Passenger Trains > Charger testing- Carbondale to Chicago

Charger test train from Chicago to Carbondale scheduled for tonight. Return trip will be in daylight hours on Friday, departing Carbondale around 06:00.

Interesting. Any idea what time tonight? I saw the pair had moved away from the diesel shops to somewhere in the last few days. I am a bit surprised they are testing on a busy freight route with notorious delays. I guess every amtrak route of of Chicago is a busy freight/passenger route, but surprised at CN being the choice. Wonder if there is something particular being tested there. Or, wonder when these will test on the Michigan or St. Louis Line at 110mph.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/17 09:22 by inCHI.

Any guess on when it leaves Chicago tonight?

Ret. Navy Chief Bob Jensen
Manteno, IL

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I am a bit
> surprised they are testing on a busy freight route
> with notorious delays. I guess every amtrak route
> of of Chicago is a busy freight/passenger route,
> but surprised at CN being the choice. Wonder if
> there is something particular being tested there.
> Or, wonder when these will test on the Michigan or
> St. Louis Line at 110mph.
>
> Posted from Android

They ran one Charger to Milwaukee and back yesterday. I assume they will test them on all the state-supported routes including Chicago-St. Louis, Chicago-Quincy and Chicago-Detroit before they enter service.

Too bad we won't have new coaches to go along with the Chargers.

Won't be testing to Detroit or St. Louis unit they get at least one unit equipped with UP cab signals and ITCS (Incremental Train Control System), The Amtrak/GE pioneer version of PTC used on both lines.

In Michigan ITCS is fully functional as a PTC system, on the St, Louis line it's used only to manage grade crossing warning activations for speeds over 79 MPH. That was a concession to UP, which does not exceed 79 MPH and so their units do not have to be ITCS equipped.

Some of this was discussed in an earlier thread on PTC training:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,4272882


NZ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/17 10:55 by NebraskaZephyr.

Make sense, I just saw the other post of them testing yesterday. Sigh, coaches.

The Chi-StLouis project is going on 8 years old--and so far passengers have gained nothing.

GM&O's Abe Lincoln took 5'8" in the 1950's. Current trains take 5'40", with the Eagle almost 6 hrs.

So, with no new cars on the horizon, passengers will have gained nothing unless running time is substantially improved over the old GM&O.

They got 2 more frequencies. UP went along with it since they like the government rebuilding their dilapidated ex-GM&O railroad for them.

Midnightish

inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting. Any idea what time tonight? I saw the
> pair had moved away from the diesel shops to
> somewhere in the last few days. I am a bit
> surprised they are testing on a busy freight route
> with notorious delays. I guess every amtrak route
> of of Chicago is a busy freight/passenger route,
> but surprised at CN being the choice. Wonder if
> there is something particular being tested there.
> Or, wonder when these will test on the Michigan or
> St. Louis Line at 110mph.
>
> Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/17 17:13 by KM-ML4000.

KM-ML4000 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Mignightish
>

Thanks! Some nights I would be able to see that, but not tonight.

They will really be able to stretch their legs with CN's 70MPH speed limit, 60MPH between Champaign and Kimundy. Champaign to Kimundy, and on to Centralia was 100MPH track as late as the 60s, 90MPH until the early 90s, and 79MPH until a few years ago. Ahhhh progress.

Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/17 12:50 by cabsignaldrop.

will this test train be required to operate with a minimum of 30 axles and make a minimum brake application every 10 miles in order to condition the wheels and not exceed 70mph over road crossings equipped with electronic warning devices?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/20/17 14:48 by 9900.

Once  clocked  the  CITY OF NEW ORLEANS at 114  mph on that  line. 1966. Seems  like  yesterday. Surely the  CHARGER   can do that!!

All the sarcastic comments aside, it would be interesting to know: what is the purpose of these test runs? From mastadon's photo of the Milwaukee-Chicago run at Rondout posted on this forum yesterday, it does not appear that there is a test car of any kind in the consist. Of course modern locomotives log a lot of useful data, and not just what's captured by the event recorder. But sometimes the idea is just to do a clearance test on all trackage potentially used by the new equipment. Anybody know for sure what they're up to?

Are there any updates on this train and are they on a test train or a revenue train?

Federal Regulations
https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?SID=9356911d325030237c0310aac2b1e907&mc=true&node=se49.4.238_1111&rgn=div8
illini73 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> All the sarcastic comments aside, it would be
> interesting to know: what is the purpose of these
> test runs?

Have not heard anything out of this test train yet on the CN mainline today 4-21-17.

Amtrak 390 North by Sigel, IL 9:30a.m
with P42DC # 33.

dantat13 Wrote:
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> Amtrak 390 North by Sigel, IL 9:30a.m
> with P42DC # 33.

It should be running ahead of 390, right?

I was at Sigel sense 7:00a.m. and have not seen it..