It turned out great! I'm glad to see more implementation of solar power in more active situations compared to stationary applications, like houses. It makes me think about other ways we can use solar energy to boost other industries. Like you mentioned, it wouldn't work everywhere due to climate and other factors. This makes me want to look into it more. Great video as always, Tom!
"I didn't believe solar power could do it either" I still don't even though I already know I'm about to be wro- "So here we are in Australia" *That's cheating*
No need to pay some pretentious designer a couple millions to make it look futuristic (and ugly). Just a train and some solar panels. I think one of the reasons why electric cars arent popular yet is that most of them are ugly.
@@madflynn4856 If you've lived in Newcastle for a while now, you might be familiar with the 620/720 Railcars. The train used is a converted 2 car train of that type!
I am surprised that it only has 77 kWh battery capacity. But then i remember this train only has 2 cars and goes on 3 km flat tracks. But seriously amazing.
That's 3 times as much capacity as my Nissan Leaf! The car weighs 1,5 metric tones and goes about 160 km (100 miles) on a single, 24 kWh charge. And it also has a tiny solar panel for charging its 12V :D
@@Nehmo You are mixing up energy and power. The train uses 5kwh for it's 3 km track. If we assume an average speed of 60km/h, it takes 5 minutes for the drive. The average power is then 100kw, but he said he is accelerating twice and then gliding the rest. So more like >300kw power for 2 minutes and then gliding/recuperating the other 3 minutes.
This is a perfect example of everything great about Tom's approach. There's no clickbait title or over the top material, just a reasonable length interesting and informative piece on the type of material that people who follow him are likely to say "hey that sounds neat, let's give it a watch!" And the fact that that's been his consistent MO for YEARS means that clicking on one of Tom's videos or sharing it with friends is a no brainer.
Monorail guy 1: Wait a minute, we can just shut off the power. Monorail guy 2: No such luck, it's solar powered! Monorail guy 1: Solar power. When will people learn!
In 1960's and 70's there used to be battery powered train running between Riga and Sigulda. Batteries were not as advanced as the ones this one uses. Those were Nickel-Iron cells spread across 4 cars (out of 6). Total capacity 400Ah at 2200V (880 kW*h). Total weight of the train was 350 tonnes (56+63+56+56+63+56) instead of 282 tonnes (39+63+39+39+63+39) for normal, overhead powered electric train these were built upon. They were charging from overhead wires on the stretch between Riga central station and Baltezers station (17km). Well, technically , a bit longer - it was charging while going from Baltezers to Riga, then while waiting for passengers at terminus, and then on the way to Baltezers. Afterwards, it would lower pantographs and carry on to Sigulda for another 36km and back. So, 72km in a massive train with no regen braking at speeds up to 85km/h. Don't forget, those were not trains built from scratch. They modified some old trains built in the end of 1940's based on prewar design. But those were not solar powered. In that area, in those days... Mostly gas and peat burning power plants, with some hydro in the mix. But hey! if it was possible back then, why not today, with slightly updated technology :)
I adore the messaging in Tom Scott's electrical power focused videos. Diverse, contextual power solutions designed to be robust and effective in the contexts they are used in. Great stuff!
@@hkr667 fair point. There is also an irony in the fact I work for the city train, so on my day off I am going to pay to spend time with a different train in the next state over
This train runs on a section of the same railway line that runs through my hometown. It's been officially closed for 15 years now and the local council wants to convert it to a hiking trail. Byron Bay has proven that solar-powered rail is possible and the future of public transport!
*Ask your doctor if **_fallout feeling_** is right for you.* Side effects may include: _Heartburn, upset stomach, existential dread, migraines, mild irradiation, anxiety, and endless frustration followed by inevitable death.._
Woop It feels like it is not really highspeed, but applying this to road trams in cities should give a good alternative mode of transport without having to setup intricate power lines.
@@caseyhayes7510 My city is experimenting with supercapacitor powered busses. Range isn't as good as batteries, but still plenty for inner city work, and they take up more space, but they can be recharged in 6 minutes which makes it practical to charge it at each end of the route
I used to drive this train down a fictional route pre-installed on Trainz Simulator 2006. Seeing this train still alive makes me want to go to Australia!
Having driven a full-size train, they can coast for LONG ways which are great if your driver is skilled and knows how to maximize their coasting. Would love to see this done in more places that is viable.
