GB Railfreight unveils battery powered Class 18

[hellfeu]

Thoughts on this? Batteries are fine in cars, but wouldn't it be best to hook up locomotives to the mains?

https://twitter.com/ibexpub/status/1...062ZfCpxoQLFMw

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by hellfeu

Thoughts on this? Batteries are fine in cars, but wouldn't it be best to hook up locomotives to the mains?

Hello hellfire.

Yes it would be great to have a railway which had 100% OHLE. Unfortunately we've had witless politicians for the last 75 years. They spent a king's ransom on steam trains when other countries were going diesel, then scrapped the steam locos and bought diesel when other countries were electrifying. Serves us right for voting for moronic millionaires to run the country I guess.

Because there are vast swathes of the UK rail network which are unelectrified, good old blighty has opted for the usual Heath Robinson madness. Instead of spending money putting up catenary wires....we're buying into all the 'Whacky Races' technology - Hydrogen powered trains, Bi-Mode trains, and as you mentioned, battery trains.

I think it would be cheaper to just bring back steam locos and shovel tons of £100 pound notes into their fireboxes.

As an ex-driver, at least you can see that I'm not bitter...

[aussiesteve]

Can't put Aussie $100.oo notes into the fire here, they is made out of plastic.
Illegal to put plastics into a fire, unless it be EPA approved.
Imagine the Flying Scotsman running on hydrogen, be able to rename it the Hindenburg.
Capitalistic rail mobs don't like buzz boxes, preferring weasels which can wander anywhere on the network.
That was the main political spruike to get rid of trams in the 1960s, omnibusses can wander anywhere.
And, the Gov cops fuel excise and road tax, that trams don't pay.
Battery locos will help the capitalistic mobs gain carbon credits, and appear to be doing something good for the "greenies".
Such don't need to achieve anything, just be on the loco roster.
As mentioned in another posting, our Pilbara iron ore mobs have ordered Wabtec FLXdrive BEL locos.
Good for a max of 350 miles, and between 35 to 45 minutes at FULL 4400 hp output.
I can't imagine them performing much long haul main line working.
Needing to halt en route to hook up to an eBowser for recharge.
YES, they achieve a partial recharge during the use of dynamic brake, but would that be sufficient.
Such could be utilized for shunting and ore dumping duties.
YES, we have the first fully Solar powered train down-under.
But, it only rattles a max of 5 kms on FLAT track and hooks up to the station solar panels to assist with battery recharge.
Steve.

[hereward]

That was the excuse for getting rid of trolley buses here, and then began to paint the routes and numbers on the diesel ones. We have plastic notes too.

[Beeyar Wunby]

Originally Posted by AussieSteve

they achieve a partial recharge during the use of dynamic brake, but would that be sufficient.

Yes we could start something new - like REVERSE banking. You stick a battery loco on the back of train, haul it up the biggest hill and detach it, then let it trundle down the hill whilst braking heavily. Then it's good for 10 minutes work until another big train comes along to yank it back up the hill again.

You would always expend more energy than you recover, but could still claim that it was wonderfully green.

Originally Posted by hereward

We have plastic notes too.

Really, I'd forgotten that. How ironic - so even the money is a cheap imitation of itself nowadays?

As it happens Lady Wunby looks after the money here. She knows I'll only waste it on shiny things if I'm allowed any.

[Grosvenor]

Just to point out it wasn't a Kings Ransome on steam locomotives but it would have been if diseasels had been bought at that time and of course the financial cost of running the diseasels would have been higher. However the environmental cost might have been lower.

[aussiesteve]

Reverse banking, hmmm.
The Aurizon crew attempted that in 2020 on Ardglen Bank here in NSW.
Our ATSB released the prang report,
https://www.atsb.gov.au/publications...r/ro-2020-008/
What a mess.
Amusing to read how PATHETIC the 50 class spring parker brake is.
Relying on the loco independent brake, which was accidentally released when cutting out the brake valves.
Capitalism.
I am not a fan of EMD things, but at least our 81 class have a decent spring parker brake.
The things would NOT budge when it was applied regardless of the independent.
Back in the good ole days before spring parkers, the hand brake wheel type and ratchet type only applied to one axle, two if it was a hood unit.
To change ends on dual cab units, the hand brake was applied at that end first.
The fireman then went back to apply the rear end hand brake before the driver cutout the brake valves.
After the driver had cut in the opposite end brake valves, then the fireman could go and release the hand brake on the original end.
Multiple units, the fireman would go to the opposite end and cut in the brake valves before the driver cut out the original end.
Spring parkers being train lined on modern locos apply on all units.
BUT, when being pathetic in design obviously won't hold the locos stationary on a steep grade.
There was a famous intersection in suburban Brissy.
FIVE WAYS at Wooloongabba on the south side.
Trams, trolley omnibusses and the railway line all going through that intersection.
Well before the electrification of the Brissy suburban rail system, but junk hanging in the atmosphere for the trams and trolley omnibusses.
There was an elevated signal box controlling all of the traffic.
I never got to squiz it as we lived on the north side.
I would imagine that the Londoners breathed a sigh of relief when soot belchers were vanquished.
The incidence of TB dropped drastically according to medical history.
Steve.