On Sun, Aug 03, 2003 at 08:05:01AM +0200, Matthias Urlichs wrote: > Hi, Joel Baker wrote: > > > Diesel locomotives are a giant diesel generator hooked up to electric > > traction motors, running through the switchbox at something like 600v > > (I haven't read the specs in a while, this might be off - but it's high > > enough to warrant being really careful around). Don't even ask about the > > amperage. Sapping off a little power to run a few household outlets is, by > > comparison, peanuts. Or, really, peanut crumbs. > > ... assuming that the circuitry used to sap off 220Vac from that is up to > the task. > > A few years ago in Germany there was a huge stink raised by the > environmentalists (rightly so, IMHO) because the mid-range trains running > on nonelectrified trains sometimes ran with two Diesel locomotives so that > the coffee machines in the train bistro could get enough juice. :-/ Mmm. True enough; older locomotives were generally expected to run basic environmental (heat, A/C, lighting) and if it hasn't been refitted, that might be an issue. Which is silly, really, but nobody really envisioned personal use of appliances throughout, at least when the earlier units were being built (and yes, stuff from the 50s is still in active service today). I suppose one could always ask the rail company if they could arrange a locomotive with a new enough setup that it was intended to be used with such, but I'd have no idea how to do that for a European railway (now, if you want to ask BNSF or Union Pacific, I might be able to find out... :) -- Joel Baker <fenton@debian.org>
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