@@TimBryan Yes. It is used even on diesel trains because there is less wear than with friction breaking, and they will dump the electricity to resistors (heaters) on the roof if there is nowhere else to use the power. Electric trains feed the power back to the power line to be used by other trains on the track.
This is the future, people. Use renewables _where it makes sense_ (Australia is sunny, windy, and full of lithium) and use conventional power where it doesn't, at least until something feasible comes along. This project sounds insane, and yet _it feeds power to the grid_ and actually reduces emissions elsewhere. How cool is that?
It isn't cool. It's a gimmick. This isn't a solution for anything. If you wanted a real and good solution it would be BRT trolleybuses powered by a centrally located breeder reactor.
Just a random observation: I want to thank you Tom for being one of the most natural and interesting person I have seen in my life. I have this idea that you succeeded to spread new perspectives or opinions on various topics with both an interesting aproach and interested atitude. This combined with your accent, which is pure delight by the way, is the reason I follow your channel. Keep going! :))
Solar powered narrow-gauge trains are used in Hungary since 2013 in a forest railway. Not that big, but can carry 30 passengers. Also fully electric, without a diesel engine.
I feel like what sells it to me is just how quiet it is. through a microphone you can pick up just about any amount of noise and even while it was running I could hear Tom talking very clearly, which I doubt would be the same on a regular train with the windows open like it's shown here
I love the fact that this makes Byron bay look calm and quaint, when most Australians know it as the place where schoolies (post secondary partying) happens.
0:08 actually it needs lesser energy to push a massive train carriage because of low friction between train wheel and rails. Once the inertia is overcome, the train needs lesser energy to move.
Would prefer to see the line re-opened to passenger rail from Sydney. This line used to be serviced by the Murwillumbah XPT up-until March 2004 when it was closed & now terminates at Casino.
NiteOwl In 1974 that area had the highest rainfall in the State. Rained 6 weeks at a time, people went elsewhere for holidays. I recall driving on main highway covered in small frogs. These days water restrictions and Cane Toads instead. Lots more huge houses, dogs etc though.
I actually thought when I was a kid "why don't they put solar panels on trains?" and then they made this. I am sorta dissappointed that it has been invented in a way because it means it's too late for me to invent it. I drive past this about once or twice a week on my way up the coast to the Gold Coast but I have never called in to have a look. Enjoy Australia!🇦🇺
Fantastic demonstration of using solar power in the right place. It makes even more sense because trains don’t tend to run at night, so this is a pure win for the net’s base load. Thanks for sharing!
Electrified railways probably make more sense in most cases. In many European countries, >70% of the rail network is already electrified, so trains can be powered by any green source of electricity, such as solar, wind, nuclear, hydro etc. depending on what's available. Still, fitting solar panels on trains and station buildings, and using regen braking to feed power back into the network are good ideas that should be implemented elsewhere.
I actually live along one of the few major-ish train lines in my country that isn't electrified. Because it has a lot of tunnels that were built in the mid-19th century and which are too low for overhead cables.
@@vondralbra5147 Depends on the infrastructure, but around here, the majority of electric rails run on the street and often share a lane. It would be a real hassle to construct any roofs.
Photovoltaic solar panels aren't really renewable - even though they use sunlight, they need rare minerals that are in limited supply and require destructive mining.
Renewable energy is a gimmick like this train. With renewable you need to build generation capacity many times greater then need and this train goes a small distance very slowly.
@@TheOwenMajor Well, either generation capacity many times greater than need or else batteries. But we don't yet have grid level storage yet so that's a very serious viability issue.
The things that strike me: ► There appears to be room for more solar panels on the roof ► I'd bet money that a train made just after WWII is made of steel. Would be very interested in a cost/benefit analysis of using carbon fiber, aluminum, or other such lighter materials ► Tom's doing a masterful job, as always
Tbf all it takes a big breakthrough with solar panels and you could start to power trains even in this country. Solar panels at the moment are only around 15-21 percent efficient so if they went up to 40-50 then all sorts of possibilities open up.
Panels alone won't reach that efficiency, too much of the suns energy is in infrared. I'd say Stirling Engine thermal capture systems look more promising, I heard Israel was experimenting with those.
I mean, it is running at a very slow speed (~4-5 m/s max?) with a very short (2-car) train on a very short (3 km) track... some people could find biking or even running faster and more convenient over that distance.
