Wabtec's battery powered locomotive.

[AmericanSteam]

It's coming folks. Bring your extension cord.
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/20 ... locomotive

[ZekTheKid]

I wonder how this will play out. When NS tried this out, they didn't fare so well. We'll just have to wait and see...

[buzz456]

Put me in the serious agnostic group. Knowing what I know about battery technology this just looks like another feel good stunt. It sure is going to take a heck of a extension cord to charge this puppy back up prolly from a coal fired power plant.

[EngineerJohn]

I'm no electrical engineer but I wouldn't want to be near any derailment involving that machine. I'm not talking because the machine is bad but people make mistakes and things happen. Whatever chemicals are in those batteries and with how many there are...

I'm all for the new technology but I still think they have a long way to go with the research and testing.

I do suppose if this thing is being used on locals and is back in its home yard every 12 hours or so for plugging in it might have some potential.

[Railfan722]

The UK is trying a battery powered passenger train - the Class 230 has a top speed of 60 mph and has an advertised range of 40 miles, needing only 8 minutes to charge. The bodywork is from a former London Underground train, so not much additional waste is being created through the manufacture of these things. Battery power really only works for that application because it's so light, and I can't imagine a battery locomotive having enough power to haul a full train anywhere in a hurry. The video says it'll go into service in 2021 (is it too early to say next year?) out in California, so it's not long until they get this thing rolling. It'll certainly be interesting to see where this project goes, that's for sure.

Class 230

[ZekTheKid]

The UK is trying a battery powered passenger train"

The key difference here is that this is a heavy-hauling freight locomotive to be used on the mainlines. That's a lot of energy, versus something that's lightweight and meant for speed and not meant for endurance runs.

[Fireexplorer249]

Funny thing is that yeah its battery powered and good for the environment, but where are they getting the supply of power for these things. So what is supposed to be green, really isn't. Seems like its just a show piece.

[ET44C4]

Well if it's anything like a Prius....

Long live diesel power.

[buzz456]

The myth of electric power continues for those who don't understand physics.

[EngineerJohn]

Even if they were to power it from a nuclear plant, there is growing controversy over nuclear waste.

Basically, you get to a point where the nuclear fuel rods are no longer potent enough to make dry steam for the turbines, so the plants can't use them anymore, but they are still plenty radioactive and plenty dangerous... So we bury the stuff in deep mountain caves.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opin ... g-anywhere

The point is, no renewable technology is as good as everyone makes it out to be. I think we should keep looking for better ways to clean the exhaust and research fuels that produce less junk.

I definitely could see something like a Prius type locomotive working. Maybe a small high efficiency motor to reduce the battery drain even if it doesn't have enough capability to fully recharge the batteries under high load?

[TheR62Fan]

Before actually looking at the engine I thought this was gonna be a simple switcher, like the BP4 #999 on Norfolk Southern. But this is a standard road locomotive, so I have a feeling this isn't gonna go so well.

[Chacal]

The point is, no renewable technology is as good as everyone makes it out to be. I think we should keep looking for better ways to clean the exhaust and research fuels that produce less junk.

We must do all of this. Continue research to make renewable technology economically feasible, and continue research for cleaner fuel, and legislate for cleaning exhaust (it works), and use less energy. At some point the change will just happen.

[buzz456]

Whatever efforts we make here in North America will go for naught if the rest of the world ignores these issues. At this point renewables is like perpetual motion largely a dream.

[mindenjohn]

If we all wait for everyone else.......

Britain’s industrial revolution was built on coal. The last coal fired power station in Britain closes at the end of the year, it has one boiler of 600Mw in service.

[gtrtroger]

“Basically, you get to a point where the nuclear fuel rods are no longer potent enough to make dry steam for the turbines, so the plants can't use them anymore, but they are still plenty radioactive and plenty dangerous... So we bury the stuff in deep mountain caves.”

Let’s put the rods in rockets and launch them outta the universe....or use them to power ships....