What about this for an idea?

Photo Credit: Daily Mail Newspaper
Here we see the Tornado, a Peppercorn Class built in Britain over the last couple of years. It is the first steam locomotive built in the country in the last 50 years.

To me it seems self-evident that it would be logical to redesign the power supply to utilise the technology shown in the following video instead of coal. The makers of the Tornado claim that, when one considers the number of passengers that would travel in the carriages pulled by the train the so called "carbon footprint" of the train would be far smaller than the same travellers using motor cars. If they were to think out of the box (current flash phrase that used to be "lateral thinking") and use sea water ignited by electrical power provided by Photo-voltaics and alternators to power the electrical unit, then that footprint would not only be lower than motor cars it would include coach travel as well. In fact it would almost cease to exist.

Passengers would travel in a cleaner environment with a smoother ride and stations would no longer have the smoke and fumes generated by the current diesel trains. And, the wonderful feeling of the steam train would be experienced once again Costs would be lowered and therefore fares should be lower. Footplate personnel would not have to get filthy and exhausted shovelling coal and there would be an easy re-fueling system using piped sea-water, which, last time I looked, seems to be in plentiful supply. Of course, the oil companies would have their noses put out of joint, ut should we care? After all they have ben screwing us over immorally for years.

In addition there would be no need for electrical cables together with the safety hazard of electric trains. Altogether it seems to me to be an ideal solution to many of the problems besetting the railway industry in Britain today.