Why Switzerland tried to fuel steam locomotives with electricity - Electric Steam Locomotives

[@TrainFactGuy]

"Ze engine woke up, it's electric heater was missing, and the engineer was never heard from again!"

[@arrivedknight7632]

HAHAHA, anyway. That's how I lost my operators license.

[@able_system6882]

I would like to add, that Diesel power never became the backbone of railtraction in Germany, Austria or Switzerland. After WW2 Important Mainlines were mostly electrified and the Branchlines became the domain of Diesel power. Also many Mainlines were and stayed electrified before WW2. just wanted to point that out. Best regards:)

[@goshomamuta]

Ah, yes... TF references are few and wide apart these days!

[@jockdouglass3824]

@@goshomamuta as a tf2 fan and an steam engine fan I love theses jokes.

[@jamesgroccia644]

Mahty fahne job there, pardner.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

A hydroelectrically fired steam locomotive is just the sort of steampunk solarpunk fusion I am 100% down for.

[@obelic71]

Think 1 step further. A nuclear reactor fired steamengine.

[@dominicporter5100]

@@obelic71 That'd be atompunk/steampunk (and, interestingly, there is something like that in the video game Fallout 4; a model of what is implied to be a nuclear-powered steam locomotive.)

[@concept5631]

@@dominicporter5100 Real shit?

[@concept5631]

Steampunk-solarpunk fusions sound alpha as fuck.

[@bow-tiedengineer4453]

@@concept5631 I know! I want my massive cogs and pistons, and I want them ecofriendly with lots of plants damn it! :P

[@jonistan9268]

Another problem was that due to the war it was more difficult to get material to build new engines. To add to that, industrial spurs usually aren't electrified, we don't have oil either, batteries aren't amazing either and with that system you can at least run some time without electricity.

[@MrJstorm4]

And if they would have used battery backups how much lead would they have in had to import to make that happen.

[@AsbestosMuffins]

@@MrJstorm4 batteries back then just couldn't work. electronics were just too primitive in the 40s

[@kojetono5853]

@@AsbestosMuffins they worked well enough for submarines, so the electronics wouldn't be a problem. But it was probably much cheaper to just elecrify the lines instead of using batteries.

[@sharanventure]

@@kojetono5853 electricity go crazy when it touches water . So if the steam touches the wires , so how did not the electricity reacted

[@ffjsb]

@@sharanventure Steam is a vapor, so there's not enough electricity or continuity through the vapor to conduct electricity. Same as why there's no electrical shorts between power lines in heavy fog.

[@x-fun3149]

Classic Switzerland, ahead of its time due to that golden era science bonus.

[@memazov6601]

Or do you mean they being neutral

[@greycatturtle7132]

Ye

[@cliffcosynerflight5253]

@@memazov6601 Carbon neutral ahead of its time.

[@PreservationEnthusiast]

Except that using the electricity to power traction motors direct would result in a loco 9 times as powerful for the same electricity input used to heat water. Just one reason they removed the experiment.

[@jensschroder8214]

Germany built large series of steam locomotives because coal was mined domestically. This was simplified more and more and the material was reduced to the necessary. In contrast, gasoline and diesel for vehicles were in short supply. Although there were already pre-war diesel and electric locomotives. The steam locomotives often stayed behind in other countries after 1945 and were used there again. Even German wartime locomotives were converted to Russian gauge and continued to serve there for a long time. Even after 1945 such locomotives were brought to Russia from East Germany, including the tracks. Reconstruction in the West Germany was already beginning.

[@woobyvr9654]

theres also a reason the heaters weren’t very widespread. most locomotives will stay warm overnight, they may even still have 5/10 psi from the previous day. on one if the locomotives i fire Ive even still felt some warmth come out of the firebox after a whole week tho this is quite rare

[@SoggyCoffeeAddict]

I mean, anyone who doesn't have a proper fire pit (like a big metal drum for instance). Could tell you that fires are quite resilient if sheltered, the first time I did a bonfire with mine. I doused it with like, 2 gallons of water. Went to sleep and when I went out the next day to dump it, it was still going towards the bottom

[@Thoroughly_Wet]

We used to heat part of the house with an old pot belly and you would only have to build a good fire a few times a week. The material held onto enough heat to keep that part of the house above 70 for a day or two after. So I wouldn't be surprised in a properly insulated round house parked with other locos that they would hold some heat.

