Could steam bring back commuter rail in Christchurch?
Sunday, 9 July 2017
In a tidy, new West Melton workshop, a Christchurch man is building his dream – a new type of steam train he hopes will be used for commuter rail.
Mackwell Locomotive Company director Sam Mackwell has spent three years researching and developing a boiler for a sustainable new steam locomotive, to run on wood rather than the coal used in traditional steam trains.
He has prototyped the boiler and is starting to build an entire locomotive, which he aims to have ready for testing in about a year.
'Obviously there is a lot of pressure on to get this built and tested quickly because we see it as a really good option for Christchurch, which doesn't currently have a commuter rail.'
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He believes it would be suitable for a Canterbury passenger rail service because the engines would be relatively cheap to build, would be fuelled by an environmentally-sustainable source and would attract passengers because of its nostalgia value.
'I see this as being a unique, sustainable and exciting option for commuter rail in Christchurch.'
He said it would need limited extra infrastructure to get off the ground. The locomotives would need water and wood stations at certain points. Mackwell is confident his design has several times the range of a conventional steam engine.
Mackwell is qualified to drive and work on steam locomotives. His interest in inventing things started at a young age. In high school, Mackwell was part of a team that created an award-winning emergency power generator. He presented the invention to then-Prime Minister John Key.
The locomotive design has been under way for about three years, but he first started developing the project about six years ago, after getting funding from the Inspire Foundation towards a 'sustainable, multi-purpose engine'.
His design will run on wood in part because it is a sustainable fuel that could be sourced locally. It would be able to use wood waste as a fuel source.
Mackwell claimed his new boiler design would eliminate pollution and reduce maintenance costs, and would be ready to operate in about 10 minutes. Conventional steam engines can take several hours to build enough pressure to run.
He would not go into specific detail about how his boiler differed from conventional boilers, to protect his design, but said it would achieve 'almost complete combustion' and was miles ahead of a conventional steam locomotive.
'So we don't have smoke, we don't have soot, we don't have any of that dirt, so we've got a system that is substantially cleaner than a diesel engine.'
Mackwell has modified an older steam locomotive to use some of his new technology, including a new exhaust which enhances the airflow through the boiler and improves combustion.
The exhaust will play a 'critical part' in the new locomotive he is working on, he said.
He sees the boiler as having other applications outside of the railway.
HOW STEAM LOCOMOTIVES WORK
A fire heats a tank full of water. This creates steam, which is piped into a cylinder where pressure builds up.
The pressure forces a piston out, which drives the wheels of the train forward via a complicated joint.
The forward momentum of the train's wheels pushes the piston back in to place, so pressure can start building again.