>>1241971>CCGT is somewhat plant intensive though.It is a bit more compicated than conventional diesel-electric trains, but not to a unmanageable extent.
>Really, what is the end goal? Maximum cost efficiency, and minimal pollution.
>1. A locomotive with sexy steam piston driveDirect drive via piston can be a option, but one would have to calculate if that had actual benefits over powering a electric generator and motor.
>2. high performance coal powered locomotiveSolid fuels are hard to get working in a turbine, they and their ash are abrasive on the blades plus combustion is often slower than natural gas.
Another interesting idea would be a biofueled steam loco, as we have excess biomass practicly for free and there would be no CO2 added to the circulation.
Alternatively to waste-biomass, we could use alga cultivated in transparent, waterfilled panels or lakes.
This biomass could be burned via gasification and fuel a gas-turbine with its gas and a steam turbine with the waste heat of the gasification process and gas turbine exaust.
Of course either of these option require rather large locos, but that is not much of an issue since they are tiny compared to the rest of the freight train anyway.
