Passenger Trains > Amtrak Michigan 110 MPH trains.

Here's a video of seven different Amtrak trains west of Kalamazoo, near Lawton, Michigan, on the 110MPH section of Amtrak Rail. From June 22, 2013, to yesterday, July 22, 2014.

On the very last one, watch as the train hits a low spot just a few feet past the crossing. You can actually see the locomotives and cars dip down. I'm betting that that spot will be fixed right soon.

This is a combined video of 7 different short videos. It doesn't take long for one of these to come and go!


Ron

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Look Ma! No concrete ties or quad gates!!

Nice!

Could you imagine going twice as fast through there?

ts1457 Wrote:
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> Could you imagine going twice as fast through there?

No. I did about 70 a couple times, 65 was the limit, on a freight train, and that was plenty fast for me.

And if you watch the last one where the locomotives and all the cars bounce hitting that dip coming off that crossing.....this might be a bit too fast. I'm going to have to go out there again, maybe the first of next week to see if they lifted that low spot.


Ron

Of course I was talking about if you had a true high speed rail line. 110 mph is pretty impressive right by the tracks.

Thanks again.

Cool! The P42/Horizon trains are sort of a poor man's version of a British HST. Nice to see something coming of the years of experimentation and investment on the Wolverine route.

Dave

2 motors for 5-6 cars? pretty expensive train.

great videos.........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> 2 motors for 5-6 cars? pretty expensive train.
>

Apparently a single 4200 HP (minus HEP) P42DC can't get a six car train up 110mph, at least within a reasonable distance. Not sure why this is - six fully loaded Horizon cars weigh a little less than 400 tons. By contrast, eight former British Rail Mark 3 cars weigh about the same, but are very rapidly accelerated to 125mph by two 2250 HP units.

Dave

is 110 mph worth 2 motors for 5-6 cars? run it at 79 mph with one motor.........

66

DavidP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Apparently a single 4200 HP (minus HEP) P42DC
> can't get a six car train up 110mph, at least
> within a reasonable distance. Not sure why this
> is - six fully loaded Horizon cars weigh a little
> less than 400 tons. By contrast, eight former
> British Rail Mark 3 cars weigh about the same, but
> are very rapidly accelerated to 125mph by two 2250
> HP units.
>
> Dave

I wonder if the next generation corridor engines on order for this service will be able to handle the trains with a single locomotive?

So, now with the new speeds, has ridership actually increased?

rantoul Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The push-pull loco
> configuration may be logistics at the route ends,
> unrelated to the ability to reach speed.

The Wolverine route went to two locomotive operation when regular 110mph operation was introduced a year or two ago. It was reported at the time that two locomotives were required to reach maximum speed. Lincoln Service trains scheduled for 110mph operation get two units for the same reason.

Dave



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/14 10:18 by DavidP.

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> DavidP Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Apparently a single 4200 HP (minus HEP) P42DC
> > can't get a six car train up 110mph, at least
> > within a reasonable distance. Not sure why
> this
> > is - six fully loaded Horizon cars weigh a
> little
> > less than 400 tons. By contrast, eight former
> > British Rail Mark 3 cars weigh about the same,
> but
> > are very rapidly accelerated to 125mph by two
> 2250
> > HP units.
> >
> > Dave
>
> I wonder if the next generation corridor engines
> on order for this service will be able to handle
> the trains with a single locomotive?

You mean EMD F125's?

Geep Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> > I wonder if the next generation corridor engines
> > on order for this service will be able to handle
> > the trains with a single locomotive?
>
> You mean EMD F125's?

Siemens got the order, but I think EMD is trying to contest the award:

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/mechanical/locomotives/siemens-given-notice-to-proceed-on-passenger-locomotives.html

Meanwhile, the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans get only one locomotive, because of the high operating costs!??

The reason for 2 locomotives on the Michigan trains eliminates the "Y" and reverse moves at Pontiac plus the State of Michigan is paying for all this.

mundo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Meanwhile, the Texas Eagle and City of New Orleans
> get only one locomotive, because of the high
> operating costs!??

The difference is that the states of Michigan and Illinois, not Amtrak, pay for the 110mph trains. Virtually every conventional train on the Northeast, Cascades, Hiawatha, Empire, Downeaster and three California corridors run fine with single units - I understand that redundancy is nice, but the single-unit Eagle and CoNO have become an obsession with many on this board.

Dave

Interesting that the horn seems to be on about all the time. . . on each of the shots. . .

amanwtf Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The reason for 2 locomotives on the Michigan
> trains eliminates the "Y" and reverse moves at
> Pontiac plus the State of Michigan is paying for
> all this.

I stand corrected....looking back at previous posts it was the B32-8WH units that couldn't make track speed, not the P42DCs. The reason for two units vs. using an NPCU is that the latter are limited to 100mph.

Dave

Ron Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ts1457 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
>
> > Could you imagine going twice as fast through
> there?
>
> No. I did about 70 a couple times, 65 was the
> limit, on a freight train, and that was plenty
> fast for me.
>
> And if you watch the last one where the
> locomotives and all the cars bounce hitting that
> dip coming off that crossing.....this might be a
> bit too fast. I'm going to have to go out there
> again, maybe the first of next week to see if they
> lifted that low spot.
>
>
> Ron

still good for track speed altho the ride quality accelerometer (which conventional trains aren't equipped with) of the geometry car might be tripped for a rough ride ... all Acela trains on the NEC are equipped with accelerometers ... nice vid



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/14 13:19 by Out_Of_Service.