Real Railroading: Diesel vs Steam Horsepower
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- Опубликовано: 5 янв 2024
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Great video, well explained. Back in the 1980s V/line rail the country train operator in Victoria, Australia needed to qualify more steam train crews for heritage rail services. The solution was to run an evening conmmuter service to the rural city of Bendigo with a steam loco backed by a big diesel loco (to ensure the commuters got home). The crews seemed to love it because the diesel would accelerate out of the station and the steam would then quickly pull the train up to line speed. Great days.
What a great presentation....a proper comparison between diesel and steam locomotives explained in a way even I can understand. This followed by anecdotal evidence of an actual event that proves the science. Well done Rich!
Thanks very much. Glad you enjoyed this.
As I say in the video, it’s a bit over-simplified, but the basic premise still holds.
@@RichMelvin The anecdotal comparison is interesting, but I cant help but wondering what the difference would have been if the two loco's had the same horsepower. As outlined the 765 peaked at 5000, while the diesel is rated 3600.. Also keep in mind that GE rates that at the crank IIRC, which puts HP to the track a bit lower.
@@RichMelvin Looking again at the video I am mistaken at 765's HP. As it seems it shows in the graph as somewhere below 4500.
Neat to see the Ohio Central here in Austintown, and the CSX in Loweville from years ago! Neat video Rich!
Back in the 1950s, British Railways was moving from Steam motive power to Diesel. The Eastern Region of the Railway decided it wanted to keep its Britannia Class Steam locos until it could acquire the more powerful, famous Deltic locomotives. This was down to the 'Brits' locos having more tractive effort than all other new diesels except the Deltics.
The Brits could do 70 to 90 mph flat out. However, the Deltics would top that at 100. MPH.
Iam so glad I found this channel. I subscribed. I pick up OGR off the newsstand.
fantastic..! great stuff.
Wow rich melvin look so young in this old video,,,,i really miss jim barret from the backshop i talked to him quit a few times he was a super great guy,,and so is rich ,,,,,❤
LOL! This was shot back when I was young and skinny. 😅
@@RichMelvin hi Rich. Did you hear about Bill Benson’s passing in 2021?
@@huntercoleman460 Yes, I knew about Bill’s passing.
@@RichMelvin I’m a big ROW fan and he did some neat things for this hobby him and his company. When did you last speak to him before his passing?
This video would give the impression that for fast passenger trains a fast passenger steam locomotive might be the obvious choice over a Diesel electric locomotive if not for maintenance, manning, and infrastructure costs being much higher for the steam locomotive. The actual railroad practice was the opposite because steam locomotives could haul more tonnage than DC Diesel electric locomotives. Steam locomotives excel over DC Diesel electric locomotives in that they can run at full tractive effort at 5 mph - 15 mph all day long if needed pulling coal; whereas, a DC Diesel electric locomotive will overheat and shutdown. It maybe broke after that. All road locomotives can generate more starting torque than their best starting traction situation can accept and spin their wheels.
The steam locomotive was very good at providing the hauling ability needed for bulk freight hauling. If it could start the train it could likely complete the journey. Early DC Diesel electric locomotives once starting the train if having to run below 15 mph at full throttle for more than a few minutes would overheat and shutdown.
Fascinating explanation always wondered about those big steam engines pulling power, don’t quite understand the drop off of a diesel pulling power?
So which one can be controlled more efficiently?
So the solution is to double head every train with both a diesel and a steam 😅
Those -7s were wore out even then. You said it slowed down around 30 and made 35. It kind of makes me wonder if it made transition. Those did right around that speed. If it didn't, it makes sense that the speed topped out at 38. No heavier than the train was, 1500 - 2500 tons at most, if it had been running properly it shouldn't have had a problem. Too bad it'll never happen again. I'd like to see that same thing again with a comparable powered 4 axle like a B40-8 even then it's behind the power of 765.
They often run Diesels behind the steam loco excursions these days in the heritage fleet. They get the Diesel doing a bit of work just to under stress the Steam loco for longevity. Even if the steam loco is doing most of the pulling. I wonder if the engineers who run those excursions would be willing to make a commentary on it.
Not much point being able to pull a train fast if you can’t move it in the first place. That’s why diesel took over, plus all the economic and environmental benefits
It’s the torque curve of the electric motor that gets you up the grade and hp has very little to do with that, a steamer would slip or stall. Give me the equivalent diesel any day. Pound for pound steam locos do not produce anywhere near the equivalent starting or low speed tractive effort
A diesel locomtive is only constant horsepower above a critical speed. This critical speed is (power)/(tractive effort).