Passenger Trains > Amtrak orders 50 more chargers from Siemens

Add on to the original 75.  ALC-42

https://press.siemens.com/global/en/pressrelease/amtrak-orders-50-more-charger-locomotives-siemens-mobility

"Next to be deployed on the City of New Orleans."  Watch when they clobber big trucks like previous Amtrak trains have done on this route just how well they perform. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 09:08 by Peter_Hawtrey.

Looks like the price has gone up substantially.

Amtrak appears to be fully committed now. I hope it made the best choice.

Peter_Hawtrey Wrote:
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> "Next to be deployed on the City of New
> Orleans."  Watch when they clobber big trucks on
> this route (as so many trains have) how they
> perform. 

The last time Amtrak debued a new locomotive on the City of New Orlean, it was destroyed in the infamous Big Bayou Canot accident.

So much for Amtrak's secret conspiracy to do away with the long-distance trains.

I believe they'll be fine as long as Chicago mechanical is trained to maintain them and does what they are paid to do.

> The last time Amtrak debued a new locomotive on
> the City of New Orlean, it was destroyed in the
> infamous Big Bayou Canot accident.

The Big Bayou Canot incident was on the Sunset Limited.

This is the same 50 additional long-distance chargers Amtrak announced earlier this year it was purchasing, bringing to 125 the number of new locomotives.

If I remember correctly, Amtrak made the announcement in Chicago when the chargers began running on the Builder.

I don’t see anything new in this announcement from Siemens.

Posted from iPhone

I thought there are reports deliveries have paused?
It was interesting reading the Sunset Limited in the Big Bayou Canot was similar to todays Empire Builder consists. A new locomotive on the point (P40) and then two old locomotives for backup (F40PH)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 12:32 by Oregonpaul.

walstib Wrote:
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> This is the same 50 additional long-distance
> chargers Amtrak announced earlier this year it was
> purchasing, bringing to 125 the number of new
> locomotives.
>
> If I remember correctly, Amtrak made the
> announcement in Chicago when the chargers began
> running on the Builder.
>
> I don’t see anything new in this announcement
> from Siemens.

Firm order versus intent to exercise option?

Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> > The last time Amtrak debued a new locomotive on
> > the City of New Orlean, it was destroyed in the
> > infamous Big Bayou Canot accident.
>
> The Big Bayou Canot incident was on the Sunset
> Limited.


My mistake. The P40s were based out of New Orleans hence my confusion.

Hou74-76 Wrote:
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> > The last time Amtrak debued a new locomotive on
> > the City of New Orlean, it was destroyed in the
> > infamous Big Bayou Canot accident.
>
> The Big Bayou Canot incident was on the Sunset
> Limited.
=========================================

AMTK 819 had come from Chicago on the City of New Orleans.  It had worked several trips out of the New Orleans base before it attained the infamous status of being the first Genesis locomotive to be destroyed, taking three fine railroaders with it.  The article is by Mike Palmieri then of New Orleans but flooded out by Katrina, on his Louisiana Railroads webpage; photo is by Christopher Palmieri, of the AMTK 819 on 58(11SEP93).  It is one of only two known photographs of the engine unwrecked, the other a blurry image that has been altered as a joke by some clown who thinks he is an artist and has posted it as altered, but not the original.


