Article: Solar-powered trams mooted for Townsville

[ozbob]

Townsville Bulletin --> Solar-powered trams mooted for Townsville

CANE trains could be converted into solar trams as a new form of public transport for Townsville under a radical proposal being investigated by a local sustainability expert.

James Cook University sustainable planning researcher Dr Douglas Goudie said he would be setting up a working group next year to investigate whether retro-fitting cane trains with solar panels to turn them into affordable public transport would be possible.

"It's a grand idea at the moment that gets a lot of people excited but that's where everything has to start," he said. "The next step is to get together with some engineers, who have already expressed an interest in being involved, and work out whether it's actually feasible to do it."

Dr Goudie said he believed it might be possible to install solar panels on the trains.

"Obviously it is going to be quite an engineering challenge to get these converted cane trains to run on solar power," he said.

"There will need to be a lot of investigation about how the panels should be set up and what sort of batteries need to be used. I think there will also need to be some sort of bigger solar installation put up at each stop, which could work something like a charging station ...

More --> here!

[verbatim9]

Bombardier already has something along those lines why pay to develop something when something is already avaibable. Bombardier uses a combination of charging beneath the road surface as well as solar panels and kenetic energy from the draft shaft and breaking.

[BrizCommuter]

Townsville Bulletin --> Solar-powered trams mooted for Townsville

CANE trains could be converted into solar trams as a new form of public transport for Townsville under a radical proposal being investigated by a local sustainability expert.

James Cook University sustainable planning researcher Dr Douglas Goudie said he would be setting up a working group next year to investigate whether retro-fitting cane trains with solar panels to turn them into affordable public transport would be possible.

"It's a grand idea at the moment that gets a lot of people excited but that's where everything has to start," he said. "The next step is to get together with some engineers, who have already expressed an interest in being involved, and work out whether it's actually feasible to do it."

Dr Goudie said he believed it might be possible to install solar panels on the trains.

"Obviously it is going to be quite an engineering challenge to get these converted cane trains to run on solar power," he said.

"There will need to be a lot of investigation about how the panels should be set up and what sort of batteries need to be used. I think there will also need to be some sort of bigger solar installation put up at each stop, which could work something like a charging station ...

More --> here!

Is it April Fools?