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Mining trucks are easily electrified. Long distance transport is the challenge.
by Mvandenbergh 6y ago
Mining trucks are easily electrified. Long distance transport is the challenge.
- giantrobot 6y agoTrains would like to have a word.
- bluGill 6y agoMost freight is carried by diesel trains. While it is possible to use electric engines, the ecconmics don't work out and so only a minority of freight is on electric trains.
- Beatus 6y agoAre you talking about the world or the US? Living in europe, I‘ve never seen a diesel train and the economics are just fine for electric trains.
- AnimalMuppet 6y agoThere are diesel trains in Europe. They tend to be more on branch lines, though, with the main trunks being electric. (Electrifying every branch is not economic.) In the US, it could still be done (and has), but the economics are not as compelling because the price of diesel is lower.
- bluGill 6y agoI'm told that the big railroads in the US have a plan to electrify their main line. It remains a plan because the costs are more high enough that it isn't worth it. If they decide fuel costs will go up by enough they will dust off the plan and electrify.
- giantrobot 6y agoDiesel-electric trains. They're basically Diesel generators with electric drive motors.
- ogre_codes 6y agoWith 10s of thousands of miles of lines, it would be pretty monumental to electrify the entire US train system. Considering how efficient modern diesel trains are, That should be pretty low on our list of things to convert. Nuclear trains might make sense with some of the newer reactors... but we know that'll never happen.
- a3n 6y ago> Nuclear trains might make sense Modern steam engines! But I guess they'd have to construct a lot of water stations. The stops to take on water might negate some of the advantages.
- giantrobot 6y agoDiesel trains are already electric. Their drive motors are electric with big Diesel generators on top. Their efficiency is due to their hybrid nature.
- Mvandenbergh 6y agoTrue although even in Europe where almost all mainlines are electrified, many freight trains are diesel-electric. That's because often the the plant loading docks etc. aren't electrified.