[mos6507]

There is some work being done now to create true serial hybrid trains with batteries onboard to capture the regen. The same concept would work for pure electric trolleys.

[criticalmass]

Regen is kind of useless in locomotives it seems. Hopefully, this is where supercapacitors will come in extremely handy in the near future.

Kind of difficult to beat electric power for sheer efficiency, isn't it?

Still, I'm like an 8 year old when I get the chance to even touch a steam locomotive. The Baldwins were my favorites and I've been studying them very closely in the event I ever need to power something with steam.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'T')here is some work being done now to create true serial hybrid trains with batteries onboard to capture the regen.

[criticalmass]

Ultracapacitors "Supercapacitors" already exist. They just don't store energy in the manner that batteries do. (Les Ah, more flexibility) What they can do is store a large, readily available charge to provide power for the trip back up the hill. The major advantage: smaller, lighter, and they can charge and discharge rapidly. Ultracapacitors can also cycle thousands more times than batteries. So where you could only capture a fraction of charge from regen with a battery pack, ultracapacitors could capture almost all of the regen quickly and dump the power right to the electric motors the moment it is needed for a big surge.

[Blacksmith]

Bill Lear of Lear Jet fame in his later years worked on an external combustion engine for a while. I don't know the specifics but I know they could never achieve the efficiency of the internal combustion engine.

[Bytesmiths]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('criticalmass', 'U')ltracapacitors "Supercapacitors" already exist.

[vaseline2008]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mos6507', 'T')here is some work being done now to create true serial hybrid trains with batteries onboard to capture the regen. The same concept would work for pure electric trolleys.