That is, of course, assuming you are a fit and healthy individual who doesn't have to carry anything. Spare a thought for kids, elderly, ill and disabled people. Not everyone can easily travel that distance by themselves.
Never underestimate how lazy people can be. Sure you can walk faster but you can also sit down and lounging around enjoying the view while the train chug (buzz?) slowly.
@@ValleysOfRain true, the tram carrys all yer gear, people, bikes dont get stolen, and it's a fun ride that costs the planet nothing.. plus keeps some nice classic rolling stock working.. remember how much went into making those cars.. energy, labor metal.. building a new one that's 15 percent more efficient for this line would be moot.. nice to see they went this route..
Great to see you covered this. Its a very nice project and it provides a form of urban rail in Byron that hopefully can encourage the return of Interstate services, maybe as part of the LNP's (promised) NSW HSR project.
I don't think that guy knows what "carbon positive" means. Carbon positive: net activity ADDS GHGs into the atmosphere Carbon neutral: net zero GHG emmissions Carbon negative: net activity removes GHGs from the atmosphere
Hemp Crete is Carbon positive. It's a type of concrete but it uses lime and hemp. Not sure but I think it's main problem is climates that get very cold winters.
@@Radzaification There is a train directly powered by rainwater. 🤣 It's not very long though. One of the Hastings funnicular railways relies on rainwater collected at the top of the hill. There's two railcars on separate tracks, connected by a cable over a pulley at the top. They have water tanks, and to make them move, the car at teh bottom is emptied of water and the car at the top filled.
Fantastic video -- keeping the limitations of solar in check and noting how ideal the conditions and requirements are here, while also celebrating this great implementation + achievement.
It's solar, low sound pollution, public transportation, carbon positive, powers 17 houses, uses existing things instead of making new ones, and it's even driven as green as possible. A joy to see!
strikes me like a more conventional electric train that just happens to be fed with solar power would make more sense. keep the big heavy stuff stationary. I of course know almost nothing about trains, electric or otherwise. edit: This is all covered at 3:40... next time watch all the way through before commenting.
I can think of several US cities where something like this would work perfect. This is light on required infrastructure, which is why you don't see too many electric trains in North America.
3:34 I was just writing my comment where I explained how much of a difference it makes that the train always goes on the track/area and how they made assumptions about the energy use and how it wouldn't work for cars.
It was incredibly difficult to film in sunlight this bright, with shadows this dark. It mostly worked out, though!
@BEEmovieSPEDup It always does 😁
how long ago did you film this?
Make longer content you absolute madlad cant get enough of it - you remind me of Louis Theroux and I can imagine you get that a lot!
Would you ever collaborate with Wendover or Real Engineering?
It turned out great! I'm glad to see more implementation of solar power in more active situations compared to stationary applications, like houses. It makes me think about other ways we can use solar energy to boost other industries. Like you mentioned, it wouldn't work everywhere due to climate and other factors. This makes me want to look into it more. Great video as always, Tom!
The weather in England is perfect for a hydro powered train.
It wouldn't have been, back in June 2018
If only we could make a train that runs on leaves on the line
@@engineergaming3637 Lightning powered would work in some places XP
Iam Dot957 iiijiiij
So, steam?
A solar powered vintage train. What a beauty!
what a bobby dazzler!
This should be a trend.
Stuff like this and those European trams are what I wish to see everywhere
It's the duck's guts
Must sound really good too :)
Somebody? Anybody? No?
Ok I'll do it:
*_The Solar Express_*
Well done, very witty!
Yes!
Thank you
Excellent
All abroad!
"I didn't believe solar power could do it either"
I still don't even though I already know I'm about to be wro-
"So here we are in Australia"
*That's cheating*
lmao
Yknow contrary to popular belief it's not always sunny in Aus
@Mr. Jack thats certainly what the spiders want us to think. how much did they pay you
@@thomasf915 didn’t pay anything, we just play frisbee with the spiders every Friday
Damn
someone slapped some solar panels on a train and called it a day
the problem: it works
Well it also needs an electric engine and a battery + charging setup, not exactly something you do over the weekend.
Kind of works...with extra solar powers on building and plugging it in a few times a day and a diesel back up.
No need to pay some pretentious designer a couple millions to make it look futuristic (and ugly). Just a train and some solar panels.
