Designing A Modern, Efficent and Economical Steam Locomotive

Kevin Sewell wrote:
> "Dave Horsfall" <daveh@ci.com.au> wrote in message
> news:20030708095536.B28726@mippet.ci.com.au...
>
>
>>Only when confined along with oxygen, otherwise it merely burns. Fuels
>>cells, for example, store hydrogen in a porous medium.
>>And no, that wasn't hydrogen burning on the Hindenburg...
>
>
> If you mean what started the fire, then you are absolutely right it was the
> fabric skin which caught fire first. Once that got a hold I can assure you
> it was hydrogen which burned a little later.
>
>

AIUI the skin kept burning for a while, since that was the orange-yellow
flame reported by witnesses; hydrogen burns with a clear flame (I
believe). The skin was doped with something akin to modern solid-rocket
fuel (Aluminium hydroxide? something like that). Undoubtedly some of
the hydrogen burnt, but a lot would have escaped through the
ever-increasing holes.

--
Hugh - to reply, don't c me

On Tue, 8 Jul 2003, Kevin Sewell wrote:

> > Only when confined along with oxygen, otherwise it merely burns. Fuels
> > cells, for example, store hydrogen in a porous medium.
> > And no, that wasn't hydrogen burning on the Hindenburg...
>
> If you mean what started the fire, then you are absolutely right it was the
> fabric skin which caught fire first. Once that got a hold I can assure you
> it was hydrogen which burned a little later.

I phrased that poorly: the bright yellow-red flames were indeed a result
of the flammable fabric used, whereas the pale blue flame of burning
hydrogen would have been invisible.

-- Dave

On Tue, 8 Jul 2003, PC wrote:

> Heck, Sydney had suburban electric trains 26 years before its first
> electric mainline loco (4501/7100), and 30 years before the 46 class
> fleet started coming online.. And Melbourne had suburban electric
> trains for what, seven years before Sydney did?

But Sydney had the first DD motor cars in the world :-)

-- Dave

On Tue, 08 Jul 2003 14:00:53 +1000, Kevin Sewell wrote:

>
> "Dave Horsfall" <daveh@ci.com.au> wrote in message
> news:20030708095536.B28726@mippet.ci.com.au...
>
>> Only when confined along with oxygen, otherwise it merely burns. Fuels
>> cells, for example, store hydrogen in a porous medium.
>> And no, that wasn't hydrogen burning on the Hindenburg...
>
> If you mean what started the fire, then you are absolutely right it was the
> fabric skin which caught fire first. Once that got a hold I can assure you
> it was hydrogen which burned a little later.

The Hydrogen blew upwards. Most of the fire was fueled by the fuel
(diesel?)in the tanks that supplied the engines.

There is a science fiction novel called 'Desolation Road'. It's set on
Mars on a small town founded by accident on a railway crossing loop.

The locomotives are huge fusion tokamak heated steamers. The Mars of this
novel is criss-crossed with railways.

Terry Flynn wrote:

>> However, I reckon that there would be a chance for steam engines
>> fuelled by coal or oil, with a bit more modern technology to
>> improve things...

> Or LNG, or fireless alternatives including overhead electrical supply
> Problem with oil and coal firing is high boiler maintenance
> costs.

All boilers have high maintenance costs, regardless of the firing method
employed.

> A safer locomotive to use is the fireless locomotive,
> either running on compressed air...

Yeah, a VERY efficient way to propel a locomotive. And safer? No doubt!
To what pressure does the receiver have to be charged to do any useful
work?

Mark Newton.

Do a google search for "ace 3000" (with quotes)