Amtrak Turbo

[MrEd]

I had some time to kill while waiting for the Maple Leaf this year in Schenectady, so I went to visit the Turbo train that was for sale.

Here is the Schenectady station.

Here is the yard holding the turbo train.

I understand this was Amtrak's first high speed tilting train, but things just did not work out for it.

It has not been moved for so long the vines have a strong hold on it.

<< this is maybe 2002 ?

The five-car train sets consist of power units at each ends and three passenger cars. The trains, built in France in the 1970s were stripped and rebuilt.

The deal between Amtrak and the state calls for putting seven rebuilt trains into service at a cost of about $93 million.

As part of the deal Amtrak is supposed to improve the tracks, but the financially troubled passenger service is falling behind on its part of the agreement.

<<

The Super Steel in Schenectady recently shutdown and is out of business.

Now this train is not worth much.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

I remember riding these between Chicago and St. Louis back in the 70s when I was a teenager. They were often crowded to the point of standing room but that didn't bother me at all as I usually wandered and explored. The cafe car was pretty neat with the "pre-disco" bright colors and plastic and fake leather.

 

[George Harris]

Obviously not today's pictures.

In I think it was 1976 I rode one north out of Chicago when the Chicago - St. Louis trains were running Milwauskee - Chicago - St. Louis. Since almost all my train riding before that date had been on American standard weight and streamliner equipment, the thing struck me as more bus like or even tin can like as a vehicle that train like. Remember there being a large opening at the bottom of the vestibule through which you could watch the rail. So far as I know, they did not tilt. The faster schedule was supposedly to come from higher speed and faster acceleration due to the turbine power. They had standard AAR couplings on the ends, but intermediate couples were still UIC hook and screw with corner buffers. This intermediate coupling got dishonorable mention in an accident report because the hooks popped off due to compression when one of these things hit a garbage truck, resulting in the coaches scattering rather than staying together.

 

[the_traveler]

I remember riding these between Chicago and St. Louis back in the 70s when I was a teenager. They were often crowded to the point of standing room but that didn't bother me at all as I usually wandered and explored. The cafe car was pretty neat with the "pre-disco" bright colors and plastic and fake leather.

The Turbotrains used in NYS and those used in the midwest were different. The ones in the midwest were French built, but the ones in NYS were (?) US or Canadian built (by Rohr IIRC). Growing up in NYS, I rode those all the time, but never got to ride the midwest ones.

 

[Neil_M]

The ones in the midwest were French built,

Have rode them in France, but they are all out of traffic now, managed to jump on the last run in public service. Great bits of kit, dead comfortable, noisy as hell and reasonably fast.

Expensive to run mind, fuel guzzlers.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

Didn't the Northeast Turbos have the 747-type cabs with the raised compartment? The ones pictured here look like the Midwest ones, except of course for the newer livery.

 

[the_traveler]

No, you're thinking of another train. I think it was a 1960's era train that ran on the NEC, north (east) of New Haven I believe. It was before my time (and I didn't live on the NEC then), but I think it may have been called something like "aerotrain" or such. The ones that ran from NY (Grand Central Terminal at the time) to ALB and BUF (and at times NYG-ALB-Montreal) were similar looking to the midwest ones, but were different.

The ones pictured at SDY are the NY ones.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Amtrak ran three types. The first were built by United Aircraft, and were called "Turbo Trains". These were out of service by the mid 70s.

The second were French-built by, I think, ANF. They were called Turboliners.

The third were built by Rohr. They are similar to the ANFs and were also called Turboliners.

 

[the_traveler]

Thank you GML!

#1 is the 747 (raised cab) type. #2 is the midwest type. #3 is the NYS type. The ones pictured are #3.

 

[trainfan]

Thank you GML!
#1 is the 747 (raised cab) type. #2 is the midwest type. #3 is the NYS type. The ones pictured are #3.

I believe some of the midwest types were rebuilt and resembled the NYS type ??

Trainfan

 

[AlanB]

I understand this was Amtrak's first high speed tilting train, but things just did not work out for it.

AFAIK they didn't tilt.

 

[sky12065]

Obviously not today's pictures. In I think it was 1976.

OMG, You reminded me that I used to see the Turbo regularly on my way home from work back in the '70's! It would be running next to Interstate 90 (or as we call it locally Freebee 90) in the Albany-Colonie area and on its way to Schenectady and all points West! I can't believe it's been that long since I last seen them running. Boy, now I really feel old; THANKS A LOT GEORGE!!! <_<

​

 

[George Harris]

Obviously not today's pictures. In I think it was 1976.

