Nuclear powered locomotives?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 440cuin

How were they thinking of applying nuclear power to a bomber?

The airforce actually built and tested nuclear powered ram jets in the 50's just outside of las vegas. The abandoned the idea due to radiation issues.

Mike is right, a good amount of power here in the NE is from nuclear. Also coal!!

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think that the railroads have had enough problems over the years with hazardous loads, to not go looking for trouble. Nuclear reactors seem to work well at sea, but it will be a long time before the the safety and size issues make them practical for mobile land or air based applications. It might be more practical to electrify all of the railroads, and harness solar, wind, hydro or nuclear power, but fossil fules would have to be priced high enough to warrant the expense to convert. That day may come.

[Anonymous]

Too Heavy. Too Big. A nuclear accident on the rails is just too risky. I agree with the North east corridor model. Run overhead wire connected to a nuke plant. However the idea of a nuclear locomotive has not stopped me from thinking about what we can do with this. It probably will take a turbine form instead of a reciproting rod method of power to track.

I suspect Maglev is the next big thing. If we can ever get high speed service on par with regional airlines between all the major cities in this country we will be much better off.

[AltonFan]

It would require a massive bit of construction to build a nuclear reactor that would be used to power a single locomotive. The loco would probably be too large and heavy to operate on current railroads, and too expensive to build and maintain. (A lot of high-priced talent would go into operating and maintaining the reactor.)

Moreover, the public relations issues would be prohibitive. A lot of people would not be happy to have nuclear reactors rolling back and forth through town, with all the safety issues that running a train and a nuclear reactor would combine.

[TH&B]

How were they thinking of applying nuclear power to a bomber?

[kenneo]

Aside from the radiation issues, what you have here is, as Michael Stevens said, is a steam locomotive. With all of the issues as baggage that caused the railroads to depart from steam 50 years ago.

If a method could be developed to take the radiation directly to wire as electricity, perhaps you could get a nuke without the extension cord to Three Mile Island.

[michaelstevens]

[8D]
Well, I guess that it is true to say that electric locomotives (e.g. on Amtrak's NE corridor) are already nuclear powered -- to the extent that their power source may rely on Nuclear power plants.
[;)]
Seriously though, that's probably as close as you'll ever get to nuclear powered railroad locomotives -- the biggest problem with nuclear power generation being the mode of propulsion -- i.e. good old steam !!
[:D]

[Anonymous]

Have there been experiments with nuclear power for locomotives? I know the Air Force had some experiments along these lines for possible heavy bomber use many years ago, but apparently weight, complexity, and safety issues caused the idea to be dropped. Aside from the political and social issues, seems like a pretty good power source for a locomotive.