[@kornaros96]

@@SoggyCoffeeAddict embers. They are some hot sons of biches. I and my father were clearing up an olive orchard, and I had stacked about 2t of wood. Before we left extiguished everything, and covered the ashes with soil. But in the night, all it took was a gust of wind for everything to be reduced. Luckily, the olive trees of the orchard survived untouched, but two olive trees from a neighbor orchard got burnt, which they were compensated.

[@jensschroder8214]

If an industrial plant produces large amounts of steam, there is also the possibility of fireless steam locomotives. At least for shunting and short distances. These can be recognized by the unusually large water-steam tank instead of the boiler and large steam engines. Overall, these steam locomotives are built more simply.

[@flamedude_1111]

Since it's hydro electricity doesn't that mean water Fully powered the locomotives?

[@MrHack4never]

Technically speaking, all trains run on nuclear energy from outer space, since pretty much all energy on Earth comes from the Sun in one way or another

[@Genius_at_Work]

If you count Funiculars as "Trains" (usually, they are considered Cable Cars), there are real Water Powered Trains. Some Funiculars have Water Ballast Tanks, so they can fill the Car going down enough to pull the other Car up, so they don't need any other Power Source.

[@johnbishop5316]

@@MrHack4never That's a tautology. A particularly unhelpful one. Like your birthweight, plus everything you eat, minus all the poo you do (and talk) equals your weight at death. Equally true and unhelpful.

[@nanoic2964]

Hydroelectric power uses potential energy so technically they were gravity engines.

[@johnbishop5316]

@@MrHack4never I think using the word "technically," you're trying to puff yourself up. You know, like technically you must be right. But technically, you're a bit of a prat? And you're technically wrong. Nuclear power. Technically, of course.

[@andreadavide]

You made me spill my tea "Blitz-krieging the neighbours". Brilliant!

[@pacificostudios]

That's a fascinating fact about how long a steamer can run without any energy input. It reminds me of the Fireless Steam engines that actually outlived ordinary steam engines in the U.S. They were used wherever the risk of sparks starting a blaze was high, such as a timber creosoting plant.

[@jackking5567]

An interesting idea! Unfortunately, as I explain to many people, there is something called energy transfer loss. It occurs when energy is turned from one type to another such as the burning of coal to generate electricity. it applies everywhere and even happens when electricity is used to charge a battery. (I often argue with the electric cars are wonderful brigade) I can see where the engineers were coming from with this idea and how their energy availability created their final plans.

[@1_railfan]

Until this video debuted, I envisioned how these types of steam locomotives work. And with you mentioning their system works somewhat like a kettle, I was...partly right. this was a pretty nice and "Shocking" video.

[@erical6338]

I know sometimes train stories have antagonists call them kettles. Maybe because of the boiler being kind of like a kettle?

[@darylcheshire1618]

the whistle would go off when there’s enough pressure.

[@lukechristmas3951]

I've read about these engine's before and it's natural for your channel to include a video about these unique steam locomotives! I think it's a shame most books don't cover these.

[@alicehodges9964]

I Think Locomotive Are Amazing

[@ltgengeorgewalls1268]

honestly one of the best less-than 1-mil subs channels

[@PowerTrain611]

It's funny, when I was young and still learning about the history of trains (I was probably about 4 years old), I thought this was a great idea. I thought nobody had done it before. I had no access to the internet, only a limited supply of books, mostly on American trains. When I got older and realized it had been done I had mixed feelings about it. 😂

[@danharold3087]

Know the feeling.

[@caramelldansen2204]

Still, surely it would be a good idea for heritage railways that otherwise might not be able to afford coal? Perhaps even putting high-density batteries in the bunkers? Coal is getting rarer, but electricity is everywhere!

[@PowerTrain611]

@@caramelldansen2204 That kills the heritage. I think it's safe to say most organizations would sooner put their engines on static display before making a radical modification like that that would ruin its historical integrity.

[@caramelldansen2204]

@@PowerTrain611 You wouldn't have to start ripping parts out. You could almost certainly design a "slot-in" approach that leaves everything else in place and just heats up what the coal would heat up.

[@PowerTrain611]

@@caramelldansen2204 You could, but it would almost certainly be a maintenance nightmare that would be more expensive to plan, operate and maintain than running with coal or converting to oil fire, like many operations in the US are. There are more viable options, no need to re-invent the wheel.

