this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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[–] [email protected] 56 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Wouldn't technically nuclear power also be considered Steampunk?

Meaning there is no difference between Steampunk and Atompunk?

[–] [email protected] 80 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Nah, key difference is that in atompunk, the energy is typically converted into electricity.

A big part of steampunk is the pipes moving steam to the contraptions, compared to wires moving electricity.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Hmm. Suppose you were building a nuclear locomotive. (Setting aside, for the moment, whether this is a good idea.) Would nuke→turbine→electricity→motor be more efficient than just using the rotation of the turbine to move the train?

It can't be, right?

[–] [email protected] 13 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Diesel engine > generator > motor is frequently used for trains nowadays. Transmissions can be super inefficient, especially with discrete gear ratios

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

This is only true for locomotives really. Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) often use hydraulic transmissions. Here's an example railcar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V/Line_VLocity

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago

It's possible that controlling the rotation would be significantly more difficult without the extra conversion.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (1 children)

That raises the question: are the Voyager probes (or anything with an RTG) considered Atompunk, or do they need random bits of sheet metal welded on to meet the aesthetic first?

[–] [email protected] 11 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I remember playing flash game years ago that was about WW1 dog fights in nuclear powered steam biplanes.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 3 months ago (1 children)

I loved that game! The sequel was pretty good too, if I'm thinking of the same one

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

Are we talking about Steambirds?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago

I am so checking that out!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

That's the one I was thinking about! 😃

I couldn't remember the name XD