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 also 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. Now some Pullman heavyweight passenger car questions: 1. can Pullman heavyweights be air-conditioned? 2. can they be heated? 3. where do they get their energy resources for HVAC systems to operate?....can they heated by electricity or gas? 4. do they have their own power generators on board or rely on the locomotive? 5. what forms of energy is used for cooking meals on trains: electricity or gas? In theory, I would have a Baldwin steam engine leading a consist of six Pullman Heavyweights and four open-sided observation cars. There might also be at least one one dining or kitchen car. A GP38-2 would be on the rear of this train. Might I need an additional car customized as a power-generator car or need more diesel engines to power all the passenger comfort goodies on board my Pullman heavyweight consist? Can power generators be installed on Pullman heavyweights in a location that is aesthetically pleasing and won't degrade the nostalgic looks of these old cars? Now about the more modern bi-level corrugated stainless steel cars by Pullman or Budd typical of 1970s/1980s/1990s Amtraks: 1. how are these cars heated and air-conditioned? do they have their own energy resources on board or rely upon the engines? 2. do they use gas or electricity for heating and/or cooking meals? 3. are two GP38-2's sufficient to pull nine bi-level cars: will they also supply all the head-end electricity needs of these cars if necessary?