[@kimpatz2189]

For this to work properly, you need to redesign the boiler. A yarrow boiler with heating elements inside each pipe. More surface area, and a smaller profile. Since a typical yarrow boiler could have hundreds of pipes, you can have 3/4 of them with heating elements, the rest for downcoming the water. But a regular electric locomotive is way way more simple than these desperate contraption.

[@michaelbuckers]

Resistive electric heating is 100% efficient, with reciprocating piston steam engine being about 6% efficient, for a total of being 6% efficient. Direct drive electric motors are 91% efficient.

[@velocity790]

Just imagine, a steam loco running on third rail electric, powering an electrical heater boiler with a condenser. A flywheel to store excess energy in place of coal tender. That would've been one heck of an eco locomotive

[@jamesgroccia644]

An….ecomotive, you could say.

[@jebise1126]

something germans would do... why simple when we can make it complicated. also if you want to run old trains for tourists i believe swiss still have some of those engines around for that purpose

[@BelcarrigFarm]

@@jamesgroccia644 ba dum tss

[@genoobtlp4424]

Would be great for tunnel runs, silly engineers have the delusion that modern long tunnels will only ever see electrics outside of emergencies and thus skimp on ventilation systems, so good luck getting your heritage steam loco to run through these new sections of their old territory without suffocating everyone… running your boiler off electricity would fix that and additionally make it less of a pain to get coal chunks big enough to throw into your firebox…

[@johnbishop5316]

With dynamos running on the passenger carriage wheels generating power for the electric lighting ? Sounds brilliant.

[@uncinarynin]

Another problem might have been the supply of raw materials required to build electric locomotives, such as copper. (As a side note, some electrics of that era had aluminium wiring to save copper ... which was a rarity in war times on many sides.) Nevertheless the production of new electric locomotives did go on and the Swiss railways were at the forefront of development. One of the first universal 4-axle electric locomotives capable of hauling both freight and passenger express trains on mountainous lines was the BLS Ae 4/4 built from 1944, faster and more powerful than the similarly-sized German E44. And continuous production of the Ee 3/3 electric shunters went on. As the video mentions though, it was also thought the electric-steam shunters would be useful on partially electrified stations. In the end they proved to be overly complicated and inefficient though, and it was easier to just complete the electrification. (This is in contrast to some countries that delayed electrification, fearing it would be a strategic obstacle in times of war, allowing to shut down the whole system more easily ...)

[@steffenrosmus9177]

E 44 prototype was from 1928 so your comparison is not accurate. Better to use E 40 prototype from 1947

[@uncinarynin]

@@steffenrosmus9177 E40 came 1957 and like the E10 followed the E10.0 prototypes of 1952. Which were certainly influenced both by the E44 and the Ae4/4. It's all part of a development with mutual inspiration, but back then each country still had its own railway industry and different technological preferences.

[@allangibson2408]

Aluminium was in short supply too - because Germany was using coal fired power stations to power aluminium refineries - no coal = no aluminium or copper.

[@gregorymalchuk272]

@@allangibson2408 They were using coal fired electricity to smelt aluminum and get electrode copper. They weren't using the coal directly. Switzerland had huge hydroelectricity but no fuel, which is why they were using electrically heated steam locomotives. They were also using electrically driven heat pumps for space heating using the same river water as the heat source.

[@HoofmanJones030397]

I legitimately had the idea of Electric Steam Locomotives a year or two ago and thought, "Why has no one thought of this yet?", so I'm glad to see at least one country tried it and got some success out of it.

[@D3MOØN-Official]

A Swiss e3/3 is actually preserved in the Netherlands in the town Haaksbergen and Boekelo (wich is near the city of enschede) The locomotive is painted in a Black paint with red lining ant the number 7853

[@tanguyruchti]

This "Tigerli" locomotive was property of the "Werkbahn der Aluminium Industrie AG" in Chippis (VS). Its original number was 4 and was built in 1910.

[@brokenhaloking]

I, as a thought experiment, was thinking how I would do something like this in the modern day, for the last few months on a off. I came to the conclusion that an A4 Pacific model, with the tender split between water and a battery unit was best. You would charge and heat the boiler in the shed or station, and have solar panels mounted on the rolling stock to extend the distance the locomotive could travel between charges. Of course, charging at water stops would be necessary, as on cloudy days the solar panels wouldn't do much, and they're limited anyway. It wouldn't be able to replace electrified passenger services, but could be run for goods traffic. I don't think pantograph's would work in Britain, due to the work needed to make all lines overhead, clearing trees, rebuilding tunnels and installing the lines themselves, would be a huge undertaking not even accounting for the monetary costs. Nice to know I'm just behind the times not crazy.

