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Old 11-15-2020, 08:37 AM
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nasadowsk nasadowsk is offline
Damn does run fast…
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Catawissa, PA
Posts: 948
The French had some gas turbine trains (the TGV was supposed to be gas turbine at first).
They then came to their senses and solved the issue of high speed current collection.

The US government was fixated on gas turbine passenger trains from the 60's onward, until the late 90's. None were remotely successful (The various RTL versions built by the French were the closest, but they weren't that great either). None could match the power or fuel economy of a conventional US diesel.

And given how US passenger trains are the bottom bar for both, in the entire world (US passenger diesels have laughably low power outputs ), that's saying a lot. But US rail, especially passenger is the Special Olympics of railroading...
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