It was really quite simple. The train boiled water with electricity instead of fire. Does this count as a trans train? :crazy-frog-trans:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric-steam_locomotive
That actually worked? Just heat the coal to boil the water to spin the turbine to generate the electricity to heat the water to push the piston to turn the wheel?
No. Just dam the river to spin the turbine to generate the electricity to heat the the water to push the piston to turn the wheel. Switzerland gets its electricity from hydropower.
Ah, that makes more sense. Use gravity to pull the water to spin the turbine to generate electricity to heat the water to move the piston to spin the wheel to make the thing roll uphill in defiance of gravity.
Aside from the gorgeous steam plumes, does this have any advantages over electric motors.
Absolutely none. This is insanely inefficient. But they should do it more often.
