Originally Posted by boot

It must just be me........ Has anyone ever seen a train? You know, that big long metal thing the weighs a about a million pounds and runs over 100 mph......... Its got a diesel engine, running a generator, turning ELECTRIC drive motors. Ever seen one ? I think alot of you are missing the whole point.

Many of you have mensioned the Prius. So YES, it does work. Its called , again, a prius..... so in a bigger scale, it works in trucks , trains, and even boats. HELLO, IS ANYBODY HOME?

you got to get past that "world is flat " thing.

Originally Posted by jayboat

this has been one of my major futuristic fantasies for a while now- I believe the end of the oil has to happen at some point.



imagine any number of future scenarios where anything technical is possible-
my idea is fueled because I like the torque and noise (lack of) level of electric power. (but could also be some fluxcapacitor hydrogen cell motor).
Disclaimer: I am a motorhead, I love the sound of big blocks as much as any human. We're talkin future fantasy here.

I imagined the structure of the vessel to be a material that could store the power;
and the coating on the deck to be a solar generator of some sort. that way you got a self-contained package. (brewery not included)

So, superior lightweight/strong matl, ability to fine tune weight distribution over the entire length, extreeeme torque. wheeee!

The physics/hydrodynamics of hull to ocean remain the same,
but I love the idea of smooth, instantaneous response with even more push for the control it would bring. the quiet might allow a whole new way of interacting with the scene (conversation/music).

just sayin.

Originally Posted by vette131

http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/fueluse.htm

FACT:
A coal train moving uphill at 11mph with 4 SD40-2 locos on the point and a 2 loco helper shoving on the rear has a fuel efficiency of about 48 feet per gallon. diesel electrics are efficient when you compare the fuel burn per ton moved but it only takes a fraction of the power to move that ton on a rail vs on water.

Originally Posted by endeavor1

FYI,

G.E. is in real world testing right now with a "hybrid" Dash-9 44cw EVO locomotive now. During normal operations, the braking force for controlling high speed and long descending conditions use a Dynamic brake, turning the traction motors in generators and the DB grid into a toaster to dissapate the electricity created from slowing the train. GE has equipped several loco's with a series of batteries to store energy when slowing and supplement when starting and pulling. Actually it works well IMO. We are seeing significant improvments in our GTM "gallon ton mileage" The future will tell whether the technology will exist to store this energy in a manner efficient enough to be practical.

Personally, i like big block noise!!!

Originally Posted by vette131

http://www.alkrug.vcn.com/rrfacts/fueluse.htm

FACT:
A coal train moving uphill at 11mph with 4 SD40-2 locos on the point and a 2 loco helper shoving on the rear has a fuel efficiency of about 48 feet per gallon. diesel electrics are efficient when you compare the fuel burn per ton moved but it only takes a fraction of the power to move that ton on a rail vs on water.

Originally Posted by boot

Great info endeavor1, thanks for your input. However, that regenative braking as it's called is old technology. Golf carts have been using it for 15 years, kenworth trucks have experimented with it for about 10 years, and ford used in on the "tonka" series truck prototype, that Tobby Keith owns.

Don't tell anyone , But I love big blocks too!

Originally Posted by boot

Just noticed this quote at the bottom of the chart:
Note : Hp/throttle figures are from Management of Train Operations and Train Handling by The Air Brake Assoc. 1972.

1972 figures. They might be better by now.

Originally Posted by SS930

I would miss the sound. My last boat had OB's and while I like the sound of a couple of screaming OB's, they can't compare to the sound of warmer over BB's!

Originally Posted by endeavor1

Dont worry Boot. We laid up most every SD40 (1 and 2) in 2008-2009. I was on a team that over saw this and we had to get exemption from the FRA for large power moves (30-50) locos in a consist (standard is 12). Anymore, locos burn 2 gallons per mile on a 10000-15000 ton train. This is also using a distributed power consist 2x2.