A passenger train that runs on biodiesel has been picked as one of Time magazine’s 50 Best Inventions of 2010.

Amtrak’s Heartland Flyer offers daily service between Ft. Worth, Texas and Oklahoma City, OK:

Since spring, the Heartland Flyer has been running on 20% biodiesel rather than the carbon-heavy diesel fuel on which Amtrak’s other trains — with the exception of the electric Acela Express — currently operate. The biodiesel reduces air pollution and helps cash-strapped Amtrak save on fuel. And appropriately for a train in cow country, the biodiesel is made from rendered cattle fat.”

The article does worry if this would be scalable outside of the beef belt. To paraphrase a chip company’s motto, “use all you like, the biodiesel industry will make more.”