I think one of the reasons why electric cars arent popular yet is that most of them are ugly.
@@Mortyst with enough people, you can, they changed a whole station in china during the night.
@@Mortyst All trains already have electric motors, charging setup + batteries are just slapped on from a car...
I love how Tom the pom comes to my country and tells me about things that i had no idea even existed. Well done
Personally I'm NOT surprised I haven't heard about it.. it's on the other side of the damn country for me
@@janinajt4611 To me it takes 7 hours (I live in Newcastle)
I missread that as tom the porn 🤣
@@madflynn4856 If you've lived in Newcastle for a while now, you might be familiar with the 620/720 Railcars. The train used is a converted 2 car train of that type!
@@kdvr766 me to, and i was really confused about that nickname. still confused about "Tom the pom" though, but less.
Literally all I want in this life is for Rob to be happy driving his train.
When you say "Rob" you really mean yourself don't you... "ROBot"
Can confirm Rob is still driving the train and he is indeed still happy.
1:05 they TRAINed him up! Now laugh
Sounds like it wasn't intentional
Heheh!
I chuckled just a tad
i exhaled faster
thanks nigel
A very Matt Gray joke
Tom Scott and trains never fails to be a winning combination.
How are you all over this channel?
Joseph Morse I love Tom’s videos, he’s probably my favorite TH-camr.
I just watch his videos right as they come out.
Just like Wendover and planes
@@NateandNoahTryLife don't we all love this red t-shirt guy? :)
Well, his name is THOMAS.
I am surprised that it only has 77 kWh battery capacity. But then i remember this train only has 2 cars and goes on 3 km flat tracks.
But seriously amazing.
That's 3 times as much capacity as my Nissan Leaf! The car weighs 1,5 metric tones and goes about 160 km (100 miles) on a single, 24 kWh charge. And it also has a tiny solar panel for charging its 12V :D
wait til they enable the Ludicrous Mode :D
6.5 kilowatts to run a 2-car train? The Nissan LEAF has an 80kW motor.
@@Nehmo You are mixing up energy and power. The train uses 5kwh for it's 3 km track. If we assume an average speed of 60km/h, it takes 5 minutes for the drive. The average power is then 100kw, but he said he is accelerating twice and then gliding the rest. So more like >300kw power for 2 minutes and then gliding/recuperating the other 3 minutes.
This is a perfect example of everything great about Tom's approach. There's no clickbait title or over the top material, just a reasonable length interesting and informative piece on the type of material that people who follow him are likely to say "hey that sounds neat, let's give it a watch!" And the fact that that's been his consistent MO for YEARS means that clicking on one of Tom's videos or sharing it with friends is a no brainer.
Thought I recognised this from somewhere - turns out it was on Fully Charged a while back
Same! I was so confused, I was like “I’ve seen this before somewhere” but I’m sure it was Fully Charged.
yep I remember this from fully charged too
By the look of the search results for "Byron Bay Railroad" they have more youtubers than regular passengers.
Same here!
Thank you! I thought I had Deja-vu.
Monorail guy 1: Wait a minute, we can just shut off the power.
Monorail guy 2: No such luck, it's solar powered!
Monorail guy 1: Solar power. When will people learn!
was looking for this comment, thank you random commentor
At least monorail put North Ogdenville on the map.
A solar eclipse. The cosmic ballet goes on.
@@itaybron Does anyone want to switch seats?
@@mylairhasnoip *Haverbrook
In 1960's and 70's there used to be battery powered train running between Riga and Sigulda. Batteries were not as advanced as the ones this one uses. Those were Nickel-Iron cells spread across 4 cars (out of 6). Total capacity 400Ah at 2200V (880 kW*h). Total weight of the train was 350 tonnes (56+63+56+56+63+56) instead of 282 tonnes (39+63+39+39+63+39) for normal, overhead powered electric train these were built upon. They were charging from overhead wires on the stretch between Riga central station and Baltezers station (17km). Well, technically , a bit longer - it was charging while going from Baltezers to Riga, then while waiting for passengers at terminus, and then on the way to Baltezers. Afterwards, it would lower pantographs and carry on to Sigulda for another 36km and back. So, 72km in a massive train with no regen braking at speeds up to 85km/h. Don't forget, those were not trains built from scratch. They modified some old trains built in the end of 1940's based on prewar design.