[@dragonblaster-vu8wz]

I might be able to improve on that potential design. Perhaps the entire tender would be nothing but the battery supply with solar panels on top for additional charging, with the water tanks being on the main engine unit like a tank engine, likely having to be of a pannier tank design to maximize water storage

[@brokenhaloking]

Interesting

[@BelcarrigFarm]

So glad you made a video on this. I was researching about them a while ago

[@vennonetes4805]

I'm glad this video showed up in my recommendations. Perfect video to watch while eating an Ovomaltine crunchy biscuit

[@raidlover6941]

The UP Big Boy used to run on coal. The UP 4014 specifically was restored and now it runs on oil

[@EarthenDam]

I think getting coal delivered to anywhere not a power plant is expensive and difficult as it just isn’t shipped anywhere else much anymore, except make coke refineries for making steel.

[@raidlover6941]

@@EarthenDam well I wasn’t really talking about transporting it. It was more about what locomotive used it. Lol.

[@EarthenDam]

@@raidlover6941 I was just understanding why they would want to convert from coal to oil from a logistics point of view, then I just remembered also how much more work is it to use coal over oil.

[@raidlover6941]

@@EarthenDam well, in today’s world, it’s cheaper to convert them and use oil as fuel when restoring instead of restoring and using coal.

[@MeowMeowMeowMeowMeowMeowMeowww]

First Video instantly sold me. I like you´re style, pal.

[@quillmaurer6563]

Way less efficient than just using electric motors, not to mention steam locomotives are much costlier to maintain, but an interesting niche given the time and place in history. I've heard of similar electric-fired steam locomotives still in use - at a tiny scale. The smallest "live steam" models, possibly as small as HO scale, use electricity from the track same as their directly electric counterparts. Of course there efficiency and practicality doesn't matter, and it's a much more convenient way of generating steam than any sort of combustion-powered locomotive at that scale.

[@computerhead2160]

Finally HES BACK For another Info banger

[@Mason58654]

Another good video shedding light on an interesting side note of locomotives.

[@JackCarsonsRailroadVideos]

"The steam Locomotive is simple" **Shows picture of a wrecked one** lol

[@ethanbarnett1747]

I suggested this video a few weeks ago, thank you for doing this!

[@samorowell535]

0:44 Literally the rest of the world: *engaged in the most widespread and horrible war of all time* Switzerland: hmmm we need some different locomotives, this is such a problem

[@AustralianRailwayVideos]

I love how you said “Germany couldn’t import coal as they were busy Blitzkrieging their neighbours”

[@RobSchofield]

Astounding! Never heard of this idea before - which is why I watch this channel. Excellent, keep it up! How about one on British and Swiss gas and steam turbine locos?

[@datawizard8194]

Tbh this is an incredible idea to make steam engines almost fossil fuel free. Steam engines are good for their high torque numbers compared to electric and even diesel combustion and this basically gets rid of their coal needs. Would’ve been neat to see how things would’ve gone if this got picked up more for some reason

[@narrowgauge0727]

i approve of the tf2 soundtrack

[@secretslayer1234]

Is it me or do I hear Archimedes in the background….?

[@SimplyTakuma]

The problem was, Switzerland couldn't make more electric locomotives, because of the war. In order to build an electric locomotive, not only steel but also copper was needed. And that was very poor in wartime. And since many shunting locomotives at train stations still ran on steam, they came up with this idea. The material used for building electric locomotives only went to important locomotives such as Krokodil (Ce 6/8³) or Ae 4/6 and Ae 8/14.

[@b43xoit]

I wonder if they also had a shortage of telephone wires, because of the copper those required.

[@tylergreen4843]

Also, one of the engines numbered 8522 is preserved in a museum in Switzerland! Except it lost its electric heating system.

[@brenlc1412]

Now I know why Bridget asked: "Is it electric?"

[@ethribin4188]

This is one of those moments in history where new tech will be better then old tech, but is not yet. So you have tostill use old tech for many things, and its worth it to still improve upon it.

[@hrk9209]

You see, here in america and canada we just use sometimes use oil for fuel on the steam locomotives, it depends on which railroad and the state laws but it is a good way to not use coal.

