OK here we go again.

In diesel electric trains or lets use boats. Torque is far greater in electric motors for a given size and it is always there when on. ICE it is variable. Since torque gets you rolling or sailing then we will start here. If it takes less energy to move a boat or FEH using electric motors and since electricity can be generated by the ICE then the FEH will use less energy to start then the when started by the ICE alone. We all understand the gains in regen braking and no ICE at idle and the logic of not running the ICE when you are standing still. These add nothing to the ICE efficiency but rather just ignore it or take it out of the equation when not in use. Fine. However if you look into diesel electric boats they are using a small generator to power the electric motor and while it would seem to be far less powerful than the good old ICE in the boat it is actually equal or more powerful due to its superior torque and efficiency. The replacement on the boat with one large genny and one smaller electric motor instead of one ICE for the prop and one ICE for the genny and several large batteries weighing in at about 700 lbs makes the Diesel electric more space effecient and more FE and about the same cost to buy but about 1/3 to 1/2 less fuel will be used and a whole lot less maintenance.

Since diesels have more torque than gasoline engines for an equal size and since diesel has a bit more energy in each gallon the diesel genny to recharge and drive the FEH would be a far better choice but this would be more to make and certify smog wise and since the ICE is already here then it's what we get. More torque will spin a bigger genny which can run at a lower rpm which will like ALL DIESELS use less fuel.

If you can generate electricity using less fuel AND you use an electric motor to drive the wheels all the time you would have a better product than what we have now. Higher FE which is what we are after. However If doing this means you have to start from scratch then it might cost so much that no one will buy it so all things must answer to the $$$ line. There is no doubt that a bio diesel powered FEH would get much better FE and would have even lower emissions. We could distill our own fuel in the garage and it would cost about $1/gallon using waste vegetable oil. Not something the feds or the oil comp what to hear and so we will not likely see one.


As for trains when you look at those old time steam locos and all those cars know one thing those 200 cars did not weigh in at 100 tons or 125 tons each like they do today. They were more like 40-60 ton cars.

The limiting factor to train length today is the air brake system as anything over about 100 cars requires an air brake compressor to be added. This is why you see loco's in the middle or at the end of these long trains it is to help overcome the air leaks in the system. If you loose air pressure the brakes engage and the whole thing stops rolling. I worked for 20 years repairing RR Rolling stock both freight and passenger.

One thing folks forget is that steam locos are very dirty and dangerous beats. They caused a lot of fires from all the sparks coming out of those stacks.