But those were not solar powered. In that area, in those days... Mostly gas and peat burning power plants, with some hydro in the mix.
But hey! if it was possible back then, why not today, with slightly updated technology :)
soviets did a lot of experimental stuff.
Everything about this video is just so likeable.
even the comments
your comment too
*This is one of the few reasons*
Why we should _PRAISE THE SUN!_
**spits** BLADES OF THE DARKMOON RISE UP
Few?
\[T]/
till it fries everything in a *solar storm*
praise elon musk for building the sun in 2002.
I adore the messaging in Tom Scott's electrical power focused videos. Diverse, contextual power solutions designed to be robust and effective in the contexts they are used in. Great stuff!
That is very cool.
Bryon Bay is within driving distance from here...
And I have this weekend off for once......
ROADTRIP!!
It's only two and a half hours away I am total going to do it!
Great idea, but there's an irony in driving 2,5 hours in a petrol car to sit in an electric train for a couple of miles ;)
@@hkr667 fair point. There is also an irony in the fact I work for the city train, so on my day off I am going to pay to spend time with a different train in the next state over
@@breannasmith5742 claim it as "research for work" and see if your bosses will pay for it
@@Isiahkan 😆
So we won't be seeing this on London Underground anytime soon then?
If somehow you bring the sun to the underground station, it could be discussed
Lmao
Maybe you put solar panels on the underground entrances
55% of the Tube is overground
@@samthomas9445 Nah, put lamps in the tunnel to shine onto the panels on the train!
I have a certain fondness for old design like the one on this train. I couldn’t love this thing any more than I do already
This train runs on a section of the same railway line that runs through my hometown. It's been officially closed for 15 years now and the local council wants to convert it to a hiking trail. Byron Bay has proven that solar-powered rail is possible and the future of public transport!
This paint job gives me fallout feelings
Both retro to about the same era.
Fallout got their design from NSW Rail. Gotcha
*Ask your doctor if **_fallout feeling_** is right for you.*
Side effects may include:
_Heartburn, upset stomach, existential dread, migraines, mild irradiation, anxiety, and endless frustration followed by inevitable death.._
Traditional Tuscan and russet NSWGR
Paint doesnt last well in australian sun
Woop
It feels like it is not really highspeed, but applying this to road trams in cities should give a good alternative mode of transport without having to setup intricate power lines.
It also makes electric buses seem really feasible.
@@caseyhayes7510 My city is experimenting with supercapacitor powered busses. Range isn't as good as batteries, but still plenty for inner city work, and they take up more space, but they can be recharged in 6 minutes which makes it practical to charge it at each end of the route
There are already electric buses....like 10s of thousands already on the road.
Even my local bus company are trialing some.
@@caseyhayes7510 Where i live almost all busses are now electric and the bus stops charge the bus wirelessly
@@wowjack8944 wireless charging is just a terrible idea when it comes to transport
Loving these videos coming out of Australia, always great to learn new things about our country!
Agreed and this is half an hour up the road and i never knew it was there. What kind of advertising you doing Byron?
"I like trains"
Woooooooommmmmm
That is one heck of an old reference!
This makes me feel so old...
I like it unironically. Train is like having a giant working for us
I used to drive this train down a fictional route pre-installed on Trainz Simulator 2006. Seeing this train still alive makes me want to go to Australia!
On this episode of Tom's Transcontinental Train Tour
Having driven a full-size train, they can coast for LONG ways which are great if your driver is skilled and knows how to maximize their coasting. Would love to see this done in more places that is viable.
Would regenerative braking making sense in a train?
@@TimBryan Yes. It is used even on diesel trains because there is less wear than with friction breaking, and they will dump the electricity to resistors (heaters) on the roof if there is nowhere else to use the power. Electric trains feed the power back to the power line to be used by other trains on the track.
Tom's Australia Videos:
1. Queensland
2. New South Wales
3. ???
*COME TO VICTORIA PLEASE!*
Wait, if he's in Byron, is a hemp video coming soon?
Corona says "No."
Why does a video from ol' Tom make a day so much better
For me I think it's because there's no agenda or drama and his videos are very concise.
This is the future, people. Use renewables _where it makes sense_ (Australia is sunny, windy, and full of lithium) and use conventional power where it doesn't, at least until something feasible comes along. This project sounds insane, and yet _it feeds power to the grid_ and actually reduces emissions elsewhere. How cool is that?