[@johnd8892]

Oil even more scarce than coal in war time Switzerland like many countries.

[@Slithermotion]

Yeah... because oil in ww2 switzerland was an abundant resource...

[@harrymu148]

That must've been quite the sight: a steamer steaming along but by taking in electricity to do so.

[@weirdbookshelf49]

"Because Germany was somewhat occupied blitzkrieging their neighbours at the time, the price of importing coal had become more expensive" is my favourite quote from this video

[@TheThomasCynic]

Why did Switzerland try to fuel steam locomotives with electricity? Because they wanted to be carbon NEUTRAL, of course!

[@rudyproductions4557]

Henry is Swedish: CONFIRMED lol

[@BalticoYT]

At that point they would’ve just made regular electric engines.

[@Froggyman145]

I love how one guy said "I'll start designing a new electric engine, then" and then another, while snorting a line of coke, said "ELECTRIC STEAM ENGINE" and for some reason everyone agreed with the second guy

[@MagnetOnlyMotors]

1:13 Blitz Kreiging their neighbours. Funny. But sad.

[@Ballinalower]

Throughout the War most of the trade was of necessity with Germany, Italy or occupied France. Inside Switzerland trains were usually but not always safe from air attacks. But trains travelling to and from Switzerland in Germany or France were often attacked. This included swiss trains, some of which took long journeys into France especially. So coal, steel and other materials were not always easily available. Also it was not a German priority to send much needed supplies to a neutral nation which sometimes shot down german aircraft that strayed across the border. To get the materials they needed the neutral swiss had to make things to trade with Germany. There were occasions when American aircraft 'accidentally' bombed factories, rail yards and towns in neutral Switzerland.

[@trianglesarecool]

Is the tf2 song Archimedes playing in the background?

[@louiswright8282]

"Don't be such a baby, ribs grow back." (Whisper) "No they don't..."

[@toainsully]

This sounds like something that could've be done in Thomas the Tank Engine

[@F40NJ2CAT]

Nice vid as always Train of Thought.

[@Scrinwaipwr]

I used to to wonder about having clean green steam engines powered by electricity (generated by solar perhaps) and this story gave me some answers regarding how well it would work.

[@porothashawarma2339]

Ah yes , the Kettle train 🚂 🫖 Wonder if this could still work if instead of overhead cables they could use Solar instead.

[@Mg_95Official]

I just search for Hybrid Steam-Electric locomotives a month ago, and you uploaded a video of that topic Coincidence ?

[@caydoncargill3989]

those electric steam engines fit really well with the steampunk aesthetic

[@TheHylianBatman]

I've always been interested in the applications of Electricity in the steam engine industry. I think they could be really useful. Especially more so nowadays, that we better understand steam and electricity than we did in those days.

[@b43xoit]

In what regard do "we" understand them better?

[@TheHylianBatman]

@@b43xoit Look at all the tech using electricity then, and look at all of it now. We must have a better understanding of electricity to have come so far. I don't have any specific examples of steam, but surely our knowledge of steam usage has increased, as well.

[@Emlif]

Here in finland we even had a diesel engine changed into an electric one! The SV12 made out of a DV12

[@Genius_at_Work]

Switzerland did sort-of the same, by turning a Gas Turbine Locomotive into a multi-System Electric one, that can use the Swiss 15 kV 16 2/3 Hz System as well as the French 25 kV 50 Hz and 1.5 kV DC.

[@simonm1447]

​@@Genius_at_Workthese locos were likely diesel electric before, so you have to replace the engine with a transformer and some inverters plus a pantograph. You can still keep the rest of the drive train

[@thomasrailfan5774]

Just seeing the thumbnail basically made my universe crack.

[@JETZcorp]

Okay, hear me out. Convert the Chicago L-trains to steam-electric. It's still zero-emissions, but just think of how COOL the entire city just became! Lake Michigan is right there; you've got enough water for 12 million years. And you can eliminate those manual cattle-prod things for the gaps in the 3rd rail. It'll use more power overall, but that's what uranium is for.

[@Lucius_Chiaraviglio]

Reportedly, E 3/3 8522 has been preserved operational, although still missing its electric heater and pantograph: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric-steam_locomotive

[@prussia1557]

Hey Model Railroaders! Please make 3d printed parts to make one! I'm interested.

