Re: [DL] Passenger Train Economics

[UriahGutsball@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/26/01 2:42:46 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
munchwolf@yahoo.com writes:

> But 2 lbs of ghost rock all by itself is sufficient to
>  move a steam wagon or the river boat 100 miles ?

Steam Wagons and River boats are different than trains. Steam Wagons have 
much smaller boilers. Much smaller, probably not more than 80 or so gallons, 
which is much easier to bring up to steam. Steam wagons can also use Fuel 
Cores, which burn hotter than raw, unprocessed rock- and are more expensive. 
I suppose that when you mention 2lbs=100 miles, you mean the "Fuel" rating in 
smith and robards, and I would agree.

For River boats, I'd like to know what kind of river boats. For the small 
crafts listed in Smith&Robards, like the Maze Runner and Submersible boat, 
yes, I'd say that it would be an accurate fuel number- mostly because they 
use the same size ghost rock boiler as the steam wagon, and require similar 
power outputs. For larger paddle wheel pleasure boats, like the Delta Queen 
in Hell or High Water(a HoE adventure), I don't think that they'd use a ghost 
rock boiler, for two reasons. 
A.) Fuel/Ghost rock, a special ghost steel boiler(because none of the listed 
S&R sizes fit a paddle boat's needs) , a lot of ghost steel pipe and fitting, 
would be a waste of money for a paddle boat. It would cost so much more than 
simpler, cheaper coal, that I can't see anyone except the eccentric 
millionaires shoveling that amount of money into a paddle boat. B.) A river 
boat only needs steam half the time- when it's actually going upstream. When 
going downstream, you can glide all day and all night at the pace of the 
river without boiling anything, as long as you maintain rudder control.

As per larger vessels, like armorder monitor-type Navy river boats, that use 
ghost rock boilers at all times, I'd reckon that they'd be comparable to 
locomotive boilers in that they require similar thrust and have similar 
boilers.

Uriah, the crazy indian