The Cost Savings of Steam Today.

[NW Mailing List]

I too would like to see this. I am curious on your cost comparisons. 

If it were ust bsed on a BTU/$ v. BTU/$ for diesel v. coal then he is right, coal is cheaper. But we all know this is not the solution to the vast equation that Steam v. Diesel really is.

Jason Greene
Steele, AL


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: NW Mailing List 
  To: List NWHS 
  Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 12:49 PM
  Subject: The Cost Savings of Steam Today.


  Group:

  I have just finished a 2+ year project comparing the economics of the diesel locomotive and the modern steam locomotive.  The following is an excerpt from my paper:

  "A coal-fueled locomotive could achieve a 64.2% average cost savings over the
  current petroleum diesel-fueled locomotive. This comparison is based on ton-miles per
  dollar of fuel consumed in calendar year 2006. US Class I railroads burned 4.2 billion
  gallons of diesel fuel in 2006, costing $8.1 billion. The dollar value of coal that would 
  accomplish the same amount of "work" is only $3.0 billion, according to calculations.
  This is a cost savings of $5.1 billion in the single year of 2006. That is an incredible
  cost savings over the use of diesel fuel, which is largely imported, compared to coal, 
  which is mined locally in the US. Those 4.2 billion gallons of diesel fuel comprise 6.6%
  of the nation's diesel fuel use. That quantity of diesel fuel could be replaced by 72.3
  million tons of coal, equivalent to only 6.2% of the 1.16 billion ton yearly production
  of coal."

  This modern steam locomotive would be powered by coal and be environmentally responsible, low maintenance and conform to the needs of railroads today. 

  If anyone is interested in reading the paper (it is a 100+ page PDF).  I can ask the moderator to post it for the group.

  I hope you find this interesting,

  John Rhodes



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