The Age of Steam, the come-back of all come-backs?

Question

Every steam fan has had this dream I'm sure, to see steam king of the rails again. Many say the Age of Steam has past, but I say it's just resting, and is almost ready for her come-back. In England, and in fact the world, steam power is being re-considered, due to rising oil costs, making diesil and electric more expesive to operate. In Britain, there is a new locomotive being built, the 5AT Advanced Steam Locomotive being 70%more efficient, as well as a brand new A1 Class that had been completed in 2000, the first for trial operation for British Rail, the other for main line tourist trains. The utter beauty and genius of a steam locomotive is that it can burn any combustible material (even hydrogen) to make steam, and there is even a fireless locomotive being re-fitted or built in California that will haul commuter trains, using steam made by solar power (look up Solar Steam Train in your browser). Soon, I imagine steam will be more prevalent in the US, and the world...how about you?

Answer 1

This is technically possible, but it would just cost to much money to replace the internal combustion engined vehicles. ( look up doble steam car in your browser ) They were building steam powered cars in California in the 20s that worked better than the diesel powered cars, but nothing can beat diesel power because it's significantly cheaper.

Answer 2

A cog railway up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire is still a coal fired, smoke belching steam locamotive.   The most powerful train engine ever built in the US was a steam engine.   I think its in North Dakota at an Amtrak station.      More new build ships are reverting to steam since the bunker fuel is cheaper than diesel.

Answer 3

I've been wondering about steam powered vehicles quite a bit lately. If we could make it work well enough 100 years ago, what can we accomplish today? I love the idea of filling my car with water, even if it couldn't go quite so fast, it would be great for doing local runs around town. Solar power is soo ignored. Nice to see it used it such a unique way.

Answer 4

every engine with the exception of internal compbustion engine is a steam engine...even a nuclear sub engine is basically a hot steam engine   the age of steam issue well lets correct the assumption that the age of steam is dead, with the age of the coal driven locomotive is dead

Answer 5

The 5AT project is merely an idea on paper and certainly is not being built for 'British Rail' (which no longer exists in any event) or for any other organisation. (see http://www.5at.co.uk/). The A1 ('Tornado') locomotive was not completed in 2000, but is still being built at Darlington, although it should be completed within the next 12 months. This is not a 'comeback', but merely a desire by some enthusiasts to see a type of locomotive which did not survive into  the preservation era. Some may feel that this project (and other similiar - the Brighton Atlantic at the Bluebell etc) are misguided  when there are still hulks remaining unrestored from Barry etc.

Answer 6

Actually, this was considered during the OPEC embargos and general price gounging of the ealry seventies.  But, it was not a steam engine in the conventional sence.

What was proposed was a steam/diesel electric hybrid, making the most of the attributes each offers.

The diesel electric portion of the locomotive, having superior starting tractive effort would get the tonnage moving, when the reciprocating steam engine would take over to power the train.

They were to be 'condenser' type engines to reduce necessary stops to replenish water by capturing the expanded steam and condense it back into usable water.

Even with the limited technology of the day, they were to be 'micro-processor' controled.  Fuel was ro be supplied at existing engine service and fueling facilities, by way of pre-packed, 50 ton bins of coal for the fire.

Wheel configuration of the steam loco portion was to be an 0-4-4-0.

I don't know that it ever made it to the blueprint stage of production, but with the technology of today, many of the pitfalls asociated with early engines, as well as the last that were manufactured as "state of the art" of the times, can be engineered out of the system.

We have lots of coal in the US, readily available, and it is assured that fuel prices will continue to escalate.  No one needs an MBA to know the ripples of increased cost will have a dramatic effect on the economy.  It is even more sensible considering, again, with modern thechnology, that the means of combustion can better be regulated when considering exhaust gasses and the generally dirty burning fuel.

The loss of thermal efficiency when using coal as a fuel, as opposed to diesel internally burned is much more easily dealt with due to the drastic amount of fuel savings.  Keep in mind, it wasn't only maintenance issues that ended the noble ladies' lives.  Diesl was more efficient, and a whole lot cheaper.  That is no longer the case, when considering fuel supply.

It is an idea whose time has come, me thinks...

Answer 7

In Britain steam has been kept alive by the Heritage Railway industry and since the lifting of the ban on main-line steam there have been regular trips using preserved locomotives on the main rail routes.

As to the future however I think Britain has lagged behind many other operators in Europe since electrification is by no means complete and now with the energy/environmental crisis upon us the price of oil will continue to rise.

Diesel trains will therefore become more expensive to run and the pressure will be on to find a more economical alternative, for the government this is electricity via the nuclear option which Brown & co. are still trying to persuade us all is safe and clean, despite Chernobyl and its aftermath.

I think Heritage industry has a future, but as the Heritage industry, not in any other form. Rail transport is declining in Britain: it is over-priced and unreliable and unless there is a radical change in attitude, both at government level and in the travelling public, I think it set to continue.

Answer 8

Cool Dude!!

Answer 9

I must say that steam returning is highly unlikely.  They ran tests and trials on this idea (I believe it was called ACE 3000) as recently as the 1980s, I believe, and while more efficient than steam locomotives from the 1940s it simply could not compare with diesel and electric locomotives.  Steam's biggest drawback is not in power but efficiency.  Obviously, steam locomotives take a lot of water and fuel to operate, which causes many many more refueling stops than diesels causing increased transit times for freight delivery (and time is money as they say).

More likely what you will see in the future is a much cleaner burning diesel-hybrid prime mover used in locomotives which  is already gaining widespread use with General Electric's Evolution series and the Green Goat, battery-powered, switchers.

Answer 10

Is the 5AT actually being built?  Thought it was just a set of drawings.  Look for DLM in Switzerland for steam rack locomotives and rebuilt main line locos.  All oil burners.  All with Lempor or similar ejectors.  Now if you can get a coal fired one going nicely you might have something.  

http://www.dlm-ag.ch/default2.htm

Answer 11

I hope your right, steam has pushed a lot of ships and trains for more years than modern fuel has

Answer 12

I'm a steam buff myself and I would like to see that happen.

Answer 13

i don't think so as many railroads built their own locos years ago. they don't have the facilities to do that anymore plus the emd units are getting more fuel efficient. all locos are built in canada now as emd doesn't do hardly anything in lagrange anymore. a lot of steel mills that built heavy equipment have shut down because of outsourcing. sending a steam loco over here from china is possible as they still use them but i think the cost would be too much. of course wal-mart may be selling them in a few years.

Answer 14

great idea.