Don't have much to say except "hell yeah". Reading the article, looks like locomotive is designed to operate with a full load at -40 for hours, which is super cool. It'll be deployed for short...
Don't have much to say except "hell yeah". Reading the article, looks like locomotive is designed to operate with a full load at -40 for hours, which is super cool. It'll be deployed for short range things so range won't be a concern. It'll be cool to see how diesel locomotives eventually get replaced by electric ones, where possible.
According to the article, the locomotive will be powered both by a battery and by overhead lines. So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines and (2) why is it a big...
According to the article, the locomotive will be powered both by a battery and by overhead lines. So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines and (2) why is it a big deal to have an electric powered locomotive in Canada, if the battery is optionally used?
Because the overhead lines are not a widespread infrastructure. Presumably they will be used to top up the batteries during use and reduce their power drain where possible. As for the use case,...
Because the overhead lines are not a widespread infrastructure. Presumably they will be used to top up the batteries during use and reduce their power drain where possible.
As for the use case, the point is to begin to decrease the use of diesel powered engines where possible and demonstrate the capacity for electric powered trains to move cargo in Canada's harsh climate. I hope they're looking at spin offs of their technology as weathering Canadian winter should be an easy sell for electric cargo trucks, among other things.
I don't know why, but one possible reason is to make regenerative braking feasible - if nobody else is using the train's power line (which is likely if the train is in the middle of nowhere) then...
So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines
I don't know why, but one possible reason is to make regenerative braking feasible - if nobody else is using the train's power line (which is likely if the train is in the middle of nowhere) then running a regen brake could overload the grid. By dumping the power into a battery instead, you essentially get free power and less brake disc wear, while simultaneously making the train slightly more resilient (as the battery can be a backup, in a pinch).
I'm being optimistic though - an alternative explanation is "overhead lines are so old-fashioned, batteries are the future!", which is just ideological idiocy that sadly does exist.
To be clear, the train grid usually isn't the same as the residential grid; the downside here is less "grid outage" and more "the train can't use regen braking".
To be clear, the train grid usually isn't the same as the residential grid; the downside here is less "grid outage" and more "the train can't use regen braking".
Due to how dynamic braking (using the motors as generators) works on current locomotives and how you usually run locomotives in yard service (cando mainly does yard switching and this one is...
I don't know why, but one possible reason is to make regenerative braking feasible
Due to how dynamic braking (using the motors as generators) works on current locomotives and how you usually run locomotives in yard service (cando mainly does yard switching and this one is REALLY only for yard work). I don't think regen is high on the list of reasons why the did anything here. Also, that locomotive doesn't have dynamic brakes. At 00:45 in the video they show the control stand, the red handle on the right side is the throttle and directly above that... that blank panel that's the same size as the throttle assembly, thats where the dynamic brake handle would go.
Tagging @jcd as well... I'm not aware of any electric locomotives with overhead lines in western canada. I think they're talking out their ass here. BC Rail had a handful of electrics built specifically for some un-ventilated tunnels. I might just be unaware of some random electrified shortline... but I'd also point out the big electrical stuff (??) on top of that BCR locomotive, that's missing from the top of this locomotive.
EDIT: I hope we start seeing more of these old yard engines being battery-ified. Many of them spew out ridiculous amounts of smoke and they're all slowly dying and being replaced with road engines that are getting too junky for the road.
Don't have much to say except "hell yeah". Reading the article, looks like locomotive is designed to operate with a full load at -40 for hours, which is super cool. It'll be deployed for short range things so range won't be a concern. It'll be cool to see how diesel locomotives eventually get replaced by electric ones, where possible.
According to the article, the locomotive will be powered both by a battery and by overhead lines. So my questions are, (1) why a battery if it will rely on overhead lines and (2) why is it a big deal to have an electric powered locomotive in Canada, if the battery is optionally used?
Because the overhead lines are not a widespread infrastructure. Presumably they will be used to top up the batteries during use and reduce their power drain where possible.
As for the use case, the point is to begin to decrease the use of diesel powered engines where possible and demonstrate the capacity for electric powered trains to move cargo in Canada's harsh climate. I hope they're looking at spin offs of their technology as weathering Canadian winter should be an easy sell for electric cargo trucks, among other things.
I don't know why, but one possible reason is to make regenerative braking feasible - if nobody else is using the train's power line (which is likely if the train is in the middle of nowhere) then running a regen brake could overload the grid. By dumping the power into a battery instead, you essentially get free power and less brake disc wear, while simultaneously making the train slightly more resilient (as the battery can be a backup, in a pinch).
I'm being optimistic though - an alternative explanation is "overhead lines are so old-fashioned, batteries are the future!", which is just ideological idiocy that sadly does exist.
To be clear, the train grid usually isn't the same as the residential grid; the downside here is less "grid outage" and more "the train can't use regen braking".
Due to how dynamic braking (using the motors as generators) works on current locomotives and how you usually run locomotives in yard service (cando mainly does yard switching and this one is REALLY only for yard work). I don't think regen is high on the list of reasons why the did anything here. Also, that locomotive doesn't have dynamic brakes. At 00:45 in the video they show the control stand, the red handle on the right side is the throttle and directly above that... that blank panel that's the same size as the throttle assembly, thats where the dynamic brake handle would go.
Tagging @jcd as well... I'm not aware of any electric locomotives with overhead lines in western canada. I think they're talking out their ass here. BC Rail had a handful of electrics built specifically for some un-ventilated tunnels. I might just be unaware of some random electrified shortline... but I'd also point out the big electrical stuff (??) on top of that BCR locomotive, that's missing from the top of this locomotive.
EDIT: I hope we start seeing more of these old yard engines being battery-ified. Many of them spew out ridiculous amounts of smoke and they're all slowly dying and being replaced with road engines that are getting too junky for the road.