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First Hybrid Train Unveiled in Kansas

by Terrence O'Brien on July 1, 2009 at 06:59 AM


Fuel cells are supposed to be the future of power, but they've got a long way to go before they're mainstream. Companies have been tossing them in cars (so many cars), planes, cell phones, even MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices). So where is this supposedly game-changing technology showing up next? Well, if you're a locomotive-loving Kansas town with a healthy Department of Defense investment, the answer is obvious: trains.

BNSF Railway Co. and Vehicle Projects Inc. unveiled the world's first hydrogen fuel cell-powered locomotive in Topeka on Monday. The prototype ferried Kansan Senator Sam Brownback up and down the tracks in the BNSF rail yard in its maiden voyage before being shipped out to Colorado for further testing, and eventually will land in California for a feasibility study.

The Department of Defense is interested in the new locomotive technology not just because it hauls huge loads (without releasing greenhouse gases) but also for its ability to act as a backup generator to provide power for disaster relief efforts.

While it's exciting to see fuel cells creeping forward, it's sure to be years before they arrive in any practical capacity. [From: CJOnline.com, Via: Kansas City Star]

Tags: fuel cell, FuelCell, hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cell, HydrogenFuelCell, locomotive, train, trains

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