Acela Speeds

Meanwhile, the HST test extra left Boston this morning about 750 this morning. Nice to know that it's fixed, let's just hope it doesn't break down again.

CSX Conductor wrote:Meanwhile, the HST test extra left Boston this morning about 750 this morning. Nice to know that it's fixed, let's just hope it doesn't break down again.

Any idea when it has (or will be) running tests (presumably in the Mass-RI area?

I saw the HST Extra in Bridgeport, CT this morning
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tytQgz60-g0

thanks, that confirmed the 7 car consist of test extra.

Here's a photo of Tuesday morning's September 25th run #7 towards Trenton through
Princeton Junction Station at 2:09 AM. Didn't have plans to freeze it - that's hard enough
during the day!

My source states the run was 160 mph and that was the top speed reached until
the tests were repeated in DE /MD two days later in which a speed of 169.2 was
reached and 165 mph while en route back to NY when passing Princeton Junction
Friday morning.

Would love to finally hear the official results - likely - before the election, eh?

As a side note - as mentioned, earlier - the current official speed record holder
for a non-experimental production train set is still the United Aircraft (UA) Turbo
Train which is noted on a plaque inside the station at Princeton Junction, NJ.
That record is 170.8 mph set on Dec 20th, 1967.

Acela run by #7 at a rumored speed of 160 mph - note the arcing sparks along
the catenary wire: HERE.

The UA Turbo Train: HERE

/Mitch

Geez, Mitch, I don't see anything but a parked Dinky... http://www.railroad.net/forums/posting. ... 6&t=100713#

This was the fastest run so I posted that shot - however, as mentioned - take a look
at the long stretch of blue sparks - no doubt from the unimproved catenary suspension.
Can't pass that off for anything but a 150 mph+ something other then a Dinky!

I suppose I could do what the news reporters do and fake it?

From NJ.com...

"Amtrak train looks to break U.S. speed record in Northeast Corridor test"

"The actual speed attained by the train was not available last night.

“It definitely would be the highest speed recorded in the U.S.,” Amtrak spokesman Cliff Cole said earlier."

Interesting photo - that station must have been whizzing by the Acela a quite a high rate of speed!

http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2012/0 ... eed_r.html



/Mitch

Nice exposure shot Mitch! At least that news article had a picture of an Acela. I saw a different news article on a website with a picture of a HHP-8 pulling a regional and a caption that said something like: An Acela Express train, which is set to break speed records.

Actually, the contact wires are made of bronze, and can contort after years of expanding and contracting with the seasons & temps. What you're seeing is the panto shoe skipping along those contortions. What also adds to it is the fact that they were pulling a huge amount of power to stay up at notch 8. Unlike the water level route, the NEC actually has hills and dips and such that you can't see on a map. Takes power to not lose speed going up hill (not to mention skilled engineer at the controls).

Rather then contortions of the bronze catenary wire, I thought instead, what we see in the
photo is the fixed catenary vibrating harmonically up and down which would be resolved
once a constant tension support is installed - as planned.

/Mitch

I would assume it's a combination of both. If you want to see what really old wire looks like, check some pictures of the Skokie Swift before they extended the third rail and pulled the wire. It was unbelievable - more like grapevine than contact wire.

I can only imagine how many amps the test train must be pulling at such speed. Lotta juice (you like-a da juice?)

The sparks happen for a lot of reasons, and the pantos have springs in them that push up against the contact wire pretty firmly.

I have often witnessed similar arc spots along very busy stretches no matter what train it is passing under.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYP-asIM ... ature=plcp

If you see the related video pulling into EWR, you'll see same time pattern. I am thinking this has to do with the transformer and power electronics.

@Tadman: The curves through bucks county mean the train has to slow and then speed up, so you often see a lot of arcing, especially as they exit the curve!

Mgoldman wrote:Rather then contortions of the bronze catenary wire, I thought instead, what we see in the
photo is the fixed catenary vibrating harmonically up and down which would be resolved
once a constant tension support is installed - as planned.

/Mitch

Ignore him, your right, hes wrong. The catenary moves from the vibrations created by the leading pan, causing the rear pan to have trouble keeping track. You wanna know how valid his statement was? There is NO notches in an Acela throttle. The throttle controls are only a cruise control/dynamic combined handle and a tractive effort handle.

ApproachMedium wrote:

Mgoldman wrote:Rather then contortions of the bronze catenary wire, I thought instead, what we see in the
photo is the fixed catenary vibrating harmonically up and down which would be resolved
once a constant tension support is installed - as planned.

/Mitch

Ignore him, your right, hes wrong. The catenary moves from the vibrations created by the leading pan, causing the rear pan to have trouble keeping track. You wanna know how valid his statement was? There is NO notches in an Acela throttle. The throttle controls are only a cruise control/dynamic combined handle and a tractive effort handle.

Yea, the leading pan, you know, when there was clearly only one up in the video i posted.

I know there are no notch settings on the acela, but everyone knows what notch 8 is.

Get off my back, and go bully someone else.

Oh look another video recorded by me.

And what's this, a clear pattern in the arcing with one pantograph up?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=dX7 ... =endscreen

Oh my, i think that's exactly what it is. Same night same locomotive just a few miles down the same track.

Lets also not forget that those arcs were also right next to the "nassau" substation, and there were not other trains running, so all the power was going into that one pantograph without the system balancing another train. I'm pretty sure they planned it that way, not just because at night has less traffic, but less trains = stable voltage & amps.