.

Is the cost for 475 included in the freight rate? What do non-steam railroads do when faced with unloading congeal-able stuff in the winter?

Nice use of old tech to support "new energy", by the way. You guys are aways on the cutting edge...

Howard P.

The Susquehanna Railroad in NJ uses a boxcar with a steam generator of some kind in it to heat cars. They used to use of for cars filled with corn syrup but that business left so now it is being used to heat some kind of wax so it flows from tank cars.

Howard,

My experience is that a railroad subsidiary bulk operation (ie, Trans-flo) will have steam connections from a commerical boiler arrangement and for direct to customer service, the customer provides the steam. It is required for trucking operations as well. Little Debbie has their own steam generating capacity, possibly from plant heating, though I never thought to ask. The get their hydrogenated oil in by the tank car load and usually do not fail to take good care of the crew (Nutty Bars, Swiss Rolls, Honey Buns, Zebra Cakes). There is a mail box for "Southern Railway Employees" on the old guard shack that almost always has "mail" in it when spot them.

Best,
Mike

Oatmeal Creme Pie, USA

Kelly,

Is the steam provided through an existing connection/port from the manifold or tapped from one of the appliances?

Thanks in advance!

Bob Bunge

Just don't let the do-gooder consumers of bio-diesel see this.

The global warming crowd should be very pleased with the Strasburg Rail Road. As Kelly pointed out, they are taking allot of eighteen wheelers off of route 30, 283 and 222, cutting the use of diesel, etc. An added benefit being it is now much safer for all those Smart cars. Indeed, a real demonstration in how rail is really very good for us all. Smoke or no smoke!
Loco3750

Howard, there's a steaming charge per car, and @bbunge the connection is tapped directly out of the manifold.

Thanks Kelly.

And Mike, I have to ask... no Moon Pies??? What kind of Southerners are they at Little Debbie? Next time I'm in the "Food Lion" (nudge, nudge, wink, wink) I shall have to take my hat off to "Little Debby". Nice of them to take care of the crews.

Gee, maybe NAUG needs a bio-fuel customer; it would be a good reason to get #103 operational....

Howard P.

However, this whole exercise is about "bio-fuel" (we don't know whether this is the finished product or an additive). Someone would have to crunch the numbers, but it's entirely possible that the use (in this specific case) of a (relatively) inefficient steam source fueled by fossil fuels and emitting CO2, CO, particulates, etc. has just negated any "green" gains obtained by the use/creation of said "bio-fuel."

Without descending into a political discussion having nothing to do with rail preservation here, you're all paying for your "biofuel" right now with the increased food prices at your local supermarket............ sit tight; it looks like it's going to be a long one....

Of course, it is ironic that the tracks don't run directly into the bulk plant. My dad ran a bulk plant for 18 years with a siding off the NP. When the railroad would spot a tank car on the siding, he would move it into the bulk plant using a small crawler tractor.