Re: [DL] Passenger Train Economics

[UriahGutsball@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/26/01 6:10:49 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
munchwolf@yahoo.com writes:

> Personally, I think considering what it has to carry 2
>  lbs is too little, and maybe up it to 3 or 4 lbs per
>  100 miles.  How does that work with the new math?

The problem with that, though, is that it's not at all feasible, even for 
ghost rock, for someone to put just 2 or 4 pounds of rock in a big train 
boiler and then make 60 miles an hour off it. $pounds of burning rock would 
have an incredible time bringing a whole boiler(several thousand gallons of 
probably cold water) up to steam. I maintain that you would need at least 30 
pounds of ghost rock in a boiler starting out to get the boiler up to speed. 
You would lose some efficiency in having to bring the water to temperature, 
but still, you'd wind up with your 50 miles per pound, or 100 miles, or 
whatever you're saying you get to the pound for ghost rock. 

Uriah, the crazy indian