WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A recent public briefing by Sierra Northern Railway and local non-profit Valley Vision on Sierra Northern’s hydrogen locomotive project is now available for review online.
The program outlined the project’s ability to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and improve quality of life in lineside communities. The briefing is available on the Valley Vision website or on YouTube.
The webinar of the December event drew several hundred registrants, with viewers in eight nations, a number of other states, and federal, state, and local regulators.
“This is the right path for the future of zero-emissions motive power,” said Kennan Beard, president and CEO of Sierra Northern, in a press release. “As the lead on this project, we’re confident hydrogen is here to stay and will be the true zero emission solution adopted by the State of California for switching locomotives.” The unit under development will prevent use of up to 10,000 gallons of conventional diesel fuel per year and is part of Sierra’s goal of having the nation’s first zero-emission switching fleet.
The locomotive is being developed through a $4 million state grant [see “California Energy Commission awards $4 million for development …,” Trains News Wire, March 18, 2021].
Trying to push Hydrogen as an alternative fuel. Yes it does burn clean. One MAJOR PROBLEM; it’s combustibility, Unless engineers & designers can figure a way and place for fuel tank that is safe, It will be a bomb on wheels. Hydrogen is roughly 1.9 times as explosive as propane, over 4 times as explosive as gasoline. Diesel fuel does NOT explode, just burns when ignited.
Is the hydrogen being burned in a motor driving an alternator, or is a bank of fuel cells directly supplying electricity for the traction motors? At what temperature is the hydrogen stored? How is this temperature maintained and what happens if it rises too high? Lots of challenges with this technology.
Doesn’t it look a bit like an Alco HH-660?
Does not have make any practical sense, just get the $4,000,000.00 at this rate Hydrogen will replace the national locomotive fleet at a cost higher then the recent Omnibus budget buster bill