It isn't cool. It's a gimmick. This isn't a solution for anything.
If you wanted a real and good solution it would be BRT trolleybuses powered by a centrally located breeder reactor.
The engineer said they “trained him up” 😂
He's been trained for 16 months now. I wonder if it hurts.
Noone told him what to do, they just put him in the train and declared him "trained up"
That was the driver, though
@@dafoex no
You keep astounding me with interesting things and an incredibly high quality production values. Well done! And thank you
Just a random observation: I want to thank you Tom for being one of the most natural and interesting person I have seen in my life. I have this idea that you succeeded to spread new perspectives or opinions on various topics with both an interesting aproach and interested atitude. This combined with your accent, which is pure delight by the way, is the reason I follow your channel. Keep going! :))
The guy was “trained” to drive a train.
...
I’ll be here all week.
Solar powered narrow-gauge trains are used in Hungary since 2013 in a forest railway. Not that big, but can carry 30 passengers. Also fully electric, without a diesel engine.
that's awesome
Loving the Aussie content. There's plenty more interesting stuff here too.
"They trained me up", that has to be one of the smoothest puns I've ever heard.
I feel like what sells it to me is just how quiet it is. through a microphone you can pick up just about any amount of noise and even while it was running I could hear Tom talking very clearly, which I doubt would be the same on a regular train with the windows open like it's shown here
I love the fact that this makes Byron bay look calm and quaint, when most Australians know it as the place where schoolies (post secondary partying) happens.
Interesting...Skoolies in the US means a converted school bus into an RV (camper)
I know exactly what train this is! It's a NSWGR 620/720 Class Railcar!
You're right!
661 is a 600/700 class, but the 726 is a 620/720 class. So half of each. Tbh I don’t know exactly why they mixed them up like that.
@@deanl4575 odd. thanks for telling me
0:08 actually it needs lesser energy to push a massive train carriage because of low friction between train wheel and rails. Once the inertia is overcome, the train needs lesser energy to move.
I want to be a solar powered train when i grow up
NukeML
You can do it, if you don’t grow up.
I'm already living the dream of being 'really unuseful'.
Just remember, Praise thy sun!
Carbon-positive! Of course! Great demo indeed, and great video Tom, thanks!
I really hope that there are more trains like his put up in Australia, it would be really great
so we have now moved from NZ trip to the official Australia trip :)
Would prefer to see the line re-opened to passenger rail from Sydney. This line used to be serviced by the Murwillumbah XPT up-until March 2004 when it was closed & now terminates at Casino.
Energy positive, carbon negative?
I think the guy messed up his line there.
Naa, it's Australia, everything is upside down ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@@benjamintaylor8619 ǝnɹʇ ʇou s,ʇɐɥʇ 'ʎǝH
@@Penultimate_Jive 🤔
Resources that could have been used on tracking solar panels that generate more energy were wasted on this semi-flat implementation, a shame.
More Australian stuff please! There is LOTS to explore about Australia's railway, whether it be in Melbourne, NSW, or all across the country.
Anyone else looked and the thumbnail and Instantly knew it was in Aus?
Well the grass is brown, this area gets barely any rain. Though it must of been weeks ago cause we just got a massive down poor for days.
NiteOwl
In 1974 that area had the highest rainfall in the State. Rained 6 weeks at a time, people went elsewhere for holidays.
I recall driving on main highway covered in small frogs.
These days water restrictions and Cane Toads instead. Lots more huge houses, dogs etc though.
Baerto Meneguzzi yes because I’ve ridden on the train before 😂
In the UK we have a 100% powered by rain railway.
Nah it's powered by tea
"trained up"
Excellent video even with the sunlight problems! Bravo Tom!
I actually thought when I was a kid "why don't they put solar panels on trains?" and then they made this. I am sorta dissappointed that it has been invented in a way because it means it's too late for me to invent it. I drive past this about once or twice a week on my way up the coast to the Gold Coast but I have never called in to have a look.
Enjoy Australia!🇦🇺
I know the feeling. ;)
Fantastic demonstration of using solar power in the right place. It makes even more sense because trains don’t tend to run at night, so this is a pure win for the net’s base load. Thanks for sharing!
Electrified railways probably make more sense in most cases. In many European countries, >70% of the rail network is already electrified, so trains can be powered by any green source of electricity, such as solar, wind, nuclear, hydro etc. depending on what's available.
