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Need help interpreting this tech. paper on Locomotive Fuel usage vs auto fuel consumption
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Here are the results along with more recent data reported for Amtrak (includes electric trains). PM = Passenger-miles. gal = gallons of gasoline equivalent. The energy-efficiency is shown as PM/gal (Passenger-Miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent) while the energy-intensity is shown as BTU/PM (Briti***hermal Units per Passenger-Mile). <br /> <br />Diesel locomotive trains| Amtrak, both diesel and electric trains <br /> per David Lawyer | per Transportation Energy Data Book <br /> PM/gal BTU/PM | PM/gal BTU/PM <br />1936: 51 2,440 | 1975: 34 3,677 <br />1940: 41 3,080 | 1980: 39 3,176 <br />1945: 85 1,480 | 1985: 45 2,800 <br />1950: 42 2,950 | 1990: 48 2,609 <br />1955: 41 3,010 | 1995: 48 2,590 <br />1960: 41 3,0l0 | 2000: 37 3,356 <br />1963: 40 3,160 | 2001: 30 4,137 <br /> | 2002: 26 4,830 <br /> <br />Regarding Amtrak data see Amtrak vs. Auto. The high value of 85 pass-mi/gal during the last year of World War II (1945) is due mainly to gasoline rationing but also is due in part to the curtailment of automobile manufacturing during the war. Even for the non-war years prior to 1963, rail was significantly more energy efficient than the automobile. The "Highway Statistics" books (by the US Federal Highway Administration) estimates that autos got about 15 miles/gallon back then. So even with 2 person per auto (30 pass-mi per gallon) the railroads did somewhat better. <br /> <br />But today (2000) the automobile is a lot more energy efficient than it used to be. In intercity use it gets about 25 mi/gal and has about 2 people in it, resulting in about 50 pass-mi/gal (gasoline). Thus today's autos are more energy-efficient than diesel trains of the mid 20th century (except for World War II years). Amtrak's energy-efficiency today is significantly worse than the auto. See Amtrak vs. Auto. The reason for Amtrak's sharp drop in energy-efficiency after 2000 is in part due to the introduction of heavy and overpowered electric trains and possibly due in part to accounting errors <br />
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