Acela Vibrations/bumps

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Phil Downey

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Has anyone noticed that the old REGIONAL trains have a smoother ride than ACELA at high speeds between NYC and D.C.? It is virtually impossible to type on ACELA because of all the vibration and bumps. Given the monies spent, this should not be the case.
 
Has anyone noticed that the old REGIONAL trains have a smoother ride than ACELA at high speeds between NYC and D.C.? It is virtually impossible to type on ACELA because of all the vibration and bumps. Given the monies spent, this should not be the case.
Acelas have square wheels. They were cheaper and Amtrak was trying to save money.
 
I noticed the ride was much rougher on Acela than on the regionals on my recent trip WAS to NYP.
 
I noticed the ride was much rougher on Acela than on the regionals on my recent trip WAS to NYP.
I noticed this on Saturday as well. It reminded me of a rough ride on the Lake Shore in upstate New York. It occurred to me that I got a smoother ride out of one of the Heritage diners than I did out of the fancy new Acelas.
 
I'm not an expert, but the one time I took the Acela Express on the 150mph PVD-BOS segment, it was much smoother than some of the beat up Amfleet I cars I've experienced on the Northeast Regional at times (though they are normally just fine).
 
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And as an opposing opinion, I do most of my point runs on both AE and Regionals on the northern section of the NEC (between NYP and BOS) and find the AE to be a rougher ride! Even on the 150 MPH stretches! (Yes, that includes thru KIN!
mosking.gif
) I find the Regionals to be smoother at 125 MPH than AE at 150 MPH!
rolleyes.gif


And between NYP and WAS, the AE goes "slow" - "only" 135 MPH!
tongue.gif
 
Suspension parts wearing out because of being too overweight, mixed in with the tilt mechanism and a 'hunting' locomotive on the point? I'm curious now!
 
And as an opposing opinion, I do most of my point runs on both AE and Regionals on the northern section of the NEC (between NYP and BOS) and find the AE to be a rougher ride! Even on the 150 MPH stretches! (Yes, that includes thru KIN!
mosking.gif
) I find the Regionals to be smoother at 125 MPH than AE at 150 MPH!
rolleyes.gif


And between NYP and WAS, the AE goes "slow" - "only" 135 MPH!
tongue.gif
I guess I must have gotten a good one....or a lot of bad Regionals.
 
Acelas have square wheels. They were cheaper and Amtrak was trying to save money.
They even hired a team of very expensive consultants to work on it.

After two years of studies the consultants said they believed the reason square wheels are bumpy is because of the corners.

To make them less bumby they recomemnded Amtrak reduce the number of corners.

So Amtrak ordered triangular wheels.
 
In my experience, compared to HSR trains in Europe and Japan, both Regionals and Acelas have pretty poor ride quality. I have often wondered why that is so. Perhaps has to do something with the additional weight that they carry around? I don't know.
 
Acela is overrated. It shakes and shimmies like nothing i've been on. If it were my car, I would take it in for a front end alignment immediately. The Europeans and Asians laugh at our "high speed" joke. Absolutely ridiculous. What poor ride conditions. FYI - I ride the BOS-NYC corridor - and it is like getting an unwanted massage. Fix is Washington NOW!
 
I don't know what y'all talking about; the only thing smoother than an Amfleet 1 or 2, or Acela, is an outer body trip to the afterlife. If the cars bump a lot it's probably the track or some part of, like a turnout or crossover. Otherwise, I'd trust going under a dental procedure in them (well, only if the dentist does that regularly!). The worst offenders are the Heritage diners and Viewliners. Superliners are smoothe because of their weight, but the height makes them really sway if the rails are old and jointed. That said, I hope the V2's get a better type of truck.
 
I don't ever recall the Acela vibrating so badly that I couldn't type. I'm usually at a real table so YMMV with a tray table.

What I do recall from my last ride was a surprising amount of swaying. I almost lost my balance while in the restroom while the train was presumably crossing over a switch. I expect that on a high Superliner on freight RR tracks, but on the Acela it caught me off guard.
 
I did notice that the Acelas are rougher as well. I also kept hearing what I assume was the tilting mechanism every time we stopped at the station.
 
I did notice that the Acelas are rougher as well. I also kept hearing what I assume was the tilting mechanism every time we stopped at the station.
Anytime the speed drops below something like 10 MPH or so, you'll hear a metallic clunk from the cars. That's the tilt mechanism turning itself off due to the slow speed.
 
I did notice that the Acelas are rougher as well. I also kept hearing what I assume was the tilting mechanism every time we stopped at the station.
Anytime the speed drops below something like 10 MPH or so, you'll hear a metallic clunk from the cars. That's the tilt mechanism turning itself off due to the slow speed.
I never really heard it when arriving at the station but leaving I always heard it.
 
I'm getting rattled to death on this train to NY from Boston. This is horrible,

I was counting on getting work done. Now I'll be glad if I don't get violently

ill before we arrive.

It's been 30 years since I've been on a train in the US. Been many times

throughout Europe and in Japan. Never anything like this.

Sad -- I really want Amtrak to succeed.
 
On Acela 2100 from DC to NY and it is much bumpier than past trips. Can barely type this message...or sleep :(
 
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