Actually Daniel, I am more interested in the fact you are an engineer! Tell me, have you ever ran steam? Or what engines do you drive and where? Use to be into trains as a teenager even working for a big train model company back then... Campbell Scale Models back in it heyday.Clutch

 

Never been on steam except as a passenger as a child.

Do electric and diesels, grew up on diesels.

Model train guy myself, HO scale.

 

To extend our technical discussion, hybrid and electric cars can make use of dynamic braking as well. However, instead of wasting all that energy by dissipating it as heat, they do run the motors "backwards," as generators, and use the resulting power to put more energy back into the batteries. Electric cars, though, have much larger batteries, and this wouldn't be practical for a locomotive.

Model train guy myself, HO scale.

 

To extend our technical discussion, hybrid and electric cars can make use of dynamic braking as well. However, instead of wasting all that energy by dissipating it as heat, they do run the motors "backwards," as generators, and use the resulting power to put more energy back into the batteries. Electric cars, though, have much larger batteries, and this wouldn't be practical for a locomotive.

 

Also mining makes use of locomotive technology in huge dump trucks. http://en.wikipedia....ki/Komatsu_930E

 

Dynamic here: http://www.komatsuamerica.com/trucks-930E-4#info

 

I like HO, have some myself, but no time to play with it. Too many hobbies on my side!

Model train guy myself, HO scale.

 

To extend our technical discussion, hybrid and electric cars can make use of dynamic braking as well. However, instead of wasting all that energy by dissipating it as heat, they do run the motors "backwards," as generators, and use the resulting power to put more energy back into the batteries. Electric cars, though, have much larger batteries, and this wouldn't be practical for a locomotive.

That would be regenerative braking, I'm thinking.

I mostly worked on Canadian GM's and the old U Boats (GE U26's). I miss that Job. Had to give it away due to health issues. Now I fly a 737 on a computer. ( And I am ok with that ) :)

That would be regenerative braking, I'm thinking.

 

Correct. Where electric trains exist (and the capacity of the power system facilitates) they also have regenerative braking. In suburban networks in Australia this exists.