Locomotive Ran on Compressed Air at 125 MPH- Or Did It?

Click image to enlarge. Credit Modern Mechanix

Mike once askedIs There a Future for Compressed Air Cars? Now, in this era of the rebirth of our railways, we might ask, "Is there a future for compressed air locomotives?"

Alas, the answer is probably no.
click to enlarge. credit Modern Mechanix

Mike noted that compressed air is not very efficient, and that it takes a lot of energy:
Even under highly optimistic assumptions the compressed-air car is significantly less efficient than a battery electric vehicle and produces more greenhouse gas emissions than a conventional gas-powered car with a coal intensive power mix.

Then a reader at Modern Mechanix pointed to another article on the same locomotive, where it explains how the compressed air drives one set of wheels, while a generator runs off another set of wheels, running a compressor, to fill the compressed air tank- a classic perpetual motion machine.

So we won't be seeing these on the rails any time soon.

More on Compressed air transport:
What About Compressed Air Cars?
The Compressed Air Car is Here
Is There a Future for Compressed Air Cars?

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