A new customer for the M&E

NYSW13000 wrote: Luther, we are not all idiots, most of us know locomotives run on diesel fuel, not gas. I am surprised you knew that, from how long you have been hiding in the closet...I would of thought that you would think we still use steam power.

PS- Keep up with reading.

No one here is an idiot. As I said, I've developed a pretty recent interest in the M&E. I see it as an interesting operation and that's that.

At the rate the price of diesel fuel is rising it might not be so farfetched for some shortline to consider using a steamer to do their work. Some years ago the Crab Orchard & Egyptian RR in Illinois did just that. They started out with a 2-4-2 and later bought an ex-U.S. Army 2-8-0. Both engines really earned their keep for many years.

Al Holleuffer wrote:At the rate the price of diesel fuel is rising it might not be so farfetched for some shortline to consider using a steamer to do their work. Some years ago the Crab Orchard & Egyptian RR in Illinois did just that. They started out with a 2-4-2 and later bought an ex-U.S. Army 2-8-0. Both engines really earned their keep for many years.

I'd bet more on a hybrid like the Green Goat/Green Kid, possibly run with bio-diesel or ethanol or some equivalent. Since they already use remanufactured EMD frames for the Goats, perhaps in a few years they'll have a drop in replacement power system for EMD SW1500s, MP15s and GP38s.
Also consider, all those exposed moving rods and gears on a steamer, while definitely cool, can be a maintainence nightmare and can be rough on the rails (the pounding action of the piston/drivers - not too many shays and climaxes left you know).
Heh, I'm still waiting for the Stirling engine to come into it's own (probably around the same time sustainable energy-positive fusion comes on line)

If the engines in current diesel powered vehicles can run on ethanol, bio-diesels and other "new sources" of fuel, can't these same modifcations be tailored to diesel engines in locomotives. The amount of the alternative fuel seems to be the biggest issue here but I am sure that converting one switcher will certainly help in the end.

This might be better suited as a seperate thread...

Here...

http://railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=25055

lutherkb wrote:If the engines in current diesel powered vehicles can run on ethanol, bio-diesels and other "new sources" of fuel, can't these same modifcations be tailored to diesel engines in locomotives. The amount of the alternative fuel seems to be the biggest issue here but I am sure that converting one switcher will certainly help in the end.

This might be better suited as a seperate thread...

It probably should be moved to the General Locomotive forum, but anyway not all engines can use ethanol directly - gas engines have to be designed for Flexible Fuel because ethanol is somewhat more corrosive than gasoline (in other words, you could dump alcohol in your regular gasoline engine and run OK...for a while at least, if you know what I mean).
Bio-diesel - I don't think diesels engines need alteration (maybe tuning - what do you tune in a diesel anyway, timing of the ports open/close? Maybe the amount of fuel injected, I don't know).
Kinda wish we had started this research and testing process 25+ years ago - Oh, wait we in the US did, and then we just stopped...

Al Holleuffer wrote:At the rate the price of diesel fuel is rising it might not be so farfetched for some shortline to consider using a steamer to do their work. Some years ago the Crab Orchard & Egyptian RR in Illinois did just that. They started out with a 2-4-2 and later bought an ex-U.S. Army 2-8-0. Both engines really earned their keep for many years.

What fuel would a steam locomotive utilize? Even coal has doubled in price over the last year or so, and considering inefficiencies and labor/maintenance, is probably not economic over diesel. Emissions standards would likely also play a part.

Got this from the EL list.... M&E is preparing to serve the new distribution center for Kuiken's off the Chester Branch... Photo is by Carl Perleman

http://www.railfan.net/lists/erielackph ... G_4015.jpg

Any updates on this?? It has been almost a year and still haven't gotten a carload