BNSF Unveils Fuel Cell Switcher

[WhoozOn1st]

BNSF Railway and Vehicle Projects Demonstrate Experimental Hydrogen Fuelcell Hybrid Switch Locomotive

"BNSF Railway and Vehicle Projects Inc. of Denver/Golden, Colo., a developer of large fuelcell vehicles such as mine loaders and mine locomotives, unveiled an operational hydrogen fuelcell hybrid switch locomotive at BNSF’s Topeka System Maintenance Terminal."

Photo of strange-looking internals.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Isn't the green goat, and thus that thing, just a resurrected Geep frame? So this hallaballoo is over, essentially, a re-engined Geep?

 

[WhoozOn1st]

The "hullabaloo" - though I would hardly call it that - is over a basic shift in the underlying motive power technology. To belittle this operational proof-of-concept demonstrator for railroad application of fuel cells as "a re-engined Geep" is, in my view, to miss the whole point. Is there some sort of objection to the common practice of using an existing frame as a test bed? If the fuel cell switcher proves workable and viable, it's not a great leap to envision purpose-built frames for production versions. On the other hand, testing might also prove that conversion of existing frames is a perfectly acceptable way to proceed. Exploring and learning is the whole point.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

I think people spend too much time talking about how they are making the world greener, and too little time actually doing it. We have this problem around here of confusing motion with accomplishment.