C&O Diesel Locomotives:
C&O was reluctant to dieselize because its management felt that since the principal commodity it hauled was coal, it should retain coal-fired motive power. For that reason, there was no early experimentation with diesel-electric motive power as on many other railroads. However, seeing the obvious economics of diesels, management tried to find a middle ground solution. 
The result was the huge M-1 class Steam-Turbine-Electrics of 1947-48. They incorporated the efficiency of electric drive, but instead of a diesel prime mover, standard steam locomotive power and steam turbine supplied the power for the electric generator. The M-1 class steam turbines were used briefly, but the maintenance required for its standard steam generating plant could not match the lower maintenance costs of the new diesels. More money and time was spent on research of a coal-gas turbine, without success.
The result was the huge M-1 class Steam-Turbine-Electrics of 1947-48. They incorporated the efficiency of electric drive, but instead of a diesel prime mover, standard steam locomotive power and steam turbine supplied the power for the electric generator. The M-1 class steam turbines were used briefly, but the maintenance required for its standard steam generating plant could not match the lower maintenance costs of the new diesels. More money and time was spent on research of a coal-gas turbine, without success.
No comments:
Post a Comment