It will still have the same problem that the steam locomotives, had when they were phased out the high cost of the maintenance and the amount of maintenance needed on a daily basis. From everything I have read on the demise of the steam locomotive. It wasn't the fuel they burned the daily grind of things that needed to be done. And the amount of backshop that was needed to up keep them along with payroll of all the trades that had to be on hand at a moments notice.
I speak from 35 issues on an unlimited pressure/horespower Stationary Engineers License, and 25 or so years operating a large vertical blower steam engine, and couple of Kewanee locomotive type coal fired boilers with under feed stokers. Burning the crappy Kentucky topsoil they called coal.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5AT_Advanced_Technology_Steam_Locomotivehttp://www.trainweb.org/tusp/ace_det.htmlhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advanced_steam_technologyNo matter what you call it and how it is dressed in a modern skin, it still has to many moving parts and high speed will equal higher wear. And the 5AT one, is just for high dollar touring and so called cruises.
They will never get steam back on rails hauling freight or passengers. Even if they could be MU with diesels. With out the infrastructure to maintain and support them why would anybody try to bring them back at 10 million £ a pop. Probably get a couple diesels.
Very nice pipe dream. They must have got a government grant, just more university welfare. They never seem to think or consider what it takes to maintain them. like it will just operate forever!
