Next time there's an ice storm...

[MK]

https://www.thedrive.com/news/39378/how-canadians-derailed-a-train-and-drove-it-to-city-hall-for-power-after-a-brutal-ice-storm

[davefoxx]

Cool article, but that author sure has opinions about Amtrak. 

Thanks for sharing,
DFF

[Missaberoad]

Cool article, but that author sure has opinions about Amtrak. 

Thanks for sharing,
DFF

Especially odd since CN was a privately owned company in 1998... The public vs private debate doesn't seem to apply...

[Tristan Ashcroft]

Yeah, and anyway, preeeeety sure there's a railroad or two with operations in Texas that has long enough dead lines to help out.

[ednadolski]

... that author sure has opinions about Amtrak. 

'... even with locomotives to spare ..."

Just how many 'spare' locomotives does the author think are available for this sort of thing? 

... long enough dead lines to help out.

Wouldn't those be mostly, well, um, ... dead...?

E.

[Tristan Ashcroft]

Wouldn't those be mostly, well, um, ... dead...?

E.

I imagine those railroads could find people capable of firing them up.

[nkalanaga]

I remember when that happened, reading about it on CBC.

Several years ago, somebody had a GE diesel (C30?) on eBay.  I suggested our plant buy it as a backup generator.  After all, we have natural gas service, and while a diesel has to be started on diesel, it will then run on natural gas.  BN and BNSF have done it.

Being "just an operator", they laughed at me.  They're a multinational corporation, and experience means nothing, unless one has a document attesting to it.  Besides, when the plant was built, the accountants (in France) vetoed backup power, as "civilized countries don't have power failures."

They just spent $65,000/day for a week on portable generators. Two of them, in 20 foot containers, on flatbed trucks.  Plus the cost of diesel to run them, and wires strung all over the place to reach the main breaker boxes.

[sd45elect2000]

During that ENRON deal a few years back many of the locomotive leasing companies had locomotives providing power. I played a part in that.

[nkalanaga]

Ed:  Many of the "dead line" locomotives are perfectly usable, just add fuel, maybe charge the batteries, and start them up.  During slow economic times it isn't unusual for railroads to have units "stored serviceable".

[CRL]

Diesels can sit unused for a long time & still fire right up.

[lock4244]

Especially odd since CN was a privately owned company in 1998... The public vs private debate doesn't seem to apply...

Media, where a misinformed opinion becomes fact to the layman. There are hundreds of C44-9W's stored in Texas iirc, and definitely a boat load of SD70MAC's east of Gillette at Wyodak, WY... plenty of flanged generators looking for honest work.

[lock4244]

"civilized countries don't have power failures."

Hubris 

[Missaberoad]

So genuine question... how good of a generator would a diesel locomotive make? How much electricity can you get?

I know all our accessory power is 74v DC, barely enough to run a cell phone charger... I assume there is a way to get more power then that, but does anyone know the numbers?

[sd45elect2000]

Locomotive horsepower X 700 (constant) = Wattage

E x R = P div 700 = HP

3000 hp div 700 = 4.2 MW.

[Chris333]

Just because