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Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

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Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#21

Post by happyopossum »

mikewarot wrote: post #9
legitster wrote: post #4

> Locomotive engine must be disabled per a state grant funding agreement. What a dumb requirement. It's like the cash-for-clunkers program requiring the engines to be destroyed. The service life of a locomotive is effectively infinite - even after their useful freight days are done, they usually get refitted and sent to the developing world, or converted into a fixed power generator.

>What a dumb requirement. It's like the cash-for-clunkers program requiring the engines to be destroyed. The whole point of the "cash-for-clunkers" program was to remove as many older, more polluting, and unsafe, cars from the market as possible, to force an upgrade of the fleet, and simultaneously provide incentives to buy new cars. It wasn't dumb in the larger scheme, but yes... on the individual level, it made it…

> It wasn't dumb in the larger scheme,

It was an insanely regressive cash redistribution program that punished poor people for many years after it was over. You can call that 'not dumb' but I won't.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#23

Post by elihu »

If disabling the engine weren't a requirement, my first thought would be to donate it to a local non-profit that, for some reason, owns a large WWII era tug boat. Its original steam engine was removed, so it's without propulsion. A locomotive engine might be just the thing for it, though I imagine the engineering challenges might be complex.

The power train from a diesel-electric locomotive would probably be ideal, since you could just park it in the boiler room and run power cables to electric thrusters. Or something like that.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#24

Post by 0cf8612b2e1e »

brudgers wrote: post #7

Sell it for scrap and use the money to travel. 130 tons is a hefty millstone indeed.

If I am reading these numbers correctly, one recycling page is claiming that car scrap is worth $100-$200/ton. So I am not sure you are coming out ahead, even if train scrap commands a premium vs cars.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#26

Post by AnotherGoodName »

toast0 wrote: post #8

A locomotive doesn't make a good cafe. You'd want a car with big windows at least. A Caltrain passenger car might work, but even then, kind of iffy. A locomotive might be nice in a museum or as an art piece at a playground, or for scrap value.

It’s far too young for a museum piece. Amtrak still runs emd sw1’s built in 1942 ffs. And there’s plenty of small time railways using even older locos for shunting.

This is a 1970’s model diesel ffs. That’s basically brand new in this industry.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#27

Post by diggan »

toast0 wrote: post #8

A locomotive doesn't make a good cafe. You'd want a car with big windows at least. A Caltrain passenger car might work, but even then, kind of iffy. A locomotive might be nice in a museum or as an art piece at a playground, or for scrap value.

> A locomotive doesn't make a good cafe. You'd want a car with big windows at least.

I guess it depends on what kind of vibe you're going for. Plenty of cafes that are tiny, cramped with no windows, but still manages to be cozy and interesting.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#29

Post by ortusdux »

toast0 wrote: post #8

A locomotive doesn't make a good cafe. You'd want a car with big windows at least. A Caltrain passenger car might work, but even then, kind of iffy. A locomotive might be nice in a museum or as an art piece at a playground, or for scrap value.

Agreed. There is a B&B in my hometown that consists of converted passenger cars. Breakfast is even served in a diner car. There are locomotives in the area, but they are in parks for their historic value.

Re: Ask HN: What would you do with a 130 ton locomotive?

#30

Post by ianbicking »

At 130 tons it seems like the only reasonable way to actually take possession is to transport it by rail (not self-powered, but presumably it's still mobile). But even then... it's still on a rail. Move it to a defunct spur where it can probably be dragged the last leg even if the rail is in poor shape?

People mention old trains being used in a foreign country after leaving service in the US, but even then I assume it goes by rail to some port with excellent equipment for moving heavy things, then on a boat to a similar port, and then directly onto rail again. Besides this do trains get moved other than by rail?

Well... looking it up, I guess 40 tons is the normal max load for a truck without special permits, 10 tons per axle. While you need permits above that, my impression is that the per-axle limit is the real limit of a road, so as long as you can distribute the weight over enough axles...

I found this fairly helpful page: https://www.atsinc.com/blog/heavy-haul-trucking-cost-informa...

It gives about about $1/axle/mile (plus a bunch of fees) BUT only up to 50 tons and for loads under 13 feet in height and 50 feet in length. This is 130 tons, and probably around 16 feet tall and 70 feet long.

Anyway, seems super hard to actually make use of the vehicle, other than in a train museum. Or do a lot of disassembly before moving it off the rail.

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