• Acela II (Alstom Avelia Liberty): Design, Production, Delivery, Acceptance

  • Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.
Discussion related to Amtrak also known as the National Railroad Passenger Corp.

Moderators: GirlOnTheTrain, mtuandrew, Tadman

  by R36 Combine Coach
 
jp1822 wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 5:25 pm I've heard there's over 120 some items to be rectified and that's even with some of the latter train sets released. Some of the earlier train sets will have to be returned to Alstom and endure even more re-work and re-tooling. Such a REALLY sad debate and site to see these units still parked around the NEC.
No one seems to have learned from the Metroliners in '68-69. Not only were they held up before passenger service, but the Westinghouse Metroliners had to be returned to Budd and Westinghouse for rework before service.
At least the GEs were put into service quicker, in time for the first train before the end of Johnson's term.
  by JuniusLivonius
 
JuniusLivonius wrote: Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:24 pm KP2022 was out again tonight. No visual, hence I'm late; only heard on radio so I don't know if it was actually Avelia.

I'm thinking yesterday was a Charger test. Sometimes the test crew operates a Charger then goes back to running an Avelia Liberty the next day.
Clarification: Wednesday's run was confirmed a Charger (ALC-42) based on a YouTube comment. Tuesday's was likely a Charger based on the abnormally early testing time. Both ran under Acela "speed test" name KP2022.

Last night was an Avelia Liberty, visually confirmed as I said above.

Tonight looks bleak because of wire issues at Hamilton, according to NJT. Track 4 is not usable Midway - Ham. Westbound trains are using track 3 so there's really no spare track that can be taken out for testing.
  by JuniusLivonius
 
JuniusLivonius wrote: Fri Jun 14, 2024 6:45 pm Tonight looks bleak because of wire issues at Hamilton, according to NJT. Track 4 is not usable Midway - Ham. Westbound trains are using track 3 so there's really no spare track that can be taken out for testing.
I can't believe it.

Avelia Liberty pulled/is pulling out of PCY right at 8:00PM sharp. They must have gone mad.

8:11PM - Slow move to a stop over the Schuylkill. Obviously an advertisement to everyone in traffic on I-76.
8:29PM - On the move west behind #92
8:42PM - KP2022 passed Tacony
  by Matt Johnson
 
JuniusLivonius wrote: Thu Jun 20, 2024 5:16 pm Update from today from an insider:
amtraktrains.com Acela150 wrote: Confirmed that testing is on hold for a while for now for FRA review.
Not sure if that's good news or bad, but hopefully they'll pick up with the next phase of testing once the 90 mph restriction is lifted.
  by PRRTechFan
 
Mr. Livonious... I have been fascinated reading your updates about Acela II testing. I've been away from Railroad.net for a while now. I used to know just about everything there was to know about traction power, signalling and the interlockings along the NEC... at least in New Jersey; but a lot of things have changed. I know Union Interlocking was broken up into several pieces years ago. Nassau has been gone for a lot longer than that! I'm assuming that HAM controls the area around the newer Hamilton Station. You have referred to DELCO, but I don't know where that is... I suspect near the yard for the former GM Plant in Linden?

How do they handle the actual testing? I assume there is permission (Form D?) to run a specific track between specific limits. In one night, do they make several high-speed runs back and forth on the same track within those times and limits? What happens at each "turn" or change in direction? I know at one time "Direction of Traffic" had to be set for tracks 2 and 3 between opposing interlockings to permit operation in the desired direction. Is that just... a call to the dispatcher to set direction and display the signals now?

I am probably too far east of the NEC to receive VHF radio transmissions; but would you be willing to share the frequencies you are scanning?

Thanks in advance for your assistance!
  by Tadman
 
R36 Combine Coach wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 6:15 pm
jp1822 wrote: Thu Jun 13, 2024 5:25 pm I've heard there's over 120 some items to be rectified and that's even with some of the latter train sets released. Some of the earlier train sets will have to be returned to Alstom and endure even more re-work and re-tooling. Such a REALLY sad debate and site to see these units still parked around the NEC.
No one seems to have learned from the Metroliners in '68-69. Not only were they held up before passenger service, but the Westinghouse Metroliners had to be returned to Budd and Westinghouse for rework before service.
At least the GEs were put into service quicker, in time for the first train before the end of Johnson's term.
At least they're doing the testing before unleashing them. The case could be made that the Metroliners were not tested enough and that is why they failed. Similar to a lot of CAF products lately. Look at the CAF sleepers in Scotland - total dumpster fire. I'd rather see another year of testing and tweaking than dumping them on us and having a giant public mess.
  by RandallW
 
There have been no issues with CAF Mark 5 sleepers in Scotland, but there have been issues with the TransPennine Express coaches (Mark 5A), although the withdrawal of those coaches was strongly fought for by people complaining about the noise of maintaining the Stadler built engines that pulled them (I'm not arguing the Mark 5As were successes, mind you, but the sleepers were anything but a "dumpster fire").
  by CNJGeep
 
PRRTechFan wrote: Sat Jun 22, 2024 8:21 pm Mr. Livonious... I have been fascinated reading your updates about Acela II testing. I've been away from Railroad.net for a while now. I used to know just about everything there was to know about traction power, signalling and the interlockings along the NEC... at least in New Jersey; but a lot of things have changed. I know Union Interlocking was broken up into several pieces years ago. Nassau has been gone for a lot longer than that! I'm assuming that HAM controls the area around the newer Hamilton Station. You have referred to DELCO, but I don't know where that is... I suspect near the yard for the former GM Plant in Linden?

How do they handle the actual testing? I assume there is permission (Form D?) to run a specific track between specific limits. In one night, do they make several high-speed runs back and forth on the same track within those times and limits? What happens at each "turn" or change in direction? I know at one time "Direction of Traffic" had to be set for tracks 2 and 3 between opposing interlockings to permit operation in the desired direction. Is that just... a call to the dispatcher to set direction and display the signals now?
HAM is Just east of FAIR.
DELCO is just west of COUNTY.

Tracks 2 & 3 are signalled in both directions throughout. There is no need to set a desired direction anymore.
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