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25 tons in a 5,000ton ore train is a rounding error. A typical locomotive carries approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which at 7lbs a gallon is already
by TylerE 3y ago
25 tons in a 5,000ton ore train is a rounding error.
A typical locomotive carries approximately 5,000 gallons of diesel fuel, which at 7lbs a gallon is already 17 tons, not counting the weight of the tanks.
The diesel engines will be even heavier (and they're Diesel Electric, so they already have electric traction motors, and the related electrical equipment).
Train's don't haul just one car, they haul dozens or even hundreds.
- _hypx 3y agoYou need something like 500 tons of batteries, even with superior efficiency numbers taken into account, to match the energy of 5,000 gallons of fuel. It is actually significant if people did the math correctly.
- TylerE 3y agoThat certainly changes things somewhat, but I still think railroads would jump on it if it meant, say, 1/3rd less maintenance and half the fuel costs. The move to tier 4 emissions is/was a big deal. They’re starting to have to use DPFs and SCR.