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A New Railroad Book Coming Down the Tracks from Simmons-Boardman
This beautifully illustrated, information-packed book, written by an energy expert, allows you to look under the hood of the most modern diesel-electric locomotives through an energy and environmental lens. Here you can learn about:
- How every energy-related component of a contemporary diesel-electric locomotive works, including the diesel engine, alternator, rectifiers, inverters, traction motors, braking systems, auxiliaries, head-end power systems, and aerodynamics.
- Locomotive fuel economy technologies and the energy efficiency performance measures kept confidential by the railroad industry
- Locomotive Tier 4 emissions regulations, compliance technologies, and their impact on fuel economy
- Meeting railroad environmental challenges with alternative fuels and locomotive motive power options
About the Author
Walter Simpson, an energy professional who led a nationally recognized campus energy conservation program credited with over $100 million in savings, has had a lifelong interest in railroads. With the assistance of many locomotive and other technical experts, he has applied his energy expertise to diesel-electric locomotives – producing this ground-breaking, comprehensive volume.
“I hope my readers find that viewing diesel-electric locomotives through an “energy and environment” lens is technically interesting and personally satisfying. But more than that, I hope we have a shared concern for the future, and a desire to explore ways that locomotives and the railroad industry that operates them can become more environmentally sustainable.”
- Walter Simpson, Author
Sample two-page spread from Diesel-Electric Locomotives
Praise for Diesel-Electric Locomotives:
How They Work, Use Energy, and Can Become More Efficient and Environmentally Sustainable
“Here at last is a publication that addresses the technical side of diesel electric locomotives yet one that explains the many details of these marvelous electro mechanical machines in language a lay person can understand. And all this written from the unique perspective of energy conservation, one of the true hallmarks of North American railroading.”
- Don Graab, Retired Vice President-Mechanical, Norfolk Southern
“Walter Simpson’s Diesel-Electric Locomotives should prove interesting and educational to a wide audience—from rail buffs wanting to know more about the inner workings of their passion to anyone working on transportation policy. Professional railroaders would also learn something from this well-researched nuts-and-bolts book.”
– Dave Cook, Rail Propulsion Systems
“I look forward to using Walter Simpson’s new book, Diesel-Electric Locomotives, as a text for our Railroad Mechanical Practicum course. The book is a good fit because, like Walter, many engineering students today are not only interested in how diesel-electric locomotives work but also are extremely passionate about energy and energy conservation.”
- Bryan Schlake, Instructor, Rail Transportation Engineering, Penn State – Altoona
“Walter Simpson has written a well-researched, beautifully illustrated book on diesel-electric locomotives that removes the veil on the secret world of locomotive fuel economy and lays out strategies for further reducing fuel use in these already efficient machines.”
- Ashok Gupta, Senior Energy Economist, Natural Resources Defense Council
With transportation now accounting the largest share of U.S. carbon dioxide emissions, decarbonizing transportation is essential to stabilizing the climate, and this means the whole transportation sector, not just the cars we drive, but also the trucks, trains and ships that move our goods. Walter Simpson’s book offers an in depth look at the performance and possibilities for railroad locomotives and examines clean energy options from electricity to biofuels to hydrogen that will appeal to train lovers and energy nerds alike.
- Jeremy I. Martin, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Clean Vehicles, Union of Concerned Scientists
$45 plus $10.78 for shipping and handling for single copies
CLICK HERE TO ORDER