the Modern ACE-3000

here is link to drawings etc of Ross Rowlands ACE-3000 locomotive.
a project doomed by plumeting fuel prices.
With fuel prices going trough the roof would revival be possible??
http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ace_det.html

Problem #1: The Environmental Protection Agency.

Problem #2: Overall improvements in Diesel efficiency in past 20 years.

Problem #3: Training and deployment of shop forces to service steam vice internal combustion.

Respectfully, John

DutchRailnut wrote:here is link to drawings etc of Ross Rowlands ACE-3000 locomotive.
a project doomed by plumeting fuel prices.
With fuel prices going trough the roof would revival be possible??
http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ace_det.html

No. If the fuel prices remain permanently high ( I am talking about 10, 15, 20 years) look for developments of existing diesel-electric technology to operate on fuel other than refined crude oil. The age of commercial reciprocating steam locomotives in class 1 freight ended over 60 years ago.

John_Perkowski wrote: Problem #1: The Environmental Protection Agency.

Problem #2: Overall improvements in Diesel efficiency in past 20 years.

Problem #3: Training and deployment of shop forces to service steam vice internal combustion.

Respectfully, John

Hi.
I just joined recently. Sorry to bring this up again. I agree 100% with everything you said, John. Another thing is railroads have changed a lot since the ACE3000 was originally tested. It's not just the railroads that have changed; US environmentalists have gotten very unfriendly towards anything that burns coal. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against all environmentalists, its just those few who don't listen to reason. Even if you can prove the locomotive is very low in pollution, they won't listen. Not only that, labor will have to be increased, which would negate any savings in fuel. And please don't take offense to this but if a locomotive like this would be put into revenue service, the FRA and the EPA would slap so many regulations on it that operating it would be prohivitivley expensive.