Re: Re Strategic Reserve.

["Keith Willshaw" <100572.2654@compuserve.com>]

>
>    Well, for fun I thought!. Would not water be more easily found than
> diesel?, and coal, wood, camel dung - anything that burns?.
>

You fill up with diesel at the start of the Trip.
Diesel can be easily stored underground in tanks

A steam train needs water MANY times during the Trip

In the days of Long distance stean there were watering troughs
to allow water pickup on the move

They are Gone

Every Station had a stanchion and hose

They are Gone

Even if water is available you need the Hose and watering
point or you fill from buckets

>    Assuming we are in desperation mode who cares where the ash is dumped?.
> Untrained crews & maintenance men^H^H^H people! may well find a steam
> engine easier to get going and keep going than a diesel (I'll assume
> electric can be forgotten), depending of course on the relative
> sophistication of the said devices.
>

Again that's just not true. A Steam train is a maintenance hog
and the expertise just isn't there. Diesels are ubiquitous.

Keith