Hello,

A pit off topic but has threads of the past (UP turbines)......the Russian Railways has a turbine locomotive fueled by LNG in field trials.

http://www.railwaygazette.com/news/single-view/view/experimental-gas-turbine-locomotive-undertakes-haulage-tests.html

There was an article on this locomotive in the latest trade magazine we receieve at my company, the July-Aug 2013 - "Diesel & Gas Turbine Worldwide" magazine.

It appears to be a B-B-B + B-B-B wheel arrangement, assuming all axles powered at 8.3 MW (11,130 HP). In prior research of turbines of this size, we have found they are very low efficiency and also do not do well on turndown.

Our manufacturer can field a spark ignite 4MW 16 cyl recip engine with a LHV efficiency of 43% at full load to 39% at 1/2 load. They claim the turbine has lower maintance costs as compared to a diesel but recip spark ignite may be another option? ;-) (1) 4MW engine in each carbody would allow higher efficiency on the power turndown also......drop (1) engine off. With only 17 tons of LNG needed for the turbine, a more efficienct engine at half the power may allow you to use a belly tank......back to single unit?

Russia has a great deal of natural gas to use, effiicency may be a lesser concern. Of course, cold Russian winters will help gain power in the turbine!

With LNG, it has to be used before it boils off!

Very interesting all the same.

Best regards,

Randy

The UP Turbines were using a cheap fuel, hence they were kinda designed around that theory. The body design is fairly close to the Virginian EL2's (GE).

For the Russian engine obviously to use a local fuel and inexpensive.
I've heard of this engine and the obvious "promotes" its the most powerful engine today of its type.,...etc etc.

Its experimental again tho, but unlike the Jawn Henry that was a big brick, they've spread the engine out here.