battalion51
Engineer
Well the spotter is a big drain on the engine when its coupled up to a train, it's mostly for use when the engine is running light. No more than half a mile at most.
Not wishing to give anyone else a heart attack Kate, I've fixed the title slightly to make it clearer that it wasn't passengers who died.KiwiKate said:Unaccustomed as I am to the "lingo" of trains and such, I must admit I was shocked when I read "92 dead in Avon Park!!!" Please spare my heart any future shocks and label your discussion topic a little less dramatically! :unsure: Pheww!! I had visions of 92 dead bodies littered about some desolate spot called Avon Park. Thankfully I was spared further damage to my ticker, after I read on into the topic and discovered that all the drama was to do with an engine breaking down!! :lol: :lol: :lol:
Well the train uses 2 P-42 locomotives as the power and three Superliner/Hi-LEvel cars (I think it's usually 1 SI Coach, 1 SI Snack Coach and a Hi Level Coach). At one point they were using and F-40 and an F-40 Cabbage, but all the F-40's have been retired and the Cabbage has been shifted to the Midwest. So now they use two ponies for the train, which could be considered a waste of power, but at least the train will be moving right along. :lol: This route is probably under consideration for RDC use once they come on line.panamaclipper said:Anybody know what they changed the NB Heartland Flyer from Ft. Worth to OKC to a later departure? It now doesn't get to OKC until almost 11 p.m. Also, what are they using for an engine on that service? I assume they only have one or two cars.
I suspect that this train doesn't move right along. Remember these are old freight RR cars. Odds are that they don't have the necessary control cables running through the cars. Therefore it's more than likely that the engineer can only control the head engine. The trailing unit is just along for the ride. Or should I say that it's a real drag. :lol:battalion51 said:So now they use two ponies for the train, which could be considered a waste of power, but at least the train will be moving right along. :lol:
One would think Alan. Except for one minor (check that major problem), what you described is illegal. By FRA rule the Engineer must have complete and total control of any unit in his/her train that is not considered a dead engine (for example when Chris Fussell brought 231 to PDX from BG it's engine brakes were disabled making it operate just like a regular car). This is why when there is an MU failure someone must be positioned in that trailing unit to ensure its brakes don't lock up. If an Engineer is found to be operating two engines without MU control of the other he and his Conductor(s) will spend at least 30 days on the street. Also don't forget Alan the Hi-Levels (and any Heritage car for that matter) originally were steam heated and didn't have HEP or COMM cables. Now every car has HEP and COMM cables. An MU cable is no different to install.Odds are that they don't have the necessary control cables running through the cars. Therefore it's more than likely that the engineer can only control the head engine. The trailing unit is just along for the ride.
Freight engines can only run between 65 & 70 MPH thats it.AlanB said:Well it probably wouldn't come to that, since Amtrak has actually mothballed most of its P40 engines. They could simply reactivate them, if they were to have a power shortage.
However, to answer your question specifically. Yes they could lease engines if needed. However there are a few considerations. Most freight engines are not set up to provide electrical power to the passenger cars. Therefore unless they found the right type of engine, any freight engine would need to be paired with an Amtrak engine.
Also one has to watch out for the fact that most freight engines are do not have the necessary equipment to run at speeds faster 79 MPH. This means that either the freight engines can't lead or they should only lead on runs where higher speeds are not permitted.
Only about 35 electric locomotives are needed daily to cover operations on the NEC. The reason there's a shortage is because of all the mechanical problems with the new HHP-8 and the non-rebuilt AEM-7 locomotives. Altogether, if Amtrak can get the whole electric fleet fully operational, there are 65 locomotives. Almost double what is needed to cover NEC service, giving Amtrak a surplus and the option of running Keystone trains between Philadelphia and Harrisburg with electirc locomotives.AlanB said:If Amtrak has a power shortage, it's with regard to the supply of electric engines. With the retirement of the E60's, coupled with the Acela problems, they are hurting for NEC engines. Currently they borrow a few NJT electric motors for daily service on the Clockers.
Enter your email address to join: