What could replace the diesel for freight locomotives?
The cost of diesel goingup is actually good for railroads. Due to their efficiency they move much more freight per gallon of fuel than a truck. As fuel goes up, the railroads are better able to compete and like any business, it is just one more expense and they have to pass it on to their consumers. There is vegetable oil substitutes for diesel fuel but I dont think we have anywhere near the capacity to produce the amount of vegetable oil necessary to replace petroleum based fuel. Turning our food sources into fuel does not seem to be a wise choice, look at the increase in global food prices as we race toward burning more and more corn in our gas tanks. I dont see going back to steam as being an environmentally acceptable substiture, perhpas onboard steam turbine generators but I dont see it happeing. What we are using now is better. Straight electric locomotives work better than diesel once the overhead system is installed, it is expensive but can be done. The country would need more
