Talk:Prime mover (locomotive)

Note that "prime mover" more generally means the engine or turbine that drives a generator, as in the Diesel-electric locomotive application but also more generally. It seems to me that this definition should be expanded to this broader category, rather than restricting this definition of "prime mover" to locomotives. Otherwise, yet another entry would be necessary to properly define "prime mover". Theophilus Reed (talk) 21:19, 29 May 2008 (UTC)
 * I have added a disambig link. Biscuittin (talk) 10:20, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Fuel cell
Does a fuel cell count as a prime mover? Biscuittin (talk) 10:22, 26 February 2009 (UTC)


 * No. Supplies electrical power, but not mechanical. In a fuel cell powered locomotive with a hydraulic transmission, the fuel cell would be a "power source" (you're into neologisms here, they're too obscure), the electric motor it drove would be the "prime mover" and the hydraulic pump / hydraulic motors in the bogies would count as "transmission". Andy Dingley (talk) 01:26, 7 October 2009 (UTC)
 * According to the article, "A wired-electric or battery-electric locomotive has no on-board prime mover, instead relying on an external power station". It would seem that a locomotive using a fuel cell to generate electricity which then drives an electric motor is no different other than the battery gets recharged with electric current whereas the fuel cell gets recharged with chemicals. 165.225.38.203 (talk) 18:21, 16 August 2019 (UTC)