Tri-Rail To Test Colorado Railcars

[AlanB]

When the red and yellow railcar pulled into the Tri-Rail station Wednesday morning, Frances Carswell wondered if she was in the right place.
Where was the sky-blue car trimmed with wind-swept palm trees and puffy white clouds that she usually takes from Fort Lauderdale to visit family in West Palm Beach, Carswell asked herself.

The full story from the Palm Beach Post.

 

[AlanB]

B51,

Any chance that your source might have confused the DMU's with the Jet Engine? :unsure:

While certainly not impossible, it now seems like Tri-Rail would be doing an awful lot of testing if they are going to aquire the DMU's and the Jet Engine.

 

[battalion51]

No Jet Train is what they're saying. MY sources have spoken with the Chief Mechanical Officer of Tri-Rail, and this is what they're saying. The work that will be done with the Jet Train is more for the state than for Tri-Rail. It's also being said that if DMU sets are acquired the State will own them, not Tri-Rail. This way when another part of the state (Orlando, Jacksonville, Tampa) wants to give the sets a whirl the state can do as they please without having to ask Tri-Rail to borrow the sets.

 

[AlanB]

No Jet Train is what they're saying.

Cool. B)

Sounds like Florida is finally starting to learn what California already knows. Trains are the way to go.

With all this new technology on Tri-Rail, I think that more and more citizens in Florida will start to realize that trains hold the answer for Florida's overcrowded highways.

Now if you can just do something with your Governour, either win him over or kick him out of office. Then Florida will really get some where by train.

While I realize that the DMU's will run on the existing Tri-Rail corridor, I have to wonder if Tri-rail is looking at the DMU's for possibile running on the FEC tracks. Running on the FEC as a second corridor is a plan that they been talking about lately, as I'm sure you are aware. The DMU's would be a perfect fit, especially during the initial startup, where ridership is generally lighter.

 

[battalion51]

Well we're still a long ways away from seeing service start on the FEC. One of the things I think is going to have to happen before Tri-Rail can ever get over there is for the entire route to be CTC and Double Tracked. FEC is willing to let Tri-Rail run, but it CANNOT interfere with their freight trains. Since FEC runs mostly during rush hour, double track is absolutely necessary. I think you will first see Tri-Rail eastablish service to Jupiter and then look at expanding south towards Hialeah. It will be a monster task. The other problem with the DMU is the price tag. Colorado wants money for these trainsets that the state really doesn't have. Another issue to be tackled is the power of the DMU. When testing happened back in October with the DMU coupled to a standard set, the DMU took a long time to load up. Now, if Colorado Rail Car says this thing can easily handle a three to four car set, I'm skeptical as to the load times with it.