Still, fitting solar panels on trains and station buildings, and using regen braking to feed power back into the network are good ideas that should be implemented elsewhere.
I just thought we could cover the rails with a roof of solar panels, since that area is available anyways and the power is right where it's needed.
@@vondralbra5147 it's not that simple
@@choupi4719 what would be a major issue in your opinion? I can't see any besides from the costs for the structures.
I actually live along one of the few major-ish train lines in my country that isn't electrified. Because it has a lot of tunnels that were built in the mid-19th century and which are too low for overhead cables.
@@vondralbra5147 Depends on the infrastructure, but around here, the majority of electric rails run on the street and often share a lane. It would be a real hassle to construct any roofs.
Oh, thanks for letting us know about this. It's only a short drive South. I'll go and check it out in the next few weeks.
It’s cool seeing renewables becoming more and more prevalent. Lord knows we need it.
And its great business. They are running a train AND power business. Double money. And if australia has one thing, its sunlight hours.
Photovoltaic solar panels aren't really renewable - even though they use sunlight, they need rare minerals that are in limited supply and require destructive mining.
Renewable energy is a gimmick like this train. With renewable you need to build generation capacity many times greater then need and this train goes a small distance very slowly.
@@TheOwenMajor Well, either generation capacity many times greater than need or else batteries. But we don't yet have grid level storage yet so that's a very serious viability issue.
@@Cruxador so you rather want coal(
The things that strike me:
► There appears to be room for more solar panels on the roof
► I'd bet money that a train made just after WWII is made of steel. Would be very interested in a cost/benefit analysis of using carbon fiber, aluminum, or other such lighter materials
► Tom's doing a masterful job, as always
I see the inventions coming:
Australia: Solar Train
UK : Hydro powered Train
Germany: Holzgas Train
WOW!!! This is the future right here!! Brilliant video. Thank you 👍👍
Tbf all it takes a big breakthrough with solar panels and you could start to power trains even in this country. Solar panels at the moment are only around 15-21 percent efficient so if they went up to 40-50 then all sorts of possibilities open up.
"all it takes a big breakthrough" is kind of oxymoronic.
40-50% efficiency is quite a pipe dream tbh
We just need the decrease in costs
So...perhaps in 10-20 years we'll have that ;)
Panels alone won't reach that efficiency, too much of the suns energy is in infrared. I'd say Stirling Engine thermal capture systems look more promising, I heard Israel was experimenting with those.
Wow. I'm like within 90km from this and didn't know it existed. Thanks Tom Scott.
Ah! Hey, saw this on Fully Charged's channel already! Nice to see you're also covering it. Such a cool/smart project!
I have too, but wanted to contribute to Tom's view count 🙂
@@bhatkrishnakishor same xd
Wow this just shows how energy efficienct rail vehicles are compared to rubber tiered vehiecles
I mean, it is running at a very slow speed (~4-5 m/s max?) with a very short (2-car) train on a very short (3 km) track... some people could find biking or even running faster and more convenient over that distance.
That is, of course, assuming you are a fit and healthy individual who doesn't have to carry anything. Spare a thought for kids, elderly, ill and disabled people. Not everyone can easily travel that distance by themselves.
@@ValleysOfRain True, true.
Never underestimate how lazy people can be. Sure you can walk faster but you can also sit down and lounging around enjoying the view while the train chug (buzz?) slowly.
@@ValleysOfRain true, the tram carrys all yer gear, people, bikes dont get stolen, and it's a fun ride that costs the planet nothing.. plus keeps some nice classic rolling stock working.. remember how much went into making those cars.. energy, labor metal.. building a new one that's 15 percent more efficient for this line would be moot.. nice to see they went this route..
Would love to see more trains like this, looks encouraging!
This video is so quite i can hear my ears ringing...
Still heard Tom’s voice though, so all is good with the world.
... have you checked for tinnitus?
Probably should... sounds like a good idea
Sweet, I spent a lot of time in Byron in the 90's. Loved the place.
Great to see you covered this. Its a very nice project and it provides a form of urban rail in Byron that hopefully can encourage the return of Interstate services, maybe as part of the LNP's (promised) NSW HSR project.
This is brilliant! If it’s not sunny, just drive the train somewhere where it is!
Me: Is Tom still in Oceania?
Tom: Yup
You mean Australia?
