Amtrak questions
- redcrumbox
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:39 pm
Amtrak questions
Does Amtrak currently use bio-diesel? I was reading about the trial run of the Heartland flyer back in the day when Amtrak was a charter member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. What were the results of that test?
Secondly, what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?
Secondly, what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?
Old EMD’s are the gift that keeps on giving.
- Trainman2223
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 419
- Joined: Mon Dec 15, 2008 11:45 pm
- Location: ?!
Re: Amtrak questions
"Does Amtrak currently use bio-diesel? I was reading about the trial run of the Heartland flyer back in the day when Amtrak was a charter member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. What were the results of that test? "
Best I could find is:
"Amtrak used a $274,000 federal grant to start a year-long biofuel experiment this month using beef by-products to power the Heartland Flyer, a route that travels from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas in an attempt to reduce emissions and find alternative fuels. So far, however, the experiment doesn't look like a sustainable alternative."
April 29, 2010. From: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtraks-bi ... enwashing/
April 26, 2010. From: https://www.popsci.com/technology/artic ... r-train-us
"what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?"
Could not find pinpoint numbers my best guess would be 0% if we are talking about the acela and electric powered trains...might be solar panels charging batteries for various track side equipment.
Best I could find is:
"Amtrak used a $274,000 federal grant to start a year-long biofuel experiment this month using beef by-products to power the Heartland Flyer, a route that travels from Oklahoma City to Fort Worth, Texas in an attempt to reduce emissions and find alternative fuels. So far, however, the experiment doesn't look like a sustainable alternative."
April 29, 2010. From: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amtraks-bi ... enwashing/
April 26, 2010. From: https://www.popsci.com/technology/artic ... r-train-us
"what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?"
Could not find pinpoint numbers my best guess would be 0% if we are talking about the acela and electric powered trains...might be solar panels charging batteries for various track side equipment.
Semper Fi
“I bought a perfect second car... a tow truck.”
Rodney Dangerfield
“I bought a perfect second car... a tow truck.”
Rodney Dangerfield
- Saturnalia
- Authority on Cat
- Posts: 15396
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
- Location: Michigan City, IN
- Contact:
Re: Amtrak questions
Depends on whatever they're buying off the grid.Trainman2223 wrote: "what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?"
Could not find pinpoint numbers my best guess would be 0% if we are talking about the acela and electric powered trains...might be solar panels charging batteries for various track side equipment.
You could also count regenerative braking if you *really* wanted to, for green energy
Good thing Ocasio-Cortez likes trains, or else we'd be out of business like the airlines by 2030!
- DaveO
- Read more, think more, post less
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:57 pm
- Location: Between here and there
Re: Amtrak questions
What has that got to do with anything other than being a one-sided political cheap shot?Saturnalia wrote:
Good thing Ocasio-Cortez likes trains, or else we'd be out of business like the airlines by 2030!
- Saturnalia
- Authority on Cat
- Posts: 15396
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
- Location: Michigan City, IN
- Contact:
Re: Amtrak questions
Well if she is to be believed, we'll all be travelling intercity on nationwide electric trains by 2030 powered by 100% wind and solar, so there's that.DaveO wrote:What has that got to do with anything other than being a one-sided political cheap shot?Saturnalia wrote:
Good thing Ocasio-Cortez likes trains, or else we'd be out of business like the airlines by 2030!
- DaveO
- Read more, think more, post less
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:57 pm
- Location: Between here and there
Re: Amtrak questions
There are liberal minded people on this forum you know. Want us to take cheap shots at conservative points of view?Saturnalia wrote:Well if she is to be believed, we'll all be travelling intercity on nationwide electric trains by 2030 powered by 100% wind and solar, so there's that.DaveO wrote:What has that got to do with anything other than being a one-sided political cheap shot?Saturnalia wrote:
Good thing Ocasio-Cortez likes trains, or else we'd be out of business like the airlines by 2030!
How about let's discuss trains and include politics when it's actually relevant to the topic at hand?
- Saturnalia
- Authority on Cat
- Posts: 15396
- Joined: Wed Sep 28, 2011 7:54 pm
- Location: Michigan City, IN
- Contact:
Re: Amtrak questions
Go ahead. I just don't have much patience for those who want to literally legislate us back to the stone age.DaveO wrote:There are liberal minded people on this forum you know. Want us to take cheap shots at conservative points of view?Saturnalia wrote: Well if she is to be believed, we'll all be travelling intercity on nationwide electric trains by 2030 powered by 100% wind and solar, so there's that.
How about let's discuss trains and include politics when it's actually relevant to the topic at hand?
- redcrumbox
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 160
- Joined: Thu Apr 19, 2012 6:39 pm
Re: Amtrak questions
I did eventually find this. This was a test GE did after a year of running bio. Numbers are about the same. It was noted there was an increase of 1.3% fuel consumption in DB and idle with the bio. Guess it wasn't enough to justify using bio over regular diesel.
Old EMD’s are the gift that keeps on giving.
- Standard Railfan
- Railroadfan...fan
- Posts: 1804
- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2012 7:25 pm
- Location: Marquette, MI
Re: Amtrak questions
I do not know if Amtrak buys “green” power for facilities such as stations signals offices etc.redcrumbox wrote: Secondly, what percentage of the electricity used by Amtrak comes from solar and wind power?
I do know that about 22% of the nameplate capacity of the traction power generation for the NEC comes from the Safe Harbor Dam hydroelectric plant.
Edit: Amtrak does have a “green power purchasing policy”. I can find no data related to the amount of power purchased under this program.
- DaveO
- Read more, think more, post less
- Posts: 1464
- Joined: Thu Dec 14, 2017 12:57 pm
- Location: Between here and there
Re: Amtrak questions
Biodiesel can have additional cold weather issues compared to regular diesel.Saturnalia wrote:Go ahead. I just don't have much patience for those who want to literally legislate us back to the stone age.DaveO wrote:There are liberal minded people on this forum you know. Want us to take cheap shots at conservative points of view?Saturnalia wrote: Well if she is to be believed, we'll all be travelling intercity on nationwide electric trains by 2030 powered by 100% wind and solar, so there's that.
How about let's discuss trains and include politics when it's actually relevant to the topic at hand?
Regular diesel isn't immune to cold weather without additives either.
But I'm sure our science major president who knows better than us would dispute that.