OMG, You reminded me that I used to see the Turbo regularly on my way home from work back in the '70's! It would be running next to Interstate 90 (or as we call it locally Freebee 90) in the Albany-Colonie area and on its way to Schenectady and all points West! I can't believe it's been that long since I last seen them running. Boy, now I really feel old; THANKS A LOT GEORGE!!! <_<

​

:huh: I did not mean the picture was taken in 1976. I meant that I rode one of these in 1976. The picture was likely taken this past summer.

 

[NS VIA FAN]

Here's the United Aircraft Turbo that operated between Boston and New York in the 1970's. The Power Car Dome provided an engineer's view of the Corridor.

Click here for an Audio Clip of the Turbine start-up and station announcements:

http://www.rapidotrains.com/audiovideo.html

 

[sky12065]

I understand this was Amtrak's first high speed tilting train, but things just did not work out for it.

AFAIK they didn't tilt.

Depends on the volume of wine & cheese consumed... especially the wine, doesn't it? :lol:

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Here's the United Aircraft Turbo that operated between Boston and New York in the 1970's. The Power Car Dome provided an engineer's view of the Corridor.
Click here for an Audio Clip of the Turbine start-up and station announcements:

http://www.rapidotrains.com/audiovideo.html

Brings back memories. I rode this train from Boston to NYC in the early 70's. It was my first time to visit Boston, and certainly my first time to ride equipment such as this.

 

[VT Hokie]

AFAIK they didn't tilt.

Correct. The aforementioned UA Turbotrain did have a passive tilt system, I believe similar to what's found in the Talgos. But the completely unrelated French Turboliners and their American copies did not tilt.

Three of the French Turboliners were rebuilt for service in New York to supplement the seven Rohr Turboliner trainsets. In addition to third rail capability, they were given the more streamlined Rohr nose/cab design. You could still tell the difference, though. The power cars on the rebuilt French units looked "jacked up" in the rear, for lack of a better term. It appeared as if the car wasn't level. Also, I think the bodies might have been slightly more narrow, as the doors extended out from the rest of the body. Finally, the service section of the cafe car was at the end rather than the middle of the car. So, the break in the windows was at one end of the cafe car, rather than the middle as with the Rohr Turbos.

One of the French rebuilds caught fire in Penn Station in the early 90's, and the other two were withdrawn from service after that. They have since been scrapped. This is one of the French Turboliners after being rebuilt for New York:

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=94637&nseq=21

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=92919&nseq=30

This is what the French built sets looked like before being rebuilt to Rohr specs:

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=61152&nseq=38

 

[VT Hokie]

I had some time to kill while waiting for the Maple Leaf this year in Schenectady, so I went to visit the Turbo train that was for sale.

The train you photographed at Super Steel is one of the seven Rohr Turboliners that were to have been rebuilt. This particular trainset is known as the "RTL II" and is the only one of its kind. In 1994 or thereabouts, after the Turbo fleet was retired, this train was rebuilt by Morrisen Knudsen and served until late 2002, while the other six Rohr Turboliners were stored. Apparently happy with its performance, New York decided to invest in rebuilding the entire fleet. The RTL II was to have been the last of the seven to go through the new rebuild program and become an "RTL III".

Only three "RTL III" rebuilds were completed, and these three trainsets are stored in Delaware. Two of the three completed trains entered revenue service briefly before the project was canceled, as seen here:

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=46719&nseq=43

The remaining four trains are at Super Steel.

 

[MattW]

I wish I could convince the State of Georgia to buy them, and allow Amtrak to operate them Atlanta-Savannah, or JAX or from Chattanooga or something. I see them as better than push-pull service with a cab car because you have power on both ends but I'll let that particular topic finally die ( ). Even if CSX doesn't upgrade the track between Atlanta and whereever, they'd still be able to outperform a P42-coaches-Cab at least from what I can tell!

 

[Crescent Mark]

I wish I could convince the State of Georgia to buy them, and allow Amtrak to operate them Atlanta-Savannah, or JAX or from Chattanooga or something. I see them as better than push-pull service with a cab car because you have power on both ends but I'll let that particular topic finally die ( ). Even if CSX doesn't upgrade the track between Atlanta and whereever, they'd still be able to outperform a P42-coaches-Cab at least from what I can tell!

I'm big on that also, but do you really think it'd be faster than a P42/coaches? I wonder if there's anywhere they can wye it at either endpoint (ATL perhaps?) so they don't need a cab car. I don't think we'll see ATL->SAV service for quite a long time now. NC has their stuff together and is making yet a 3rd daily Charlotte -> Raleigh option. Very impressive....too bad GA doesn't feel the need to do that.