Class 08e Battery Shunters

[whole diary]

[grahame]

According to WikiPedia, GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) have 5 x class 08 diesel shunting locomotives - 1 each at Penzance and Bristol and 3 in Plymouth.   How about a battery equivalent

https://www.railtech.com/all/2023/10/20/british-pioneers-spark-new-battery-powered-life-into-centurion-shunter/

Positive Traction has a new solution to an old problem – or perhaps that’s an old solution to a new problem – the worldwide race to reduce emissions. They have taken a familiar design of shunter (or switcher) and turned the low-speed low-impact locomotive into a battery-powered zero-emissions, all purpose workhorse. The company launched their innovation to an enthusiastic industry this week, at a gala event at the historic Barrow Hill Roundhouse – a unique combination of heritage museum and engineering facility. The project already has enquiries from potential customers in the UK^▸ (United Kingdom).

The prototype, which has been designated class 08e, carries the serial number 08308, identifying the donor locomotive as a 1954 example of the class, from which more than 1000 worked in the sidings, yards and short lines of the UK. Born in Crewe, reborn in Chesterfield. The basic design upon which 08308 is based has been around since 1934. Now it has a makeover that will take it to 2034 and beyond. This example dates back to 1954 and was last in service over a decade ago, marshalling the coaches of the Caledonian Sleeper at Inverness.

[broadgage]

Excellent idea, shunting locomotives often use fuel very wastefully, the engine being left running for an entire shift/or all day, despite actual use being fairly limited.
Battery power is ideal for this use as losses whilst idle are minute.
These locomotives, or something similar would also be ideal for hauling local commuter services on heritage lines, outside the steam operating season.

[IndustryInsider]

Will there be much need for shunters on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) with the Castle Class HSTs^▸ (High Speed Train) being retired?  Class 57s could probably do the shunts required for the sleeper stock.

[stuving]

Positive Traction are rather vague about the technical details, but some can be found from their pictures. They are using Valence U-Charge U27-24V88XP battery modules; this is "a high performance, 24 volt battery, built on a Lithium Iron Phosphate chemistry platform. Customers now have a choice of a 24 volt battery in a Group 27 size case providing over 2.25 kWh." Built 48 at a time into "pods" PT downrate them from 92 to 88 kWh.

The "competition" is presumably Clayton's Class 18 (reported earlier this year) - they use lead-acid cells and bung in a diesel engine just in case. But then this is that rare application where "weight is good", and lithium's high power per mass counts for nothing!

To be fair, Clayton do offer a range of sizes, some without a diesel, and including conversions from Diesel. And while the ones for Tata at Port Talbot used lead-acid batteries, they don't say whether the others do.