15 July 2009

Hydrogen Rail Reality

A Statesville, NC paper reports on a paradigm shift. It will be interesting to see if hydro technology will really proceed like this scientist believes it will:

.... the biggest railroad in the USA, (just) presented to the world the first full-scale hydrail locomotive.

... the total supplanting of petroleum rail power by hydrogen is a matter of two or three decades at most ....

... rail and maritime applications were by far the easiest ways to move people and goods using energy delivered via hydrogen. ...named the new technology "hydrail."

...In 2008, because of our hydrail initiative, Proterra LLC wrote to the Town of Mooresville, Iredell County and the State proposing to build hydrail streetcars here, employing 200 to 500 people.

This summer, UNC and Mooresville focused the Fifth International Hydrail Conference on replacing overhead wire systems with wireless fuel cell streetcars (hydrolleys) as the new standard for urban rail, saving $5–to–6 million per mile of track construction. Charlotte is now studying that technology as one option for their proposed Beatties Ford to Eastland streetcar.

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