Oceania includes New Zealand.
It also includes Indonesia
It also includes the Ocean
@@thelastcube. some of the ocean
It actually looks good they did not ruin it I like it👍
I don't think that guy knows what "carbon positive" means.
Carbon positive: net activity ADDS GHGs into the atmosphere
Carbon neutral: net zero GHG emmissions
Carbon negative: net activity removes GHGs from the atmosphere
Hemp Crete is Carbon positive. It's a type of concrete but it uses lime and hemp.
Not sure but I think it's main problem is climates that get very cold winters.
@@maxsmith5504 I was a bit confused too.
I've always heard Carbon Negative as being the "good one"
@@maxsmith5504 Did they poorly adapted the math rule of two negatives gives a positive?
down here all we care about is that it's about green house gasses and it's good. that means it's carbon positive.
˙ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ sɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ɹǝqɯǝɯǝɹ ʇnq 'sǝ⅄
I have driven the diesel version of these old girls. Love that they have retained the original driving controls and paint.
It looks like Tom is still on the land down under. It must be cool living upside down.
Great stuff Tom! Well, we've just added another stop on our drive to Sydney for our Australia trip next month....
This is awesome. We need more projects like this in the world. Inspiring!
The loco in that shed at 3:38 is the simplex loco that worked in Byron Bay all its life it is nicknamed the green frog
Looks at Solar Train: Impossible
Sees the panels on the station: Oh that makes sense
From Australia and never heard of this
Love your videos. Cheers
What an incredible idea! Glad to see it working practical experience!
Here in the UK we would call this thing "useless scrap".
Just need to find a way to generate power from rain and you'd be right 😂
@@Radzaification We have that it's called hydro.
@@darryljones3009 no thats not from the rain.
@@darryljones3009 I'm well aware, I was more joking about a direct type haha
@@Radzaification There is a train directly powered by rainwater. 🤣 It's not very long though. One of the Hastings funnicular railways relies on rainwater collected at the top of the hill. There's two railcars on separate tracks, connected by a cable over a pulley at the top. They have water tanks, and to make them move, the car at teh bottom is emptied of water and the car at the top filled.
Fantastic video -- keeping the limitations of solar in check and noting how ideal the conditions and requirements are here, while also celebrating this great implementation + achievement.
I mean, covering train stations with solar cells and have them feed into overhead lines would probably also work. But this is just nice.
It's solar, low sound pollution, public transportation, carbon positive, powers 17 houses, uses existing things instead of making new ones, and it's even driven as green as possible. A joy to see!
strikes me like a more conventional electric train that just happens to be fed with solar power would make more sense. keep the big heavy stuff stationary. I of course know almost nothing about trains, electric or otherwise.
edit: This is all covered at 3:40... next time watch all the way through before commenting.
I can think of several US cities where something like this would work perfect. This is light on required infrastructure, which is why you don't see too many electric trains in North America.
@Geoff Marshall - This likely won't work in the UK - you know, all the cloudy days and rain, but you REALLY need to visit this railway!
It might not work everywhere, but it should be done everywhere it can work
@ 3:01 IP 66 Box with glands and a big hole. Makes perfect sense.
I thought net carbon positive meant it added CO2 to the environment. Wouldn't this train be net carbon negative?
˙ɐᴉlɐɹʇsn∀ uᴉ pǝɯlᴉɟ sɐʍ sᴉɥʇ ɹǝqɯǝɯǝɹ ʇnq 'sǝ⅄
I was wondering about that the other day! :D But I think people these days just thing positive means good. I did when I was a kid, TBH.
It's just far less positive than it used to be.
Great video Tom !
Would like to point out that at 2:04 the white sign to the right means you are 884kms from Sydney’s central station
Just gonna say it, SOLAR FREAKING TRAINS
Um, yea. They make just as much sense....
My two favorite tech channels covered this train. Fully charged and Tom Scott 👍
@2:30 dude has a solar powered train but drives an FPV BF Cobra ute?
3:34 I was just writing my comment where I explained how much of a difference it makes that the train always goes on the track/area and how they made assumptions about the energy use and how it wouldn't work for cars.
How can you use that drone upside down. I didn’t know trains and solar power can be used upside down
The sunlight is also upside down so it's hitting the train roof from below.
The thought of this comforts me. I now want to sit on this train and enjoy the sun.