Talk:GE steam turbine locomotives

This needs expansion I think
"boasted regenerative dynamic brakes"

, I think we need to clearly define the term "regenerative" in this statement. It can have several closely related meanings, and it's not clear from the context which it means. I supposed at first we could eliminate the storage-for-future-use version, but then realized that maybe you could store it somehow...

I'm also curious about the thermal efficiency. The article says it was twice that of contemporary stream engines, which I suspect was a statement in one of your sources. But I would like to know how it compared to other traction systems, like the diesel-electrics. This is because GE seems to suggest they believed it would replace the diesel-electric, which suggests it must have had some practical advantage, but nothing in the article says what that might be. Is it the thermal efficiency?

Long overdue article BTW, I'll be handling the DYK.

Maury Markowitz (talk) 13:30, 23 May 2015 (UTC)


 * Thanks, Maury. Both the reference to regenerative dynamic brakes and the one to thermal efficiency are in the Brian Solomon book GE and EMD Locomotives (see here for the link to the Google Books preview, which should contain all of the pertinent pages). However, I've maxed out my Google Books pageviews for this book simply researching and writing this article the last couple of days, so I am (at least currently) receiving a "You have...reached your viewing limit for this book" error message while trying to go back and find the exact text supporting the references to regenerative dynamic brakes and thermal efficiency. I know that both are in there, but for the moment at least I don't have access to either. I'm sorry for the inconvenience. Michael Barera (talk) 01:10, 24 May 2015 (UTC)


 * OK, Maury, I have access to the book now. The context is as follows...


 * 1. Thermal efficiency: "In the February 1939 issue of General Electric Review, the turbine was touted as having twice the thermal efficiency of a conventional steam locomotive and capable of operating at 125 miles per hour." (p. 60, end of first paragraph)


 * 2. Regenerative dynamic brakes: "The locomotives were equipped with dynamic braking, which used traction motors as generators. Today, dynamic brakes are standard on most diesel electric locomotives, but at the time of the steam turbine, the concept was unusual. Unlike modern diesel locomotives, which expend all of the energy generated by dynamic braking, steam turbine locomotives directed water through resistor grids that allowed the locomotive to recoup some of the energy generated during periods of heavy braking." (p. 61, end of second paragraph)


 * I hope that this is what you need. Michael Barera (talk) 01:19, 24 May 2015 (UTC)


 * 2 is precisely what I was looking for - they really are regenerative and not just dynamic, that is very interesting! As to 1 it is as I suspected, but I'd still like to put some numbers to this. We may be able to solve this simply by finding the number for a conventional loco. Maury Markowitz (talk) 13:07, 24 May 2015 (UTC)
 * AIUI, the reason for these brakes wasn't to do with efficiency, but with a need for increased braking capacity. US railways at this time were working heavier and heavier trains, and without fitted brakes throughout the train. It was becoming difficult to stop the trains, as loco brakes were being over-worked.
 * The actual fix for this in practice turned out to be using more, less powerful, diesel locos. As these had more braked axles, they could apply more braking force from the same brake technology. A gradual switch to greater use of fitted freight removed the problem altogether. Andy Dingley (talk) 15:41, 24 May 2015 (UTC)

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Speed
125 miles per hour would be world record for steam turbine locomotives and almost reach the LNER A4 Mallard's record of 1938 (126 miles/h). But how fast were they really in tests (and on which line)? Is there any information on this? --Tobias b köhler (talk) 14:04, 7 June 2020 (UTC)


 * Good question, Tobias. I did not find anything in my original research for this article on their actual top speed. However, just this year the Walter Simpson book Turbine Power has been published, and I'm hoping that this might be the book that can take this article to FA status. I'm hoping that the actual/tested top speed of these locomotives is one of the details that can be gleaned from that book, which appears like it is the closest thing to a definitive history of these engines (and other turbine railroad engines) that has ever been written. Michael Barera (talk) 16:44, 7 June 2020 (UTC)