Their builder's plates are labeled Dash 8-40BP, but most Amtrak people identify these units as P40's. The first one rolled out of the General Electric plant at Erie, Pennsylvania in April of 1993, but the units did not enter regular service until June. Their first regular assignment was on the Auto Train between Lorton, Virginia and Sanford, Florida; but all of the units were initially assigned to the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal diesel shop for maintenance and inspections. The very first P40 in New Orleans was the 806, which arrived here on the Crescent on 15 June for crew and Mechanical Department training. When Amtrak 819 was photographed leaving New Orleans on the City of New Orleans at 2:40 p.m. on Saturday 11 September 1993, it was the newest P40 in service; but on that day, it was just another P40. The 819 began its first revenue run on Friday evening 3 September 1993 — just seven days earlier — when it departed from Chicago on the southbound City of New Orleans. The 819 arrived in New Orleans for the first time on Saturday the fourth and remained in continuous service out of here for the next 15 days. It made two trips to Washington, DC and back on the Crescent, two trips to Chicago and back on the City (as seen here), and one more round trip to Washington, arriving back in New Orleans on the evening of Sunday the nineteenth. The locomotive's first day of rest was Monday the twentieth; then, the next evening, it was put on the eastbound Sunset for movement to Sanford, Florida and service on the Auto Train. At 11:34 p.m. on Tuesday 21 September, the 819 left New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal on the front of train No. 2 — the eastbound Sunset — as the train continued on its journey from Los Angeles to Miami. Behind it were F40's 262 and 312 and eight cars. The train was 34 minutes late because of mechanical problems with one of the cars. Three hours later, the train made its usual station stop at Mobile, still running about half an hour late.At CSX milepost 656.7 — exactly 10 miles north of the Mobile depot — the railroad crosses Big Bayou Canot on bridge No. 196. On the morning of 22 September 1993, bridge No. 196 consisted on a 166-foot through truss span, a 140-foot through girder span, and a 192-foot ballasted-deck trestle.As the Sunset was leaving Mobile, the Warrior & Gulf Navigation Co. towboat Mauvilla was pushing six barges up the Mobile River. Unfortunately, the Mauvilla was lost in dense fog. The tow accidentally turned into Big Bayou Canot and two of its barges struck the CSX bridge. The west end of the girder span was pushed over about 4 feet, placing the south girder directly in the path of train No. 2.At 2:47 Wednesday morning, the Sunset thundered out onto bridge No. 196. Moving at 70 mph, the 819 struck the west end of the south girder, became airborne, and landed 150 feet away on the north side of the trestle. The locomotive landed nose-first, dove through 15 feet of water, and buried itself halfway into the bottom of the bayou. Both of the F40's, the baggage car, dormitory car, and two coaches followed the 819 into the water. Leaking diesel fuel ingnited, setting the surface of the bayou ablaze. All three of the crewmen on the 819 died, as did two dining car workers in the dormitory car and 42 passengers. The 819 was removed from the bayou on Friday the twenty-fourth and placed on a barge. One of the submerged coaches was salvaged, but the rest of the damaged equipment was moved to Blakely Island in Mobile and scrapped. The 819 was no longer just another P40; it was the first P40 to be retired. It had worked for Amtrak for just 20 days.

Ironic, but probably intentional: Athearn did a decorated HO model of the AMTK 819.



 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 10:32 by GenePoon.

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In 2023 it will be 30 years since the horror of the derailment at Big Bayou Canot.  Horrible, I shudder to even remember it or read about it.

Now that this thread has been totally hijacked and derailed by the DevalDragan post which has absolutely nothing to do with Amtrak ordering more engines...

jst3751 Wrote:
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> Now that this thread has been totally hijacked and
> derailed by the DevalDragan post which has
> absolutely nothing to do with Amtrak ordering more
> engines...

And your post has helped it get back on track, oh wait...



It seems as though Amtrak is satisfied with the Siemens product, despite all the complaining you see on TO.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 13:03 by Typhoon.

What choice do they have ? Who else builds new passenger locos ?

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> What choice do they have ? Who else builds new
> passenger locos ?

More specifically, who else builds new passenger locos that meet clearance and performance requirements?  NJ Transit's dual mode ALP-45s were designed for 100 mph diesel, 125 mph electric operation but are permanently restricted to 90 mph due to excessive weight and resulting truck hunting/poor tracking characteristics.  MPI's diesels are large, heavy, and also restricted to 90 mph for the same reason.  The F125 looks like a beast and I don't know if it suffers the same poor tracking but obviously on Metrolink it doesn't need to worry about its theoretical 125 mph top speed.  

hsr_fan Wrote:
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> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What choice do they have ? Who else builds new
> > passenger locos ?
>
> More specifically, who else builds new passenger
> locos that meet clearance and performance
> requirements?  NJ Transit's dual mode ALP-45s
> were designed for 100 mph diesel, 125 mph electric
> operation but are permanently restricted to 90 mph
> due to excessive weight and resulting truck
> hunting/poor tracking characteristics.  MPI's
> diesels are large, heavy, and also restricted to
> 90 mph for the same reason.  The F125 looks like
> a beast and I don't know if it suffers the same
> poor tracking but obviously on Metrolink it
> doesn't need to worry about its theoretical 125
> mph top speed.  

MPI's and F125's definitely won't make it across Manhattan under either river tunnel.  

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> What choice do they have? Who else builds new
> passenger locos?

I think this is the unfortunate reality.

Topfuel Wrote:
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> joemvcnj Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What choice do they have? Who else builds new
> > passenger locos?
>
> I think this is the unfortunate reality.

Analogous to having nowhere in the area to shop except Walmart or Dollar General, which does not mean they are a good store selling quality products. 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/22 16:05 by joemvcnj.