And now it becomes more serious!
University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment and the Sustainable Rail International teams up to reintroduce the Highspeed zero-emission modern steams for passenger services.
The team proposed that the locomotive will burn 'torrefied biomass' AKA. biocoal, to zeroing in the carbon footprints. All postwar modernsteam techs will be included, and plus ones the team creates. Aiming to beat the steam speed records the Mallard has done so long ago. the team began its effort with a dilapitated ATSF 4-6-2 "Pacific" locomotive, buying what that might end up in scrapyard. this(hopefully coal firing) steamer will become a testbed for a big gambit to revive the steam traction (and end an era of a polluting Diesel Electric for good).
http://www.renewableenergymagazine.com/ ... ck-to-curb
What an ambition! with the funding of University of Minnesota can become real. yet. I think that
- The new locomotive must be built as cab-forward tender locomotive with a smokestack placed at the rear end--similar to Italian 4-6-0 Mucca but streamlined. The streamlining body casing SHOULD looks like the millenium-era HSTs. not vintage 30s Streamliners. meow.
- Intensive computerization (and digitalization) of complex controls. such as steam controls, digitalized stokers (with complex Archimedes-type coal conveyers, if the smokestack is to be located at the rear end. the firebox should be placed behind the cab and with such conditions, coal-firing), L.D. Porta water treatment equipments installed in the tender. the boiler is likely to be firetube type (I don't understand why the watertube and flashtube type boilers rarely seen in steam locomotive? boths are more effectives, and safer than firetube boilers). This allows Diesel-educated engineers to operate this steamer without incuring switching cost.
- Mass Transit-style coupler system. (unless you say that the classic Janey automatic coupler still suits the HST passenger operations)
- The locomotive, along with the passenger cars this thing will haul. should be tilted.
- Walshart valvegear and maybe inside cylinder compounding.
- 4-6-2 A1Tornado should be througoutly studied, before moving on to the Mallard.
- Another thing to take into consideration is that of the track itself. HST tracks have a very expensive foundations laid several feet deep before the tracks are even laid.
- HST with one locomotive in the front end and observation car at the rear end, the classic streamlined American passenger trains ? ha! I'm preferring the genrally accepted HST concepts that if the train is going to be hauled by locomotives and not self propelled MU, a pair of locomotives should sandwitch the train.
Also who will run its revenue service once the project is done?