NS 999 Elec. Locomotive pushing aside "coal guzzling" locos

superheater · **Joined:** Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:54 pm **Posts:** 2605

Or so says Adrian Covert of PopSci.com

http://www.popsci.com/environment/article/2009-10/worlds-first-all-electric-locomotive-has-over-1000-batteries-can-run-24-hours-single-charge?page=

Astounding lack of basic knowledge (and editing).

Or is NS secretly running those early 1950's 0-8-0's?

PaulWWoodring · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:35 am

"Coal-guzzling locomotives"?!?!

The ignorance of the general media about anything railroad never ceases to amaze me. I guess the most neutral thing you could say about the project is that at least NS is trying different things to see what works.

Obviously only applicable for yard service. The major problem with it is availability. The article didn't say exactly how long it is good for on a charge, but assuming an 8 hour shift, then it wouldn't be available again until two hours into the next trick, or the first crew using it quits after six hours to allow recharging for the next one (goes against both NS' and CSX's stated policies against early quits for yard crews). Either way you're not going to get an overtime job out of it. They will need more of them to cover a yard, so it's more capital intensive than having D-E switchers or gensets that just carry-over from one shift to the next. It would certainly be greener if the recharging were done by some combination of solar and wind generation, with supplemental power coming off the grid.

If memory serves me, weren't there other attempts at battery powered locomotives, like in the era of the Baker electric automobile?

toober · **Joined:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:42 pm **Posts:** 124

PaulWWoodring wrote:

If memory serves me, weren't there other attempts at battery powered locomotives, like in the era of the Baker electric automobile?

NYC had some, right? Tri-motors?

Anyway, battery technology now and then are in completely different universes. Thank your cellphone and laptop.

--
Will

Dennis Storzek · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 1:31 pm

The Chicago North Shore & Milwaukee had a pair of battery / electric steeple cabs. It was an attempt to keep from having to electrify private spurs. The worked well enough, I guess, as they could charge any time they were under wire.

The NYC did something similar, but added a diesel prime mover so they could keep going if the battery discharged prematurely. Eventually someone figured out that if you just run the diesel all the time, you can do away with both the batteries and the trolley shoes.

Nothing new under the sun.

toober · **Joined:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:42 pm **Posts:** 124

Oh, and a zillion mine locomotives.

--
Will

Ron Travis · **Joined:** Sun May 15, 2005 2:22 pm **Posts:** 1543

Considering that the electricity probably comes from coal-fired power plants, this amounts to switching to coal as opposed to pushing it aside.

toober · **Joined:** Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:42 pm **Posts:** 124

Perhaps NS will start having windmills sprout up at all their yards!

Anyway yes, right now it just moves the hydrocarbons from inside the engine block to outside, but I think the idea is all about fuel efficiency. Batteries win that fight for various reasons.

With all these new high capacity batteries available, at some point in the near future it may make sense for the trolley museums to start powering their overhead with a battery bank, allowing the batteries to charge during the offhours (off peak, when power is cheaper).

Maybe we can learn something from NS?

--
Will

Jack A. Siffert · **Joined:** Mon Aug 23, 2004 5:11 pm **Posts:** 373

This locomotive uses 1,060 Truck batteries. That is not a typo 1,060 lead acid truck batteries.
Has everyine forgot the not that long ago The "Green goat" was all the rage, railroads and even the Goverment spent lot's of money on them. Where are they now? The ones that didn't catch fire and burn are slowing being converted to Gensets. Some people are still running them but with Railpower out of buisness and R.J. Corman not buying that part of it, well your on your own.
Another interesting problem happened when the fire department showed up and put water on the fire.
These problems were caused by poor quality batteries and connections between the batteries.
I'm not knocking the concept but untill someone comes up with a battery that will take the abuse in a rail yard there will be problems. The other item needed will be a battery not so depended on lots of acid and floating plates.

Jeff A. · **Posted:** Fri Oct 09, 2009 11:11 pm

"The "Green goat" was all the rage, railroads and even the Goverment spent lot's of money on them."

I've always been intrigued by the green goat concept.........small efficient genset running at a constant speed trickle-charging the storage batteries. Was surprised recently to read that something similar was used (quite successfully) on CN 'way back in 1925.
An article on CN's "Jitney" is linked below.
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~onbdhs/jitney.html