Holy cow! They spent some big money on that thing. Not sure I understand why they need solar panels on a test car. Last time I was in that car was 2011 and there were animals living in it.
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The panels are likely for when they use the car on a train that doesn't have HEP or even when the car is disconnected from a train.
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| Posted by on July 21, 2013 | |
Not being a UP equipment expert, I would say that's an old steam era dynamometer car. It exhibits all the standard features, including the middle door, and large cupola (plus, it has a clerestory roof). If so, it's still kind of meeting its original purpose.
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Something new and utterly unique for us model railroaders to kit-bash! An inter-net search indicates that this dynamometer car was "dressed up" only in the past two years-- the new paint and solar panels added just since 2011.
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I wonder how many solar panels needed enough to power a yard engine or track mobile.
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Well, this is a test car & I imagine the Solar Panels are part of testing a certain concept.
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That car had (at least in 2011) a Kohler generator, maybe two. Ron, it still is a "dynamometer car" given the instrumented coupler.
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