This is the worlds first Solar Powered Train, it made its first 6 km round trip, between the town of Byron Bay and North Beach in NSW Australia, making it the world’s first solar powered train, December 2017.
source.image: Wonder World
The Byron Bay Railroad Company, searched the country and found a dilapidated vintage1949-built 600 class train, called a ‘red rattler’, and spent $4 million dollars to restore it and get it up and running, including another $1.8 million dollars on restoring the 3km disused rail line, Plus a further $1 million dollars was spent on the train shed and two platforms at each end.
On its roof, the train boasts 6 kW of custom-made flexible solar panels, and are backed up by 77 kWh of battery storage, which has taken the place of one of the train’s two original diesel engines.
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The train only uses about 4kwh for each one way trip, and has been able to make 16 trips, and only use 25% of its on board battery power, without any top up charging. The train can also recharge while stopped at each station, which are also equipped with solar panels on the roofs.
