Acela II (Alstom Avelia Liberty): Design, Production, Delivery, Acceptance

IMO that horn will get more attention,

west point wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:18 am IMO that horn will get more attention,

Yeah, it doesn't sound like a spastic duck farting.

Sounds like many a train horn in Europe to me.

Thing about European train horns, is when you hear them, it’s often a sign to hang on…

Given the performance of that thing geared for 160, geared for 100, and a few more doors, it looks almost like it could be an arrow III replacement

I could barely hear the horn over the inverters as the train was accelerating away from the Princeton Junction station near the end of the video. And I could barely hear the horns from a distance as the train approached the station early in the video.. I'm not so sure it meets the FRA required decibel levels, if it does just barely. I would prefer a louder horn with a train going that fast so it could be heard from a greater distance.

Doesn’t matter. At those speeds, by the time you hear it, you’re probably dead anyway.

west point wrote: ↑Wed Jan 31, 2024 12:18 am IMO that horn will get more attention,

Sounds similar to the horns on the SIRT and PATH.

Nasadowsk wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2024 5:18 pm Doesn’t matter. At those speeds, by the time you hear it, you’re probably dead anyway.

Thus why I always think if you're over 79 MPH, you're 100% grade separated. No exceptions. That includes the Keystone and they better bridge those private crossings that shouldn't be there in the first place!!!

Nasadowsk wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2024 5:18 pm Doesn’t matter. At those speeds, by the time you hear it, you’re probably dead anyway.

Sound travels at sea level around 750 mph, these trains are slower than 180 mph.
If the horns are loud enough, you will have time to get out of the way.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:41 am

Nasadowsk wrote: ↑Thu Feb 01, 2024 5:18 pm Doesn’t matter. At those speeds, by the time you hear it, you’re probably dead anyway.

Thus why I always think if you're over 79 MPH, you're 100% grade separated. No exceptions. That includes the Keystone and they better bridge those private crossings that shouldn't be there in the first place!!!

The rules are 100% grade separated above 110 MPH.

electricron wrote: Sound travels at sea level around 750 mph, these trains are slower than 180 mph.
If the horns are loud enough, you will have time to get out of the way.

The engineer has less than 22.5 seconds to see an incursion at 160 MPH, blow the horn, and expect others to react, assuming the engineer can see an incursion one mile ahead, and only 4.25 seconds if visibility is 1000 ft. The hearer has to recognize the horn indicates a danger to them and take action that time, so yeah, someone on the tracks is practically dead if that horn needs to be blown to save them.

RandallW wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 6:14 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:41 am Thus why I always think if you're over 79 MPH, you're 100% grade separated. No exceptions. That includes the Keystone and they better bridge those private crossings that shouldn't be there in the first place!!!

The rules are 100% grade separated above 110 MPH.

They need to lower that threshold in light of this accident back in 2018.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:05 pm They need to lower that threshold in light of this accident back in 2018.

From the photos I could see from your link, it appears the tractor was hit at a non signal and cross arm crossing. I leave the possibility that was where the train came to a stop after hitting the tractor. Never-the-less, the question that should be answered but was not in the news article, was there a flashing signal and or cross arms at the accident scene?
To support your opinion that grade separation should be the law of the land at slower than 110 mph, it would be nice to prove crossing signals were working perfectly and the farmer did not drive around any gates. That perfectly good warning signals could not prevent the accident.

Following the photo links shows that crossing was unprotected (no gates, no lights), and Google Maps shows that crossing has been eliminated.

Since the 2023 Moorpark CA crash was on a line limited to 70 MPH, does that mean 70 MPH is also too fast?

We can find slower and slower crashes that result in hospitalization or death to the point that showing that if death or hospitalization is an unacceptable risks, providing public transit can be demonstrated to be unacceptably risky, so why aren't the current standards an acceptable risk?

electricron wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:46 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:05 pm They need to lower that threshold in light of this accident back in 2018.

From the photos I could see from your link, it appears the tractor was hit at a non signal and cross arm crossing. I leave the possibility that was where the train came to a stop after hitting the tractor. Never-the-less, the question that should be answered but was not in the news article, was there a flashing signal and or cross arms at the accident scene?
To support your opinion that grade separation should be the law of the land at slower than 110 mph, it would be nice to prove crossing signals were working perfectly and the farmer did not drive around any gates. That perfectly good warning signals could not prevent the accident.

Let me make it clear, even though this is NOT what US law et al says but just my opinion:

• If the track is class 1, 2, or exempted (class 0), it should at least have signage. Side gates optional.
• Class 3 or 4? Signage and full road gates.
• Class 5 and up? Full grade separation, no exceptions.

The tractor accident shouldn't have happened if there was even any gates on that crossing... but, private crossing...

The Moorpark, CA accident? That's someone parking it on the crossing, and I'll leave that for another thread.

BTW, how's the testing going?

electricron wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 10:46 pm

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sat Feb 03, 2024 1:05 pm They need to lower that threshold in light of this accident back in 2018.

From the photos I could see from your link, it appears the tractor was hit at a non signal and cross arm crossing. I leave the possibility that was where the train came to a stop after hitting the tractor. Never-the-less, the question that should be answered but was not in the news article, was there a flashing signal and or cross arms at the accident scene?
To support your opinion that grade separation should be the law of the land at slower than 110 mph, it would be nice to prove crossing signals were working perfectly and the farmer did not drive around any gates. That perfectly good warning signals could not prevent the accident.

I work with a engineer that was qualified on that territory. He told me in his personal experience he had placed numerous trains in emergency there due to the fact that the crossing is unprotected and slow moving farm equipment and tractor trailers frequent that crossing. As for Mr. Wolf's opinion of grade separation for under 110mph, I have had close calls at as fast as 110mph and as slow as 15mph. Fatalities at 75mph and 60mph(2) so until you fix stupid it wont matter.