What happens if the Acela I doesn't make it to the finish line...

John_Perkowski wrote: ↑Sat Jan 20, 2024 12:52 pm TBH, what I expect to see is none of the above, instead rather like too many times before, an old fashioned clusterf**k.

That's Plan C.

The Acela’s will be fine once the weather warms up, the extreme cold is just taking a toll on them. You guys are living a pipe dream if you think the Marc AEM7s will just fire up and run after sitting all of this time .

There’s always Caltrain’s 2 x AEM-7s once they are done with that catenary testing

They could also go shopping in Montreal if their ALP-45s are able to accept multisystem power like NJ’s can (and could then be disposed to NJT after the crisis passed)

Following the failure of train 2150 near Bridge interlocking on Jan 17, 13 Acela runs were canceled
over the next 36 hrs. 2150 had pantograph issues - I wonder if whatever he had was checked out on
the other train sets?
Andy

twropr wrote: ↑Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:15 pm Following the failure of train 2150 near Bridge interlocking on Jan 17, 13 Acela runs were canceled
over the next 36 hrs. 2150 had pantograph issues - I wonder if whatever he had was checked out on
the other train sets?
Andy

That falls in line with needing to rework the caternary in the area, from what the MARC alerts were telling at the time. Also an insider in similar circles let me know (via video proof) that MARC 68 out of Odenton rescued the consist, hauled it back down to WAS and got parked in Ivy City with two other consists. So I wouldn't be surprised if they did a shock reinspection of the panos.

Maybe lash the Acela 1s onto flatcars...

Can we expect continuing problems with PANs snagging on the old style PTT CAT? IMO time for Amtrak to bite the bullet and finish constant tension CAT on all sections where no improvements planned for speed increases.

west point wrote: ↑Sat Jan 27, 2024 7:42 am Can we expect continuing problems with PANs snagging on the old style PTT CAT? IMO time for Amtrak to bite the bullet and finish constant tension CAT on all sections where no improvements planned for speed increases.

They're still working on completing the segment between Princeton Junction and Trenton. Unless they can do it much faster, getting the entire NEC under constant tension is a tall order. I have noticed those new catenary hangars like the ones deployed between Jersey Ave and Monmouth Junction also appearing down in Maryland though.

BandA wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 3:58 pm Maybe lash the Acela 1s onto flatcars...

The brits do it all the time by road. Often a ferry move or hospital move are by truck in Britain. They will regularly load a road freight engine on a low boy and drive it from one shop to the other for work or even paint.

Supposedly this has to do with track charges. I may be getting this wrong but its evidently it is sometimes cheaper to haul a diesel engine by truck than a light move on rail.

There is also an old story, maybe five years ago, a class 37 (roughly their equivalent of a double ended FP9) was sold, loaded, and hauled a few hours before financing or something fell through. It was left for an abnormally long time at the rest area on a trailer before someone coughed up the dough to finish moving it and quiet the title.

Tadman wrote: ↑Sun Jan 28, 2024 1:58 pm

BandA wrote: ↑Fri Jan 26, 2024 3:58 pm Maybe lash the Acela 1s onto flatcars...

The brits do it all the time by road. Often a ferry move or hospital move are by truck in Britain. They will regularly load a road freight engine on a low boy and drive it from one shop to the other for work or even paint.

Supposedly this has to do with track charges. I may be getting this wrong but its evidently it is sometimes cheaper to haul a diesel engine by truck than a light move on rail.

There is also an old story, maybe five years ago, a class 37 (roughly their equivalent of a double ended FP9) was sold, loaded, and hauled a few hours before financing or something fell through. It was left for an abnormally long time at the rest area on a trailer before someone coughed up the dough to finish moving it and quiet the title.

When Superstorm Sandy hit, the Rockaways were cut off from subway service. The tracks along the Rockaways were still good but the connection to the mainland wasn't. So they trucked in a few consists to the Far Rockaway station and the H line was alive for a while.

If you can’t move locomotives by road, how do you get them to the yard from the airport?