Bio Diesel

Advertise with us
Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
A

Adam

Guest
Hello, Has anybody heard of Amtrak looking at alternative fuels for its trains? I was thinking that biodiesel would bring the price down dramaticlly for its fuel costs.
 
I think that the cost of converting the locomotives to burn this (very efficient) type of fuel, would outweigh the fuel cost saved.

But......

Then again maybe it would be a very effective way to reduce emissions and fuel costs. It would be a good idea to at least look into this.

I know for sure that........

My volkswagen New Beetle TDI ( diesel ) will be converted in the next few years, to burn biodiesel.

Jon Parker
 
Oh, just so everyone knows, bio-diesel is a mix between regular diesel fuel and cooking oil. It works in most regular diesel engines with a special conv. kit ( i think). It works fairly well, from what i know.

Jon
 
Honestly the most likely environmentally friendly things you'll see Amtrak see in the any near future is to buy Tier II Diesels to replace aging switchers (the GP15s) and the biggest was to electrify the Shore Line reducing the number of diesels and increase electric usage.
 
Bio-diesel would not be cost effective, since Amtrak does not maintain its own fuel supply, most trains get fueled at outlying points or enroute by regular home heating contractors.

A diesel set up for Bio-diesel needs to run that stuff on a continous basis or no benefits would be seen.
 
I have some experience with this issue. Capitol Limited, you don't need any

conversion for your beetle. My wife and I have been burnin' beans in our TDI for a year now. You just need a source for biodiesel, which can be a challenge, but it's slowly growing nationwide. In Colorado, I go to a fleet distributor and buy 30 gal of B100 in jerrycans. We blend it, very approximately, using about 30% bio and 70% dino diesel. That's enough bio to reduce the smoking, greatly improve the smell and give you bragging rights with your green friends!

Amtrak may be using biodiesel sooner than you think. One state, Minnesota, I believe, requires 2% bio in all diesel sold there. The engineer would never have reason to know. It works just the same, just doesn't stink when it spills on your hands and shoes. Now that's an advantage!

I wish the eastboud Zephyr had been burning bio last night. We got stuck for about 15 minutes in the Tunnel District of the Moffat Road, as the crew examined a boulder that came down near the tracks. Our Sightseer Lounge was stopped inside a tunnel, and the sulfurous stench of dino diesel was getting in. One woman traveling with us, a victim of acute chemical sensitivities, was breathing through a towel. That's as unpleasant a moment as I've ever experienced on a train.

If we'd been running B100, it would have smelled different. Some of us would have gone to the diner and asked when Amtrak started using deep-fat fryers! Soon, however, we crept past the boulder (with 4 inches of clearance) towards fresh air, and Denver.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top