Goat switchers were based on existing lead-acid battery technology.  I'm not sure that the battery types mentioned above have been manufactured to power equipment with a greater current draw than a laptop computer.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
  • 1,503 posts
Posted by GP-9_Man11786 on Saturday, June 27, 2009 7:22 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH

One should keep in mind that the Green Goat switchers were based on existing lead-acid battery technology.  I'm not sure that the battery types mentioned above have been manufactured to power equipment with a greater current draw than a laptop computer.

 

Actually, NIMH batteries powered the second-generation of GM's EV1 and LI-IONs are used in the Tesla Roadster. 

Modeling the Pennsylvania Railroad in N Scale.

www.prr-nscale.blogspot.com 

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