"Locomotives pull into the digital age"

[scottychaos]

interesting article on all the computer controls of the Evolution Series.

http://www.edn.com/article/CA512129.html

Scot

[Allen Hazen]

Thanks for posting that, Scot!
One of the links is bad: clicking for Figure 3 just gets you figure 1 again-- change f1 to f3 near the end of the URL for the real figure 3. (Then again, since the real figure 3 is a picture of an ugly locomotive built by an also-ran builder (Grin!), GE fans may not want to bother.)
The idea of regenerative braking for diesels (using new technology batteries), mentioned by (GE control engineer) Daum is intriguing: I wonder how far away from realization it is.

[Jay Potter]

Production of what GE refers to as its "Hybrid Locomotive" is expected to begin in 2008.

[Allen Hazen]

Thanks, Jay Potter!
For curiosity, where did you find out about this? I try to keep up with railroad news-- particularly GE locomotive news-- to the degree it is possible from the general and railfan press, but don't recall seeing anything about this.
Any idea what it will look like? I'd guess that the batteries needed to store the energy recovered from dynamic braking of a heavy train coming down a long grade will be pretty big, so I have been ***IMAGINING*** a basically conventional-looking ES44 connected by heavy electrical cables to a "tender" with the batteries! But this is JUST my imagination (starting from my purely amateur's conception of the engineering issues involved).
Anyway, thanks for the information!

[Jay Potter]

I first learned that GE had hybrid-related plans from the article "Train Makers Race Clock to Cut Smog", which appeared in the 10-23-02 edition of The Wall Street Journal. After that, I paid attention to what people in the industry were saying about the program.

It's been my exprience that the railfan press concentrates more on events that have happened than it does on events that are expected to happen.

I have no idea what GE's Hybrid Locomotive will look like; however I suspect that the batteries will be smaller than one might think.