# Solar Freakin' Railways **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 21, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462 "2023-03-21T20:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/1 "2023-03-21T20:16:57Z")
We’ve discussed, and totally crucifued, solar freakin’ roadways. Now someone has had the bright idea of placing solar panels between railroad ties. This idea is IMHO even worse than the highway idea. Think about the vibrations and dust. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7vItnxhWRqw/maxresdefault.jpg "EEVblog 1534 - Solar Freakin' RAILways!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vItnxhWRqw) ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/2 "2023-03-21T20:40:46Z")
Might be handy on the moon. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/3 "2023-03-21T20:43:47Z")
How do you figure? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/4 "2023-03-21T20:50:24Z")
I was going to say that the person who came up with this idea has never walked a railroad. We used to do that to collect sulfur and charcoal for our gunpowder shenanigans when I was a kid. Those solar panels will be a mess. And unless those trains are on the equator they will suffer from being at the wrong angle to the sun. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/5 "2023-03-21T21:21:24Z")
Just outfit the undercarriages of the trains with squeegees. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/6 "2023-03-21T21:28:29Z")
If anything is worth putting solar panels on top, it may be irrigation canals. Reduces evaporation and generates electricity in rural areas, the angle to the sun can be adjusted, as nothing is driving over it. Roads or rail? Rather not so practical. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/7 "2023-03-21T21:36:47Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > If anything is worth putting solar panels on top, it may be irrigation canals. Yep. This is being tried-out… [https://electrek.co/2022/08/26/in-a-us-first-california-will-pilot-solar-panel-canopies-over-canals/](https://electrek.co/2022/08/26/in-a-us-first-california-will-pilot-solar-panel-canopies-over-canals/) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/8 "2023-03-21T21:42:49Z")
Railroads usually own a decent right-of-way to the sides of the actual rails, especially now that a lot of what used to be multi-track sections are now single-track. Why not put the panels off to the side? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/9 "2023-03-21T21:54:09Z")
Fundamental question: Is there any evidence that we are real-estate constrained for solar power? Why is this even a thing? There is plenty of otherwise-unusable land in North America where you could put solar facilities. I would rather have my solar panels in one place, angled properly to the sun, properly maintained, rather than scattered across the country unprotected while trains ride over them. > [@Chronos](#): > > Railroads usually own a decent right-of-way to the sides of the actual rails, especially now that a lot of what used to be multi-track sections are now single-track. Why not put the panels off to the side? How far off are you thinking? The problem with being close to a train is that they kick up a ton of dust and crap. A train has a boundary layer, and drags the air along with it creating airflow in the direction of the train. But anywhere the airflow ismtripped, and at the back of the train, you get turbulent flow. So panels along the side of the track will probably take a beating and need a lot of cleaning. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/10 "2023-03-21T21:59:34Z")
The only reason to do solar panels on railways is because they cover a lot of space and they’re already logistically accessible. Like Chronos says, putting them alongside the railroad would have the same benefits without worrying about the dust and damage of putting them between the rails. Also, solar panels are much more effective when they’re angled to be perpendicular to the sun’s average angle, which would be easier to do with arrays alongside the railroad. You know what else already has logistics access and easements and a view of open sky and takes up a lot of space? High tension power lines. Why not build arrays between or directly on power pylons, where there’s usually just empty grass? ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/11 "2023-03-21T22:06:01Z")
One obvious answer is that these are not protected spaces, and solar panels are expensive. I would expect vandalism and theft to be a big problem. Solar is a diffuse energy source, so the key to efficiency is to use as little material and energy as possible in the most efficient way. I would rather put a fence around an entire solar facility and put an armed guard there along with as many maintenance people is necessary than try to protect and maintain solar panels stretched put over hundreds or thousands of miles of train tracks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.E](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.e/32/8932_2.png) [@Mr.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.E)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/12 "2023-03-21T22:15:05Z")
Sam makes a good point. If I had to choose between solar panels spread across the country or solar panels gathered in the southwest or wherever they would be the most effective, it makes more sense to put them there. We already have a (decaying) transcontinental power grid, so why not just focus on putting wind where it’s windy, solar where it’s sunny, and hydroelectric where it’s rainy? As it happens, this is basically what we’re already doing because it makes the most economic sense to do it this way. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/13 "2023-03-21T22:48:09Z")
Electric trains with solar panel on top of the carriage. Australia has one iirc ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/14 "2023-03-21T23:02:21Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > If anything is worth putting solar panels on top, it may be irrigation canals. Reduces evaporation and generates electricity in rural areas, the angle to the sun can be adjusted, as nothing is driving over it. Roads or rail? Rather not so practical. And the water moving underneath tends to cool the panels, and cooler panels work more efficiently. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/15 "2023-03-21T23:12:24Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Electric trains with solar panel on top of the carriage. Australia has one iirc I’m extremely skeptical that it would be enough to power the train, so you’d still need to supply some of the electricity in traditional ways such as overhead wires or through the rails. And if you’re doing that then wouldn’t it make more sense to supply all the power that way and put the panels in centralized spots where they’re easier to maintain and also wouldn’t be subject to the vibrations of a moving train? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/16 "2023-03-21T23:29:03Z")
> [@chela](#): > > Electric trains with solar panel on top of the carriage. Australia has one iirc Putting solar panels directly on a vehicle is a meaningless feel-good gesture that does nothing to solve problems, only to distract from them. ---
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/17 "2023-03-21T23:36:42Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Just outfit the undercarriages of the trains with squeegees. Thank you for that visual. It’s going to have me giggling all evening. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2023, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/18 "2023-03-21T23:37:24Z")
I don;t know why people come up with these hare-brained ideas. There’s a perfectly fine example of a modern solar farm that powers (I think) 35K homes. But it is up in Kayenta, AZ, where almost nobody ever sees it. And it is sitting in a vast empty space, where it could be expanded as required. We need more of those, not solar train tracks! (click on satellite view, I guess my link didn’t save that way) https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=36.7863199,-110.2417941&z=14&output=embed&dg=ntvb&q=Kayenta%2BPV%2BSolar%2BPlant ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/19 "2023-03-22T02:33:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Railroads usually own a decent right-of-way to the sides of the actual rails, especially now that a lot of what used to be multi-track sections are now single-track. Why not put the panels off to the side? If they changed some lines from multi-track to single-track, does that mean they took the old rails out or left them in place and stopped maintaining them? If it’s the latter, I could see a case for building solar panels on rail cars and towing them to the no-longer-used rail tracks. There might be some economies of scale to put panels on hundreds of rail cars in an assembly line, rather than installing the same number on unprepared sites… ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2023, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462/20 "2023-03-22T02:35:00Z")
I remember when the original Solar Freakin’ Roadways video came out and poeple on the internet legitimately thought this was a brilliant idea the GOP and big oil was going to squash instantly. It became incredibly political incredibly fast. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/solar-freakin-railways/981462.md?page=2)