SEPTEMBER 3RD!!

Mike, I agree with Joe, you need that K5 to be placed on the roof behind the blue flashing lights, lol!

If you do not like the price of gas for cars, then simple, you're railfans, use trains, unless you absolutely need to use your car, this isn't rocket science here.

SeldenJrFireman wrote:I laugh at the people in those urban tanks. I have a 2001 Ford Ranger IL4 and i get anywhere from 17-23 MPG/City. I havent figured out what i would get on highway. Ill Let you know after the Croton-Harmon Trip. My truck has a 16.5 gallon tank with 20.0 Gallon capacity (trying to figure that out) and it lasts me about a week, maybe a little longer.

Mike W.

the extra 3.5 gals is the emergency fuel tank. Every vehicle has an emergency, but it really is not something ppl really know and/or care to know about. Also I think if ppl did know about it, there would be alot of ppl who would be dumb enough to run out of gas cause they think the extra capaicity is always filled.

I get roughly 24 City and 32 in my V6 03 ES 300.

To turn this back to train related, GE and a few others have been working on hybrid engines. There was a hybrid SD70MAC they developed.

I was talking about this with somebody else here a while back, and I think if the LIRR could get rid of the Bi-level and its DE/DM fleet for DMU it would save alot on fuel expenses as well as be great for trips out east and the Canonball.

Tri-Rail has brought some and is curreently using them and is 2 1/2 times more fuel effiencet than anything in their current rooster. as well as 4 times as quiet.

The test was conducted by Brad Barkman, Tri-Rail’s Chief Mechanical Officer. “We wanted to know if the DMU would perform on our system,” commented Barkman, “so we closely duplicated service conditions. We had the DMU pull two of our bi-level cars, one being a full unit control cab car, running one of our regular routes including station dwell times of 30 seconds and one minute at every other stop – we even opened and shut the doors. We were interested in the generator set performance, so we ran with the air conditioning at maximum cooling with all the lights on. We ran acceleration tests in pull mode north and push mode south, tested the airbrakes and measured the fuel consumption and sound levels. The DMU met the schedule and all of our requirements. In fact, it was one of the best test runs I’ve been on in my career.”

“Pulling two bi-levels on the 144-mile round trip, the DMU used 128 gallons of fuel. Our locomotives use about 325 gallons,” observed Barkman. “We ran the sound test about 100 feet from the track, and the DMU was 20 decibels quieter than the Tri-Rail locomotive-hauled train set, which came by five minutes later. (Editors note: The DMU was 2 1/2 times more fuel efficient, and more than 4 times quieter than the locomotive while meeting the schedule for the round trip.) The DMU’s emissions are definitely lower – it runs tier 2 compliant, 4-stroke engines. Our locomotives are 2-stroke and exempt from compliance. On the last leg of the trip, we shut down one of the DMU engines and had it pull the two bi-levels in “limp home” mode. This DMU performed much better than the old RDCs that I cut my teeth on at the B&O. I was not disappointed with any aspect of the DMU. I am anxious to see how it fits into our commuter rail system in the future.”

The following day, the DMU ran a 36-mile route from Miami International Airport to Pompano Beach for APTA’s Chief Transportation Officers (CTO) meeting. On this VIP trip, the DMU hit 79 mph and drew positive reviews from the agency chiefs.


This is the single level DMU used during testing, pulling 2 of TRI-Rails bi-level coaches.

Single Level DMU Consist in SEPTA colours


Single Level DMU 92 Coach w/panoramic windows (254 max passengers including standees)


Single Level DMU 90 Seat Cab Car w/panoramic windows (beat Tri-Rails Motive Power, hands down in all of the test which was pulling power, fuel effiency, etc.)


Bi-level DMU 180 Seats Cab Car


Bi-level DMU 200 Seat Coach Car (418 max passengers including Standees)

One of One-Sixty,
Thats what I though and at no point in the manual does it mention that-Thanks. I think a K5 is a little overkill, but time and money will tell.


Mike

OK, let's give this topic a railroad theme then...

We had a similar shortage crisis back in the 1970's and early 1980's. The result is that railroads were so worried about the cost and availabliity of diesel fuel that experiments were actually made to bring back the steam engine and use coal. (Remember Ross Rowland's 614 making coal runs in West Virginia?)

The result was the diesel companies worrying that the experiement might succeed and they tested diesel engines that could run off of liquefied coal. Soon after that, the oil crisis subsided and we went back to depending on oil again.

The point is the markets drive what we do. If someone out there can come up with a useable technology that reduces our dependency on oil, they'd be millionaires. While conservation is important, it's not the only thing that needs to be done. By itself, conservation is a failure. We must be able to drill more, open new refineries (as brought up earlier) and stop bogging down existing refineries that have to make "boutique" gases with lots of different additives depending on which state and region you are in. All of this drives up the price of gas.

Jay

Unfortunate for the taxpayers, the LIRR has little concern about fuel cost. Afterall, it's taxpayers' money, not theirs and there has never even been suggested that they try to operate an economical operation.

CLem

This is a ridiculous topic for this forum. What foolishness. This idea of a boycott gets circulated every few months and NOTHING ever comes of it. Why? Because boycotts involve inconveniencing yourself. Boycotts are for everyone else except ME.

If you want to get off the gas standard you can:

1) Sell your gas guzzler SUV/Pickup truck (and take the financial loss).

2) Bicycle or walk. In either case, it will do you good.

3) Don't elect a President and Vice-President who are heavily invested in the oil industry. My God. I can't believe people who voted for these two lying pirates are willing to grouse about the price of fuel. The Vice-President collects $20 million annually in pension from Haiburton Oil. WHat did you expect he was going to do once in office?

4) Take mass transit; prefereably electric rail transit like subways, the LIRR and MetroNorth.

5) Rebuild the trolley and streetcar lines.

Unless you want to bite the bullet and stand up for what should be rather than accept what is, please don't write about fuel prices in here.

I agree Mr Glueck ...

And Mr Gengler. Whilst I sympathise with your new job situation and having to pay off student loans, you yourself already said that the cost of gas to go to/from work is already significantly less that the LIRR. I would stop complaining and take what you have. And if you don't want to drive to work, get a job in the city and move to Queens or Bklyn.

Why do people think they have a god given right to cheap fuel in this country is besides me. If it hadn't been so abundant and cheap for the last 50 years, we would have more transit, walking friendly communities and not be so dependant. We get what we deserve. If you don't like the price of gas, give up your gas guzzler, drive less, walk, and take more transit.

Mike:

Actually it is not a K5, it is a new DMU coach and coach w/cab cars made by Colorado Railcar out in you guessed it Colorado. It was developed and built back in 2002 so far Florida's TRI-Rail and Alaska Railways have brought some and it seems they have no problems, even with them dealing with the extreme heat in Fl and the mountains and cold in Alaska.

I know it is just a dream, but it would be great to see these used to replace the DE/DM fleet and Bi-levels.

Clem:

I know, and it is a shame that more people, wether they ride, work for, or just interested in seeing the LIRR/MTA in much better shape do not come out and voice their concerns. or tell their political rep to say or do something.

I think we've wandered far enough away from the topic of the Long Island Rail Road.

-otto-