How would they survive in this day and age?

[TransformerRobot]

I've been looking at a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine stuff lately, and I've been wondering about the relationship between modernization and the decline of steam engines.

 

If we still had steam engines in large numbers running our railways, what would they be powered by? Coal has become too much of a burden on the environment, but the trains would need something to give them enough steam.

[Iggy]

I've been looking at a lot of Thomas the Tank Engine stuff lately, and I've been wondering about the relationship between modernization and the decline of steam engines.

 

If we still had steam engines in large numbers running our railways, what would they be powered by? Coal has become too much of a burden on the environment, but the trains would need something to give them enough steam.

 

according to wiki:

 

 

Waller refers mainly to some rack and pinion mountain railway locomotives that were newly built from 1992-98. They were developed for three companies in Switzerland and Austria, and continued to work on two of these lines as of 2008. The new steam locomotives burn the same grade of light oil as their diesel counterparts, and all demonstrate the same advantages of ready availability and reduced labour cost; at the same time they have been shown to greatly reduce air and ground pollution.

 

Advanced steam technology -- Achieving the ends

 

Diesel.

[Griffon]

If we still had steam engines in large numbers running our railways, what would they be powered by? Coal has become too much of a burden on the environment, but the trains would need something to give them enough steam.

Steam engines are external combustion engines and they're quite a good way to turn a dirty fuel (coal) into useful kinetic energy. A good way that is until clean fuels like diesel came along for use in internal combustion engines. Steam engines were less efficient and highly labour intensive. I read somewhere that a steam engine took several hours from cold to get to running condition. You just climb into a Diesel engine and start it, I think.

 

There may be some advantage in using renewable fuels like wood to power steam engines. Although it might be more efficient to burn wood in power stations and use electric trains - I haven't done the efficiency calculations though.

 

Arguably the best use of steam engines is in the heritage tourist industry. Britain has quite a few heritage railway lines running steam engines that are still very popular for tourists.

[krash661]

What, sir? You would make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her decks? I have no time to listen to such nonsense.- Napoleon Bonaparte to Robert Fulton, upon hearing of the latter's plans for a steam-powered engine.

[TransformerRobot]

Wood, renewable? It doesn't seem so renewable to me.

[zapatos]

Wood, renewable? It doesn't seem so renewable to me.

As I grew a Ginkgo in my yard from seed, I guess I'd kind of like an explanation of your statement, if you don't mind.

[TransformerRobot]

Most trees I know of take ages to grow back, especially if they're going to be used for plywood.

 

It'd make more sense to call them "renewable" if you meant as a fuel source, because certain trees don't take as long to grow back (like poplars).

[Griffon]

They're growing wood for burning in power stations because it is renewable. Willow I seem to recall is grown for this purpose. Wood has only half to two thirds the energy density of coal though.

[zapatos]

Trees for pulp wood is grown and harvested just as any other crop.

Edited May 1, 2013 by zapatos

[TransformerRobot]

Then what about trees for paper? Or has recycled paper pretty much eliminated the need for paper-trees?

[zapatos]

Paper is made primarily from pulp.

 

Pulpwood refers to timber with the principal use of making wood pulp for paper production.

• Trees raised specifically for pulp production account for 16% of world pulp production, old growth forests 9% and second- and third- and more generation forests account for the balance.^[1]Reforestation is practised in most areas, so trees are a renewable resource.
• Pulpwood is also used as the raw material for some wood products, such as oriented strand board (OSB).
• There is an increasing demand for pulpwood as a source of 'green energy' by the bio-energy sector.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pulpwood

Edited May 1, 2013 by zapatos