KINGSTON, N.Y. — The Catskill Mountain Railroad has converted its locomotives to run on 100% biodiesel fuel and says it is the first heritage railroad in the country to do so, the railroad has announced.
The railroad operates with a pair of Alco locomotives. RS1 No. 401 was built in March 1950 for the Illinois Terminal Railroad and later property of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio, Illinois Central Gulf, and Green Mountain Railway. S1 No. 407 was built in 1946 for the Long Island Rail Road, moved to the Staten Island Railway in 1977, and was acquired by the Catskill Mountain Railroad from a broker in 2010.
Biodiesel fuel reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 74%, carbon monoxide by almost 50%, and hydrocarbon emissions by almost 70%, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. The railroad is being supplied by local firm NetZero Biofuels.
More information on the railroad’s sustainability program is available here.
Agreed Gerald. Perception over reality. And perception wins at least in short term.
Does the Catskill Mtn. RR do any local freight anymore? I recall that NYC line back in the late 60s & 70s, driving along NY State Hwy 28, to go hunting in various locations in the Catskills, that they had some freight business, and about that time, their connection to the D&H at Oneonta was severed and rolled back to near Arkville(?). Any freight business should help sustain that operation and fuel costs???
like the article said bio fuel’s are lesser harm to environment
Unfortunately, 100% biodiesel (B100) can also increase … by 7-to-10 percent … the production of “oxides of nitrogen (“NOx”)” which are precursors to the formation of smog, compared to using petroleum diesel.
This is a tarnished “silver bullet”.
It’s a heritage railroad no longer…in my book at least. Tourist and heritage railroads run so little that their emissions are basically insignificant to even warrant considering a change like this. Not to mention the increased costs of biodiesel over regular diesel.