[@marty6779]

I was actually thinking about this Loco like two days ago and went "Wonder when Train Of Thought's gonna do a video on it"

[@lmrstudioproductions6676]

Damn That Crazy science!

[@JawTooth]

There are pics on the net of bigger electric steam locomotives

[@angustams2598]

I was waiting until someone would cover these engines in depth.

[@Genius_at_Work]

I had that ob my List of potential Video Ideas but Train of Thought bet me to it. I might have done that Video already if I wasn't so bad at Voiceovers. Mind you, I wanted to Go a bit more in depth on how they work as Fireless Locomotives on unelectrified Track, and how the Purpose of these Locomotives mostly was shunting in Freight Yards, as all Main Lines and almost all Branch Lines were already electrified by 1943. Plus some more technical Informations how the Heaters worked in Detail. So might still make this Video some Time later to include these Facts. And there are still many Locomotives preserved of the Type these Electrics were based on. Having one of these rebuilt with Electric Heaters would be amazing.

[@countluke2334]

Hey, I'm pretty sure that last pic of that 52 on the turntable is at the Bochum Dahlhausen museum in Northrhine Westphalia, Germany. It's the closest to where I live and we've been there many times with the kids. They let you ride on the footplate on special occasions.

[@verylongname8161]

sees title- this is stupid sees video- THIS IS GENIUS, for their circumstance atleast

[@fabiansawilla7911]

One of the two locomotives, 8522, is actually preserved and, converted back to coal, in service

[@HenrikofEldenbright]

Its nice that its preserved but it would have been cool if it still ran on electrcity

[@Genius_at_Work]

@@HenrikofEldenbright Yep, I'd go as far as suggesting it to be converted back to Electric.

[@casey6556]

Such a system sounds like it could be a decent way of adapting heritage units to run without needing combustion

[@casey6556]

@@Roman-po8yc I agree that ideally these artifacts would be kept in working order in the way originally intended, but I still think an electric steam locomotive would get a lot of the fun of steam (the whistle, the chugs of the steam engine, the plume of steam) at a fraction of the maintenance and expense in cases where maintaining a working-as-original engine isn’t feasible.

[@seanbowyer3484]

Had kniw idea this was done thanks for the vidioo

[@rudyproductions4557]

Henry the Green Engine is listening with extreme interest!

[@subramanidg4245]

Good idea because antique engine is most attractive😍 to people even today and forever😌😌😌😌😌😌

[@mattevans4377]

I imagine, if BR had committed to sticking with steam, that they would have trialled such technology themselves as a stop gap measure before full electrification. Cue, ambitious but rubbish!

[@Slithermotion]

I think you are missing the point... By the 1940s the swiss railway was almost 100% electrified. The only reason for these electric steam locomotives were the industrial shunting area where no overhead wire where possible. Thats the only place the rest of the network used normal electric locomotives. Today the swiss use battery electric shunting locomotives or diesel hybrid. These electric steam locomotives where never meant to go on the mainlines.

[@user-yv7mp7sn9u]

Not a bad idea. With the climate emergency, it can be reused now. I'm proud of my country 🇨🇭

[@marvwatkins7029]

Weird but innovative: that's Switzerland.

[@baileyroyle]

I'm pretty sure that music at the start isn't public domain... say goodbye to your ad revenue lol! (Also consider crediting the music, for those who don't know, it's Archimedes by the Valve Studio Orchestra, an unused song from the Team Fortress 2 promotional video Meet the Medic.)

[@ReubenAshwell]

Never knew about this until now.

[@mrwolf775]

Funfact the last Picture in this video was made in Dresden Altstadt (Germany)

[@AdamOpie]

What a brilliantly weird piece of history

[@ranksns408]

Cool thinking...... Say can a induction heater create the same effect just a thought

[@Genius_at_Work]

Modern Electric Boilers typically have two Electrodes that send Electrity directly through the Water, turning the Water itself into the Heating Element. That Way, you don't waste Energy by heating the Water only and nothing else.

[@AnubhabKundu]

solar modules and battery power can be used to pre heat the water in steam locomotives and that can get the loco steaming in no time!

[@Languslangus]

Briliant!

[@memazov6601]

Love the vids keep it up

[@theuncalledfor]

Powering steam locomotives with electricity is a good idea for historical engines, though perhaps compressed charcoal might be even better for added authenticity. There are issues with using biomass as fuel, using too much just ends up completely counteracting the benefits, so using it for actual practical purposes is a bad idea. But for a small fleet of historical steam locomotives, it might just be a good solution after all.

