Freight engines added, top speeds?

[rms492]

With all the locomotive failures lately, I was wondering, when a freight unit is added, what is the allowed top speed?

Can these freight units achieve 79mph?

Some examples:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keFkXCjk42E



Both of these seem to be moving the train at a very good speed, anyone guess its speed?

 

[Trogdor]

70 mph max with a freight unit.

 

[DAWall]

A GE C44-9W is geared at 74:18 Which gives them a top speed of 74 MPH. Now having said that. More then likely they have software that will limit them to around 70ish.

 

[Crescent ATN & TCL]

On NS when a freight unit is added the train is reclassified as a local manifest freight and is restricted to 50mph.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

40 if CP Rail gives u a rent a wreck SD40-2 on the EB

 

[had8ley]

To give a broad answer to cover most class 1's~ the employee timetable will give pax train speed limits with freight engines. At one time these speed limits could be superceded by a Superintendent; don't know if that is still the case.

 

[PaulM]

Same subject, different question. If the caption on the second video (#7 Nortbrook) is correct, it looks like a train that just departed Chicago. Why would a freight engine be necessary?

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Presently, Amtrak is experiencing a shortage of P42s as a result of fires.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

I wonder if those in power at Amtrak, ever regret retiring the F40.

 

[PaulM]

Presently, Amtrak is experiencing a shortage of P42s as a result of fires.

Yes but... A couple of days ago I saw the Carl Sandberg with P42s front and back pulling, or was it pushing, 3 superliner coaches. I wondered why the two engines given the reported shortage. A few years ago the IZ ran with a cabbage for a short time; but soon reverted back to only an engine. So turning the train in West Quincy vs. push-push must be a close call, bean-counter-wise.

You would think that the cost of the second engines on the CS + cost to hire the BNSF engine would exceed the labor cost to turn the train in W. Quincy.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Presently, Amtrak is experiencing a shortage of P42s as a result of fires.

Yes but... A couple of days ago I saw the Carl Sandberg with P42s front and back pulling, or was it pushing, 3 superliner coaches. I wondered why the two engines given the reported shortage. A few years ago the IZ ran with a cabbage for a short time; but soon reverted back to only an engine. So turning the train in West Quincy vs. push-push must be a close call, bean-counter-wise.

You would think that the cost of the second engines on the CS + cost to hire the BNSF engine would exceed the labor cost to turn the train in W. Quincy.

The conundrum probably never crossed their mind.

 

[WICT106]

When I first learned of the purchase of the P42s, I wondered why Amtrak chose not to purchase several dozen SD-80s. Gear the 80s to operate up to speeds of 110 mph, and I think they would perform well.

 

[NorthCoastHiawatha]

When I first learned of the purchase of the P42s, I wondered why Amtrak chose not to purchase several dozen SD-80s. Gear the 80s to operate up to speeds of 110 mph, and I think they would perform well.

I don't know they just seem too large for passenger work. The P42 weighs about 121 ton the SD80 around 191 if I recall correctly.

 

[Ryan]

Same subject, different question. If the caption on the second video (#7 Nortbrook) is correct, it looks like a train that just departed Chicago. Why would a freight engine be necessary?

According to this picture and the comments, BNSF had some issues with a bridge and has to be rerouted over the UP's Geneva Sub (which apparently uses cab signals that necessitate UP power on the front).

 

[Eric S]

Presently, Amtrak is experiencing a shortage of P42s as a result of fires.

Yes but... A couple of days ago I saw the Carl Sandberg with P42s front and back pulling, or was it pushing, 3 superliner coaches. I wondered why the two engines given the reported shortage. A few years ago the IZ ran with a cabbage for a short time; but soon reverted back to only an engine. So turning the train in West Quincy vs. push-push must be a close call, bean-counter-wise.

You would think that the cost of the second engines on the CS + cost to hire the BNSF engine would exceed the labor cost to turn the train in W. Quincy.

Didn't one of the articles (possibly in Trains magazine or on their website) about the locomotive shortage mention that Amtrak was also short of cabbage cars? I seem to recall seeing that recently. Of course, it doesn't explain or answer the point you raise in your last sentence.

 

[PaulM]

According to this picture and the comments, BNSF had some issues with a bridge and has to be rerouted over the UP's Geneva Sub (which apparently uses cab signals that necessitate UP power on the front).

That would explain the CZ with a UP engine passing through the western Chicago suburbs. The link mentions the Burlington Bridge. I suspect that would be the bridge across the Mississippi at Burlington, IA on the CZ route. But the OP's video's caption showed #7 with a BNSF engine in the north suburbs?

Come to think of it, why would it be a BNSF engine? I thought that was Canadian Pacific territory.

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, you're right Paul - I got those two crossed up in my head. No idea why the Builder was running like that (there were some photos in the AU photo pool this evening as well).

 

[Green Maned Lion]

When I first learned of the purchase of the P42s, I wondered why Amtrak chose not to purchase several dozen SD-80s. Gear the 80s to operate up to speeds of 110 mph, and I think they would perform well.

The reason you thought that is you are not thinking of the overall system. The Genesis locomotive was not designed primarily as a replacement for the relatively new at the time EMD F40s. Rather, the Genesis locomotive was primarily designed as the P32AC-DM, intending to replace EMD FL9 dual mode locomotives then over 30 years old, for use on both Amtrak's Empire Corridor and Metro-North.

Purchasing the P40 was a later decision done primarily to provide for service expansion and replacement of some of the older F40s and GP-40s then in Amtrak service. The P40s build was not part of the Genesis's initial program.

Amtrak's subsequent purchase of the P42s was based upon very generous GE financing terms.

As for why they wouldn't use SD-80s, those don't fit into the North River tunnels.

 

[George Harris]

As for why they wouldn't use SD-80s, those don't fit into the North River tunnels.

Could also be that there are those that fear a repeat of the SD-40 experience. There are plenty of places they could run these without worrying about the tight clearances into the New York area.