@Nick Chillianis posted:Wow? Is it April 1st again already? I must have slept through the end of the year.
I have to point out to the mediots at the Tribune that unless the electricity is generated 100% by nuclear, hydro, wind or solar, they are not "zero emissions" locomotives. The emissions have just been moved to someone else's back yard. FYI, wind and solar usually have backup systems that burn carbon based FUELS because, strangely enough, the Sun isn't always shining and the wind doesn't always blow when the gub'mint types demand that they do.
Sounds like they're trying to appease some numbskull politicos, who are demanding a technology that is not ready for prime time.
Also, 6 testbed locomotives does not amount to "Metra Converting To Battery Power".
The odd thing about EV's is that because electric power is so much more efficient than internal combustion engines they actually produce less carbon emissions even if the power comes from coal which we are phasing out anyway. I am not sure about locomotives but I assume the same would be true for them. Remember they said that the car would never replace the horse too.