[@SebastianD334]

I have just one problem with this video, at 2:44, in switzerland diesel locomotives didn't take over, electric locomotives took over

[@Slithermotion]

The swiss already had an almost 100% electrified rail network. By the time this electric steam engine was built the swiss already used almost only electric locomotives. This steamengine was only used for off grid shunting. And these were replaced with diesel shunting locomotives, later diesel hybrid and now some are even battery hybrid.

[@lycanthroperailway]

I actually have this idea of a steam locomotive with electric battery inside its tender that can be recharged by either normal recharging or solar pannel recharging

[@HanhiEmo]

That heat resistor would be perfect for my central heating boiler, no more cold winters

[@evantgse]

I had an idea to convert trains to use eco friendly fuels like ethanol I thought to start with steam locos

[@JustTomYTreckless]

Can you tell about the history of the GWR crane tank?

[@carribob1992]

If anyone wants to know what a diesel/steam hybrid would look like, I direct you to Kitson Still (Which would make a good subject for one of these vids)

[@physiocrat7143]

It's a bit nutty but the pre-heaters are a good idea and use off-peak electricity. Keeping the boiler warm makes it last a lot longer. Swiss steam locomotives were very stylish and neat, like British ones. They had some nice 2-6-4 tanks similar to the LMS Fowler design which were used for transfer shunting at Basle, where there are two different systems of electrification.

[@tramlink8544]

i think youre refering to our B3/4 Locomotives, i work on one in a society :)

[@Genius_at_Work]

Railways often are paid to switch on Switch Heaters for a few Minutes, even though it isn't freezing. If there is an overproduction of Electricity, the Electricity Price turns negative. This can be caused by sudden Demand Drops where large Calorific Powerplants can't be throttled back or even shut down fast enough. A more productive Way to cannibalise such excess Electricity are Electric Boilers for District Heating, with large pressurised Water Tanks (so it can be heated beyond 100°C) as Heat Storage. These Boilers are a bit different than the Heaters discussed in this Video, as they have to respond within a few Seconds.

[@garryferrington811]

Were the Swiss engines British-built?

[@Genius_at_Work]

@@garryferrington811 Switzerland had their own Locomotive Factory called SLM (Schweizerische Lokomotiv- und Maschinenfabrik) in Winterthur, which built all of their Locomotives and also exported them around the World, as far as Vietnam. I don't know about their Steam Locomotives, but their Electric Locomotives were about the best in the World, so the Steamers probably weren't bad either. SLM was sold in the 1990ies, and Parts of it sort of still exist under the Name Stadler Rai, which builds mostly EMUs.

[@physiocrat7143]

@@garryferrington811 No., Mostly by SLM Winterthur. The firm is still in business. They will build you a fleer of steam locomotives minimum 20. They have nice looking 2-8-2 tank for standard or metre gauge.

[@farmerskeletor]

Tf2 music. Nice.

[@zer0nix]

Were these resistive heaters? A dumb thought I'm having is, would it be possible to gain greater efficiency with heat pumps and would that be more or less efficient than having a motor run the wheels directly?

[@b43xoit]

It would be less efficient.

[@MagnumLoadedTractor]

Switzerland in a train of thought video and I dominated in a race in gt sport can this day get any better?

[@8546Ken]

The problem is that any kind of steam engine requires a lot of maintenance, regadless of the fuel.

[@Im_here170]

Wow 😯

[@Merchello]

I thought I was the first one was to think of this at one point

[@jordanscherr6699]

In other words, all the right unusual circumstances. *shrugs* That's the basis for experimentation. And while going straight to electric motors would be more practical, I could see electric heaters as a great way to speed the startup-time. (Which is was, because it was actually done.)

[@TheStickCollector]

Very interesting

[@MURDOCK1500]

I wonder if they whistled like a kettle when they got up to full pressure?

[@marcusrauch4223]

That would have been the cherry on top

[@AtkataffTheAlpha]

Even though it seems impossible, I do feel like there is a way to make it work but steam couldn't last forever once diesels came

[@Kaminari_Kitsunokami]

If all it needs is heat and water and all of the other mechanical parts of course then does that mean theoretically speaking that somebody could make a thermonuclear steam-powered engine? And if so how safe and or dangerous would it be