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[quote]QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH Techguy raises an interesting point that may not have been a factor 50+ years ago but is a real issue now: environmental concerns and EPA regulations. When you consider that the Green Goat and various other low-emission designs have been developed to lower emissions compared to existing diesel locomotives, it would be difficult to see how steam locomotives could have their emissions lowered to Tier 0 or Tier 1 levels in a similar fashion. It would probably take a lot more than a skilled fireman and overfire jets to cut smoke and emissions to that level. [/quote] I have wondered about that too. It is my feeling that if a coal fired power plant can meet regs, a coal fired locomotive can also. Where I believe power plants and locomotives would differ is that new power plants will have to go the gasification or CFB route to be compliant in the future, while locomotives will have to go coal liquification, coal/water slurry, or synthetic coal. Liquified coal products can be used in compression ignition engines, so diesel-electrics would continue to rule for this coal product. The coal water slurry and synthetic coal are better suited for steam boilers, so any locomotives using coal/water slurry and syncoal would be the classis reciprocating steam locomotives, direct drive steam turbines, and/or steam turbine-electric locomotives aka Jawn Henry knockoffs. The latter could also fit into the Green Goat mold of locomotive, further reducing emissions per unit of energy output. It all comes down to price per mmBtu's and the comparitive price in relation to petroleum. The coal/water slurry proponents claim they are competitive with oil prices at $14 a barrel and above. The ACCP syncoal proponents claimed that synthetic coal (which has had most of it's ash, metals, and moisture removed) can be had for under $2.50/mmBtu's. If I remember correctly, synthetic diesel derived from coal can be competitive with petroleum at $30 a barrel. Compare that to oil prices that look now like they'll stay above $40 a barrel over the long term, and the comparative cost of diesel fuel at $15.00/mmBtu, and it's easy to see why interest in coal for vehicle/locomotive propulsion is being sparked.
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