May a full-size Baldwin 0-8-2 consolidation or 2-6-6-2 Mallet be converted to fire a clean-burning fuel such as natural gas or liquid propane if money is not an object? If I were to run excursion trains with steam engines in California, I would want my locomotives to be "green". Black clouds of smoke might turn many potential passengers off. I would alkso have my RR tunnels equipped with the most technologically-advanced ventilation system to boot. Diesel engines on my line would still burn diesel fuel. Does LP or natural gas even have enough energy density to power full-size steam locomotives and the trains they pull? All my excursion trains would be lead by a head-end steamer and have a helper diesel on the rear.
Generally a steam locomotive only emits back smoke when there is a problem with the fuel itself; the crew doesn't do a good job; or they are sanding flues. The latter is soot in steam- Solid particulate. Brief. and very necessary. Natural gas or LP I would believe likely requires a different fire box design than used until now. Not sure if modifying present boilers, regardless of money, could produce the right results. There have been proposals which would allegedly greatly increase efficiency of coal and oil, but none of these has ever gone forward. As to ventilating tunnels, the primary concern is amount of time to purge. Which also limits the amount of possible traffic. Turbines in present use are massive and the best design available.
When I rode the Grand Canyon Railroad in September 2014, I heard something about using recycled used cooking oil as a loco fuel. The line runs diesel most often and steam sometimes. Don't know whether the recycled cooking oil applied to diesel or steam.
Yes, the Grand Canyon burns recycled cooking oil. I have recently seen some posts on other forums from Ross Rowland, one of the real pioneers of restored steam. He is still in the process of obtaining funds for his proposed Yellow Ribbon steam special, and he has mentioned his intention of providing power from a source other than coal or oil. I am sure it will require some serious refiguring of the firebox. Hasn't been done before that I know of.
On the Napa Valley Wine Train. One of the FA locomotives uses natural gas. The other one on the train I was on a week ago was still diesel.
Just happed upon this thread, and thought I might share this site with anyone interested. www.csrail.org I have been following this site for about six years now, and I think it is relevant to this thread. Scott
The development of this technology looks like a win in several respects and very good news for operators of preserved steam everywhere. Thanks for posting.
Stumbled on this thread today and it reminded me of the Eureka Springs, AR tourist line--about as nice a train ride as anyone could go for! My wife and I took a 'Mini-moon" there in 2000 and the 2-6-0 was still doing the job of hauling the trains. One of the employees mentioned that this particular engine had been modified to burn used motor oil--but that Mogul burned clean, hardly a wisp of smoke except, of course, when starting from a complete stop. They even let us ride the turntable as it swung around. I held on for dear life but enjoyed every minute of it!
