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Old 10-12-2010, 05:52 PM   #48 (permalink)
rgathright
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Join Date: Aug 2008
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Quote:
Originally Posted by UFO View Post
No, it doesn't. A "diesel electric train locomotive" has ONE power source. Diesel. It cannot generate electricity without it, there is no storage mechanism. The electric motor is a robust torque converter, that is all it does.

The Volt can be plugged in for a second source of power. A Prius can be modified to accept a plug-in. A locomotive CANNOT.
The complaint is that since the Volt is not a series car. The overcomplicated drive system seems like it will be prone to failures. We all know that EV motors last longer than gasoline engines. Just wish they had given us the option to still drive our EV's long after the gas ran out.

If you want to read more about Electric locomotives, check out this excellent book on the subject: Brian Solomon - Electric Locomotives
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