MI and/or IL: a chance for the Jet Train?

As has been mentioned on this and other sources rumors of the Jet Train's demise have been somewhat exaggerated. Even so, dragging around a high horsepower stainless steel bullet on rails is no better than a full sized mockup made of plywood and paper mache. Test runs on the high speed loop at Pueblo may have been beneficial but have had absolutely no impact in the court of public opinion. Thus far we have another government program with little to no public or commercial benefit.

However, with Michigan and Illinois (hopefully) close to meaningful advances in train control and increased train speed we may have an avenue for real time track time for an otherwise useless locomotive. At 110 MPH Jet Train will not come close to it's design specification but it's still better than 79 MPH. I don't see any government agency forking over more cash for a set of Acela coaches but I see no reason why Jet Train cannot be modified to haul the equipment normally in service. Placing Jet Train in this controlled environment will allow all to see whether or not it can survive the rigors of service day after day, month after month, mile after mile. If it should fail then a ubiquitous P42 can take its place. If it should not be able to mitigate this relatively simple duty then all will see it for the white elephant it is. If, however, (after a reasonable break in period) it proves up to the task then maybe we're on to something. Obviously, Bombardier will have to step up to provide service and maintenance to prove their point. Bombardier, the ball is in your court.

The Jet train has not proven itself with multi car consists, It has basicly run with a cab car and the engine.
The fuel uses at todays prices should be tru the roof on a consist of 4 to 6 cars if it can even handle that ???.

At 110 MPH Jet Train will not come close to it's design specification but it's still better than 79 MPH

The P42DC can do 110 mph. And it can save tankloads of fuel over the overhyped JetTrain. Let dead dogs lie and forget about gas-turbine already...

Irish Chieftain wrote:...and forget about gas-turbine already...

Sorry, no can do. I have medium size diesels and turbines on my resume.

The rest of the world's ready to forget. SNCF isn't dusting off the Turbo TGV anytime soon, no matter whether it got up to 192 mph or not.

And again, a gas-turbine would be overkill for a 110-mph line that diesels would perform just fine on.

With oil hovering near $80/barrel and no reason to believe it'll go down anytime soon, I don't think anyone's even thinking of the JetTrain anymore, especially given that even the FRA/BBD admitted it was a fuel hog.

It was an idea that came when oil was $25 a barrel. It's 3 times that now.

What I'm waiting for is some class I to look into electrification again.

And yes, it's a long shot.

But then again, 5 years ago, new nuclear power plants were an even longer shot. This year, the NRC expects 25 license applications, and two utilities have already announced plans for at least 3 new units (two in Texas and at least one in Florida). The NRC issued their first commercial license in 30 years to a group building an enrichment plant. right now, it looks like by years end, the first power generation license might will be issued.

Irish Chieftain wrote:...a gas-turbine would be overkill...

You say this as if it's a bad thing.

That's because it is. For a 110-mph line. There used to be E-units geared for 120 mph; that's how old such capabilities of diesel-electric locos is. And it's a waste.

Irish Chieftain wrote:...it's a waste.

Perhaps. However, take a jet powered stainless steel roller skate tied to a neutered Metroliner that has no purpose other than to be dragged around creation as an ideal for High Speed Rail, now that's a waste.

That's not a "however", though. That's part of the whole waste of the FRA commissioning a gas-turbine locomotive in the first place. Leave gas turbine engines where they belong, i.e. on jet aircraft, turboprops and helicopters.

Maybe they're towing it off to the scrapper finally. With steel prices where they are, the scrape value of it's gotta be decent...

125mph has proven no barrier for well designed diesels, and Talgo's pushed the bar to 150mph for a trainset powered by a conventional diesel.

To date, there have been virtually no sucessful turbine powered locomotives or trains, ANYWHERE. UP's stuff comes the closest and even it wasn't a universa locomotive - they were restricted in where they could g and burned bunker c like crazy. After the plastics industry got the idea of using that stuff for making Tupperware (among other things) it suddenly wasn't a 'waste product' and the costs of the big blows went UP...

Irish Chieftain wrote:

At 110 MPH Jet Train will not come close to it's design specification but it's still better than 79 MPH

The P42DC can do 110 mph. And it can save tankloads of fuel over the overhyped JetTrain. Let dead dogs lie and forget about gas-turbine already...

Why not just focus on a 125MPH diesel-electric? Hell, why not regear a P42?

Cause there is very little territory in USA where 125 is allowed.
Not to much trackage with some form of cabsignal/speedcontrol.

Irish Chieftain wrote:Leave gas turbine engines where they belong, i.e. on jet aircraft, turboprops and helicopters.

And powerplants. Lest we forget those sentinels of electrical generation and miff my co-workers. That being said we've hit upon my real beef with Jet Train. Were this the result of venture capital then this flange wheeled spectacle would be no more than a curiosity with the import of Thomas the Tank Engine and the Little Engine that Could (both of which I would prefer not to see again for the rest of my natural days... long story).

However, Jet Train was not borne of private resources but instead tax dollars... my/our tax dollars. As a stake holder in this I want to see it run to determine viability. If on its maiden voyage it leaves a trail of parts then let us finish the job and convert it into rebar and razor blades. If it proves to be mechanically able but not financially viable then let's park it in the Franklin Institute next to the Baldwin 60000 in the 'close but no cigar' hall.

The Jet train has not proven itself with multi car consists, It has basicly run with a cab car and the engine.

Dutch Railnut is spreading disinformation again (or is just plain uninformed).

JetTrain performed to all required specs with a train of at least three Amfleet coaches at Pueblo. (La Bomba had a video of this on its JetTrain website for over a year.) These runs were limited to 135 mph because of the coaches' max allowable speed. The locomotive alone exceeded its 150 mph target max speed on several occasions while testing there.

What's more is Jet Train performed admirably in testing on VIA's corridors in Ontario and Quebec. There it was pulling LRC coaches which, incidentally, the Acela cars are based on.

It may be a failed government program, gentlemen, but it isn't that way because of its technology. At the very minimum it did exactly what the government expected and then some.

It is a failed government program because no one there wants to pay for what will inevitably amount to a massive capital outlay project which would exceed that of the Eisenhower Interstate System. The Oil and Rubber Tire lobbies won't stand for it.