@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:Pete,
Excellent point. However, the conversion, if powered by electricity, is the closest to neutral-impact that you can get.
This brings up two questions:
Q1: Should CP instead just plan for traditional electric locomotives, and start building cat, just skipping the convert-to-hydrogen step?
There's the cost of maintaining the catenary and building up the infrastructure to power it (substations) to consider. It just can't be hooked up to the existing grid with a set of cables.
Q2: How about battery powered locomotives? Not enough charge capacity yet in today's batteries?
Again: Infrastructure. Charging stations would have to be built and maintained. Where do you locate them? Major terminals? Minor terminals? Junctions? Can a battery locomotive be recharged in the same time as fueling a diesel? Lot's of questions that need to be addressed.
So far from what I can determine, the BNSF/GE battery locomotive experiments pretty much turn an MU consist into a hybrid consist. But, will the costs of battery charging infrastructure outweigh the fuel savings?
NS was experimenting with a battery switcher. I understand that program has ended and the locomotive's been sold off.
I'm all for exploring alternatives, but nothing is a silver bullet. There will be trade-offs.
Rusty
Mike
|
|
