The future of Heritage lines?

[Walkingthedog]

I guess they could fit a sound decoder.

[IanS]

Anything/Everything is possible (well maybe not) but is it desirable. Travelling on the NYMR getting the smoke in the carriage is part of the 'fun' of a heritage railway. Standing on a bridge as the smoke and steam come from a loco underneath is part of the experience. I'm sure I wouldn't choose to go to the NYMR or any other to travel in a battery 'fired' steam engine!

[Walkingthedog]

They already have problems getting suitable coal. I’m afraid things will go the same way as heritage aircraft.

[cadman]

Well you just can't get the nutty slack these days.....

[Walkingthedog]

So they tell me Howard.

[sandy]

I'm trying to be sencible. It's not easy. What about an electric heating eliment in the boiler and a huge battery in the tender. Sound decoder as well if you like. Would cost a few bob but no coal to buy.

[Walkingthedog]

Would take a lot more than a heating element to raise enough steam to move a loco I’m afraid. There isn’t enough room in the tender for a huge battery.

[sandy]

Would take a lot more than a heating element to raise enough steam to move a loco I’m afraid. There isn’t enough room in the tender for a huge battery.

You would probably have said the same about your smart phone 20 years ago. There is plenty of room inside the tender and you could have battery wagon or coach. The reason that a heating eliment would not do it is because nobody has developed one as there was no reason to.
Think about a electric steam cleaner and multiply it by the ammount nessary for a locomotive. Say 180 psi. Then develope it. Thats how progress works. No such word as can't

[Walkingthedog]

Fair enough. Don’t forget tenders hold a lot of water not just coal. It would need a big battery to keep a steam loco going for several hours. Can’t see it happening I'm afraid, would be nice though, need an Elon Musk type steam loco fan.

[sandy]

Hello WTD. Sorry did not reply quicker but every time I trier writing reply I kept loosing my internet connection. Sky reconnected us and hope it is OK now. They were only ideas of mine, as I said may be mad ones. I thought of something else. Some old loco were fireless. I wondered if it would be possible to charge the boilers with compressed air while running a compressor to keep it topped up. Now Im going realy mad. If you are getting fed up with me just say so.