Roger Waller, the head of Swiss steam locomotive manufacturer DLM, recently prepared and presented a technical paper detailing DLM's work with modern steam locomotives on tourist railways in Europe to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK.

The paper details that modern oil-fired steam locomotives have achieved equal operating costs to diesel locomotives in the same service. The paper is available in PDF format at the link below, and may be freely distributed.

Additional details on the presentation are available at my webpage at:

http://www.trainweb.org/tusp/news/news.html

Good Steaming,
Hugh Odom
The Ultimate Steam Page
http://www.trainweb.org/tusp

DLM Steam Technical Paper
whodom@awod.com

We were visited by a worker from SLM who was building the modern steam locomotives on the NG in Co several years ago. He sent us a lot of information which is truly fascinating, in the hope of finding an American market for these undoubtably fine machines. Unfortunately, from our POV, the initial capitalization cost was about equal to half a dozen heavy shoppings of our old steam power, which rendered the other attractive economic and environmental gains less important. It just wasn't economically feasable at the time to invest in new power at the cost.

A lot of muddy water has gone under the bridge since. Costs to continue some marginal locomotives in operating service under the new regulations, a desire to not use up original artifacts in service pushing for replication, and the tremendous economic losses due to drought and fire may combine to make the recovery of the cost for this kind of engineering feasable today for intensive operators.

I don't have any numbers available but I couldn't blame Durango and Silverton as an example for checking it out.

Dave

Fascinating paper, especially the economic reasons that made it possible for the project to pay for itself. The question of ridership for steam vs diesel was certainly answered as well as the competitive edge over similar operations. While a museum is "preserving" (read using) the genuine article with some history behind it these folks are giving the public what it wants, a trip behind a steamer, with little or no historical content. Of course these little gems are writing their own history!


lamontdc@adelphia.net