# Future news -- nostalgia for big diesels



## Severn (May 13, 2016)

"pa tell me about the time the big diesel came to town...!"

Yes this is really about this kinda amazing thing I read about. A battery powered prototype.









BNSF and Wabtec prepare to test battery-electric locomotive


USA: Wabtec has started conducting factory testing at its Erie plant of a prototype 4 400 hp battery locomotive, ahead of trial operations with BNSF that are planned to take place in the final quarter of this year. BNSF and GE Transportation (now Wabtec) began development of ...




www.railwaygazette.com





And what can catches my eye is seems to be a little more than some pie in the sky idea.

Funny real railroads may field a battery powered loco...

Before I do on my model track...


----------



## D&J Railroad (Oct 4, 2013)

Invest in extension cords.


----------



## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

_"Invest in extension cords."_

Indeed.

This is doomed to failure. Oh, they may get an engine to run for a certain distance.
But in the _"rigors of regular service?", _miles from any charging point? I sense that isn't going to work out well.

All one has to do is read from "Trolley Car Treasury" or "When the Steam Railroads Electrified" to see that trying to use batteries to power locomotives (at least in the 1800's) was pointless.

It was only after the early inventors switched to "external power" (delivered by 3rd rail, overhead wires, etc.) that electric propulsion leaped from the experimental stages to devices that could run in the real world.

If you want to stop using diesel power and use electric power -- it's easy, _and the technology is perfected and here now_ for all the miles and hours you want.

That is:
Put up catenary and buy electric locomotives.


----------



## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

The same thing plagues electric powered cars.....less than adequate range.....


----------



## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Maye they could attach generators to the wheels of all the cars that the engine pulls, thereby generating electricity as they go!. Yeah, and maybe there'd be enough over-generation that they could tow some battery cars and then off-load some electricity into the grid at every stop!!


----------



## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Maybe pigs will even being flying by the end of the year.......


----------



## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Maybe perpetual motion will finally be realized and we'll have unlimited free energy!


----------



## MichaelE (Mar 7, 2018)

Several European locomotives have storage batteries as a 'last mile' insurance that if a section of catenary is out it will make it to the next powered section.

Catenary is fed from multiple power transformers along the way and sometimes a section may be out for maintenance. The batteries ensure continuous running for a mile or two before being exhausted.

Not many locomotive have this feature though.


----------



## Andy57 (Feb 7, 2020)

Fire21 said:


> Maye they could attach generators to the wheels of all the cars that the engine pulls, thereby generating electricity as they go!. Yeah, and maybe there'd be enough over-generation that they could tow some battery cars and then off-load some electricity into the grid at every stop!!


Maybe been done, somewhat. Photo taken July 10, 2020 of caboose in museum. Probably enough to operate lighting in caboose, but only while caboose rolling. I doubt they had anyway to store electricity.


----------



## J.Albert1949 (Feb 3, 2018)

Andy wrote:
_"Maybe been done, somewhat. Photo taken July 10, 2020 of caboose in museum. Probably enough to operate lighting in caboose, but only while caboose rolling. I doubt they had anyway to store electricity."_

The caboose had 12 volt batteries that powered the lights.
The little generator worked like one on a car -- recharged the batteries when the caboose was moving.


----------



## Andy57 (Feb 7, 2020)

Thanks


----------



## Severn (May 13, 2016)

You didn't read carefully enough it has automatic recharging ... "While the fixed charging station will provide an initial charge, the locomotive has been designed to capture kinetic energy through dynamic braking every time the train slows."

I don't think these people are stupid. It's going to be tested in the context of regular service diesels.


----------



## rogruth (Mar 6, 2012)

Think about the sound or lack of it.


----------



## Severn (May 13, 2016)

Point taken! In the future every "ediesel" will sound like their honking stereo system!


----------

