Amtrak Says It Has No Beef With Cow-Powered Train

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Amtrak officials say they had no beef with using cattle-based biodiesel to power its Heartland Flyer train.

The railroad last year launched a yearlong experiment to see whether fuel made from beef tallow could be mixed with diesel oil and effectively power a 3,200-horsepower engine. It said Monday that it could.

An evaluation found that the fuel blend met industry standards, engine wear was limited and emissions were below federal limits for the type of engine using it.

The results were presented last week at a railroad environmental conference at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Amtrak used a $274,000 federal grant and worked with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The train runs daily between Oklahoma City and Fort Worth, Texas.

Tallow is often used in soap or animal feed.