Large Scale Central

A Return to Steam Trains?

Prototypes
#1

Just thinking out loud here.
I was watching one of those prepper shows the other night, you know the ones where people think there will come a time when society collapses due to a natural or man made event and they “bug out” in order to survive… Well one of the things someone was prepping for was a solar flare which could knock out all manner of electronic devices and send us back to the 1800’s. An electro magnetic pulse could do the same.

Imagine if we were hit by a solar flare that did fry everything that contained electronics including diesel train engines. Once the panic calmed down freight would still need to be moved and firing up old steam trains would be a way to do it. I think that would be pretty neat but not having electricity not so good.

#2

they ran an old steamer in the TV series “Jericho” of course it was all CG, but cool nonetheless

#3

There are some of us who believe that all of the steam locomotives that are “stuffed and mounted” around the US are actually on “strategic reserve” duty.

Scott

#4

I don;t know about that Scott, but they would all need some work before they could pull any loads. All so there are not that many of them anyway. And keep in mind all the Big machines it takes to keep them running are powered by electricity! But that would be a start. We would be back to real Horse Power.

Paul

#5

Something tells me a GP9 would still run…yeah, the radio won’t work, but everything else will crank up just fine : )

#6

Scott McDonald said:

There are some of us who believe that all of the steam locomotives that are “stuffed and mounted” around the US are actually on “strategic reserve” duty.

Scott

Funny one Scott, That would be really cool if that was true.
I wonder if our (cough) current Government (cough cough) would have the intelligence to actually plan for such an event to have engines in “strategic reserve”

#7

I’ve always thought of “Rail-Trails” as a strategic reserve.

#8

Operation Full Steam Ahead . ( F.S.A. ) is to build and maintain a National fleet of New Steam Powered Engines that could be put into service at a moment notice in such a national disaster. This fleet would be stored at strategic locations around the country. " The STEAM ENGINE that built this country would once again save this country

#9

Come on…, You don’t watch Revolution? The nanos absorb all of the electricity and steam trains is how they get around and wage war.

#10

Without electricity it is difficult to mine the coal needed .

Similarly , without electricity it is difficult to pump oil .

Whoever the idiots were that allowed that situation to develop need a good kick up the gunga .*

Gunga–British Military Rhyming slang “Gunga Pass” . Work it out .

Mike Brit

#11

We could stockpile huge mountions of coal. Also parts to build new power stations.

#12

ALLEN LANDIS said:

We could stockpile huge mountions of coal. Also parts to build new power stations.

Which “we” would that be ? None of the present governments of the free world , that’s for sure .

Where would the coal be stockpiled and how would it get there ? How secure would it be without the accepted current security equipment ?

The only places that even start to fit the bill are those underground facilities that exist for government only .

Who they would govern is debatable .

Mike Brit

#13

Wood burners in Revolution. Fuel supply is plentiful in nature. :wink:

#14

" Aman "

#15

ALLEN LANDIS said:

" Aman "

Where’s that then ?

Mike Brit

#16

Didn’t the British stash away steam locomotives in an old mine? You mean we didn’t do the same?

I can see an EMP destroying all the electronics, well at least those that aren’t shielded to prevent damage from that. That would be almost all the electronic gizmo’s in this country. But I cant see how a pulse like that would destroy copper wire. So generating plants and the power distribution grid would loose all of its control circuitry, but the wires and generators would either still be functional or functional with minimal repair. Its just all the wiz bangs that control them would be crispy briquets. So some electricity could be generated to run a coal mine operation. Many mines and generating plants are located somewhat close to each other. Many more are not. The ones that are close could possibly produce coal to run this steam powered transportation system. But there are way too few steam locomotives in existence, and even fewer that are serviceable, to run the railroads anywhere close to what we would need.

Todd, I would love to see the steam giants roaming the rails again. And its an interesting fantasy. But I cant see how it could even work out.

#17

David, I think it was to Swedes who banked a bunch of steamers against the day when “The World as We Know It Ended.” With the demise of the USSR, they decided that the world was not going to end and that they no longer needed those banked locomotives, and probably scrapped them.

#18

Aman, means. That that, The end. Ect…

#19

David Maynard said:

Todd, I would love to see the steam giants roaming the rails again. And its an interesting fantasy. But I cant see how it could even work out.

Of course it would work out David, it wouldn’t be easy but where there is a will there is a way. We would just need to go back to the late 1800’s and get some lessons from History. I bet you and many other guys on this forum would be very helpful in getting a RR up and running using the old technology of the steamers.
We could use wood, coal, oil, they had oil wells back in the day without electricity to pump them.
I hope we never have to dust off the steamers to help save civilization but who knows. If it did happen America might be better off if we once again became a “small” nation.

#20

If there was ever a solar flare or something powerful enough to knock out all electrical power and fry everything that’s connected to the grid, what we call civilization would fall apart so quickly and so badly that no one would even be thinking about how to get trains moving again.