ALP-45DP's - Usage and Delivery

That's at Hoboken.

How's the crew qualifying going on these things? Is it just about done, or still many more to go?

CNJGeep wrote:That's at Hoboken.

How's the crew qualifying going on these things? Is it just about done, or still many more to go?

They don't seem to be in a big rush to finish.

I can see why. No rush to put them in to service either it seems.

Makes sense that there is no rush to get these into service when they are a new, unproven, groundbreaking technology. I'd rather transit take this slowly and get it right than rush them into service and hurt the reliability of the system overall.

M&Eman wrote:Makes sense that there is no rush to get these into service when they are a new, unproven, groundbreaking technology. I'd rather transit take this slowly and get it right than rush them into service and hurt the reliability of the system overall.

I saw a photo in a fan magazine of one of AMT's ALP45DP's with a 9-car multilevel set and the caption said (in part) "NJ Transit continues endless testing of their units while AMT just puts them right to work..."

Silverliner II wrote:I saw a photo in a fan magazine of one of AMT's ALP45DP's with a 9-car multilevel set and the caption said (in part) "NJ Transit continues endless testing of their units while AMT just puts them right to work..."

Didn't AMT have a derailment with one of their ALP45's? I don't know whether if it was during their testing phase or a revenue run.

After the issues with the ALP-46s (needed new main transformers and etc), the PL42s (NJT had to put a protect job on in Spring Valley just to rescue the dead trains on an almost daily basis), and the Comet Vs (their still worthless); NJT is being rather intelligent by making sure that the ALP-45s run a good amount of miles and perform well before they get the opportunity to strand a bunch of paying passengers. Im sure all the people grousing about how long its taking to get the newly designed, unproven locomotives into revenue service would be waiting in line to whine non-stop about the stupidity of NJT putting the locomotives into service without sufficient testing if they were to have the usual growing pains.

I agree with Sirsonic. Its about time they really took their time to iron out all the kinks before they let these things go. I think the paying passengers of the state of NJ have had enough reasons in the past 10 years to be disgusted with the railroad they dont need more!

Has it still been testing on the CL lately?

Sid Farkus wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:I saw a photo in a fan magazine of one of AMT's ALP45DP's with a 9-car multilevel set and the caption said (in part) "NJ Transit continues endless testing of their units while AMT just puts them right to work..."

Didn't AMT have a derailment with one of their ALP45's? I don't know whether if it was during their testing phase or a revenue run.

Yes they did, along a platform in Central Station. Revenue run, both locomotive trucks and the lead truck of the first multilevel behind it.

By the way, I wasn't grousing over the NJT testing time, just merely making an observation about a photo I saw.

Sirsonic wrote:After the issues with the ALP-46s (needed new main transformers and etc), the PL42s (NJT had to put a protect job on in Spring Valley just to rescue the dead trains on an almost daily basis), and the Comet Vs (their still worthless); NJT is being rather intelligent by making sure that the ALP-45s run a good amount of miles and perform well before they get the opportunity to strand a bunch of paying passengers. Im sure all the people grousing about how long its taking to get the newly designed, unproven locomotives into revenue service would be waiting in line to whine non-stop about the stupidity of NJT putting the locomotives into service without sufficient testing if they were to have the usual growing pains.

Amen to that.

Correct me if i'm wrong, but the 45DP is the world's first diesel/catenary locomotive, right?

TDowling wrote:Correct me if i'm wrong, but the 45DP is the world's first diesel/catenary locomotive, right?

Yes.

i really wish my dumb**s employer would wise up, get a hold of a dozen or two of these things, and reopen all the "temporarily suspended" diesel only lines that have been closed since 1983.

Well, according to NJT's capital projects page, 35 of them are to be delivered by the end of this year.

TDowling wrote:Well, according to NJT's capital projects page, 35 of them are to be delivered by the end of this year.

I can see that happening, NJT already has 7 or 8 of them on the property.