JAPAN | Railways

[xote]

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

Diesel electric locomotives are a long established category.

I dont know if those in use do use breaking energy though. Perhaps this is why its called "hybrid" in the article.

Perhaps someone who knows more about it can write if thats really a new application at diesel-electric trains or not.

diesel electric locomotives are ones that have the capacity to use diesel and electric power. In order to use the electric type, it needs overhead wires.

this is not the case in this thread. it is able to run on electricity that it generates itself. hence why this is news worthy.

[invincible]

No, there is a bit of ambiguity in the terms. Most diesel locomotives are diesel-electric locomotives, where the locomotive contains a large diesel generator which supplies electricity to the motors. Many also have connections to supply electricity to passenger carriages.

The other common type of transmission used (according to Wikipedia) is diesel-hydraulic.

[elfreako]

can someone translate this discussion into English please?

[freeluas]

Not a Hybrid as such but Professor Drumm (Trinity College, Dublin) developed battery powered Railcars for irish Railways as long ago as the 1930's it was run mainly from Dublin to Bray, a relatively short distance about 20 km. They ran for about 20 years. They were however rather expensive to to run compared to the then coal Locomotives and when the time came to replace the batteries it was decided not to continue using them.

[diasdechandal]

FEVE is the narrow gauge public operator in Spain. Years ago they bought and developed a hybird loco for carry passangers and goods in the North of the country.

See more pics here:

http://www.railfaneurope.net/pix/es/.../1900/pix.html

[diasdechandal]

Can you see hollows for hide the pantographs over the loco's ceiling??

Running on diesel in this pic

[elfabyanos]

I don't know if I could name a diesel train that wasn't diesel-electric. i.e. diesel genrator powering electric motors. Why would a train building company design a mechanical drive system?

[diasdechandal]

Your are right, diesel-electric would be right term.

I suppose FEVE developed these locos to take advantage of its network. Electrified lines of FEVE are only around the big cities. Rest of lines, rural and coastal ones, are exclusively non-electrified.

[Slartibartfas]

Originally Posted by elfabyanos

I don't know if I could name a diesel train that wasn't diesel-electric. i.e. diesel genrator powering electric motors. Why would a train building company design a mechanical drive system?

The Austrian railways have a rather new train that is diesel hydraulic. Its used for switching purposes.



I heard that those hydraulic trains have a superior efficiency in comparision to diesel-electric ones. The downside is higher maintenance costs.


After reading a bit about it, I see that diesel-electric trains normally dont inlucde break energy recoverage.

So the news is indeed worth to be mentioned. I can not verify though, in how far the claim that this mentioned train is the first that is able to drive on recovered brake energy.

[Minato ku]

I saw this train in Mito station.

[invincible]

Originally Posted by elfabyanos

I don't know if I could name a diesel train that wasn't diesel-electric. i.e. diesel genrator powering electric motors. Why would a train building company design a mechanical drive system?

Victoria's VLocity 160 trains use a diesel-hydraulic transmission provided by Voith.


Image from Wikipedia, taken by wongm.

I can't find any information on the previous model of DMU railcar, because it's called the Sprinter which happens to also be name of a type of DMU in the UK. Older locomotive hauled trains are all diesel-electric though.

[elfabyanos]

Originally Posted by Slartibartfas

After reading a bit about it, I see that diesel-electric trains normally dont inlucde break energy recoverage.

So the news is indeed worth to be mentioned. I can not verify though, in how far the claim that this mentioned train is the first that is able to drive on recovered brake energy.

UK Voyager trains are diesel-elctric and utilise rheostatic braking.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_Voyager

Whilst the Japanese train is no doubt a good product, there doesn't seem to be anything ground-breaking about it. Rheostatic braking has been around for decades, nearly all new electric trains in the uk have it, and many diesel-electrics.
The difference being that it is designed to run without the diesel powerplant for periods of time. The fact remains that all the pwer must come from the diesel power plant or rheostatic braking - same as a lot of other trains. Ultimate benefit to the environment is zero.

[kegan]

The difference is the Japanese train uses regenerative braking which stores the braking energy in batteries for reuse.

Rheostatic braking dissapates the energy as heat in resistors (a rheostat is a variable resistor). Also known as dynamic braking.

For a comparison of regenerative and rheostatic braking this Wikipedia article might be helpful.

I think the train reduces emissions by running the diesel engine at constant speed to charge the batteries and switching off when not required. Diesel engines produce a lot of soot when changing speed (speeding up or slowing down).

Similar techonogy is being tested in the UK with an HST power car converted to hybrid power as a test bed. It's used on Network Rail's track measurement train.

Hope this helps.

[elfabyanos]

Thanks for the article - I did not know the distinction.

[Yappofloyd]

No guide dogs allowed on the train I assume and I guess the station master sleeps all day!

[Il_Milanese]

Definitely lovely!
What do they use it for?

[forrestcat]

one word that came to me head when I saw this..loony

[japanese001]

[japanese001]

[patroeski]

In Japen they are totally crazy nice trains nevertheless.