Amtrak to order new revolutionary engines (april fools)

(PR Newswire) Amtrak (AMTK) has finalized and submitted a purchase order for 42 new, revolutionary engines from Thomson Rail Skunkworks (TOMX), the rail car and engine start-up company said.

Amtrak initiated the move after emergency testing of rebuilt HHP-8 engines proved successful in recovering from a localized system failure in the Baltimore/DC area. Signal and caternary power was knocked off-line preventing train movement until one rebuilt HHP-8 engine, TOMX 00, was employed to provide signal power while other engines were used to rescue idled trains along Amtrak's NorthEast Corridor.

The ordered TRS-80 "Buzzkill" series engines feature power plants from Canmephian Power's BH-3 line along with industry standard power transencabulators to regulate power output from the prime mover. These "go anywhere" engines are powered by ether electricity or any fuel, including diesel, gasoline/petrol, or melted thorium salts. The same power plant/transencabulator setup was used in the HHP-8 rebuild. All engines are rated to hit 256 MPH under crush load on Class 10 rail.

Regulators have given high marks for the safety of the TRS-80 engine, withstanding extensive safety testing including point-blank MOAB impacts.

"We take the motto of Budd Rail Car into our own with our designs," Stephanie Thomson, owner and head engineer of Thomson Rail Skunkworks said. "Budd don't break, so ours better not."

Other successful designs employing the power plant/transencabulator setup from Thomson Rail Skunkworks include: A rebuild New York/New Haven Rail Road EMD FL9, Maryland Area Rail Car GP40WH2 number 68, Maryland Area Rail Car EMD F9PH number 81, and a recreation J3-A Hudson Hornet "Commodore Vanderbilt" number 88. (TOMX 81 is owned by Drake "Vox" Felix of the band Throng, used in the Nomadic Rails tour, while TOMX 88 is owned by the Gunn Foundation under lease by Amtrak for specialty excursion service).