ALP-45DP's - Usage and Delivery

sixty-six wrote:

beanbag wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:Random thought. Do the numberboard lights on the 45's light up, or have the lights been removed? I never see them lit on the 46's and PL42's any more, so I assume theyy have been removed?

Of NJTs newer power only the regular 46s (4600-4628) have lit number boards, the 46As, and 45s never came with the feature as they have a different style of board, and the PL42s had the feature removed not long after they went into service.

4600-4628 do not have lit numberboards, and the switches for them have been removed.

lirr415 wrote:On the LIRR they still have them so the operators in the towers can see the lead motor/engine number. I'm not familiar with NJT, but I assume since they don't have any active towers (?) that they no longer need them, thus requiring one less thing to replace/fix on the engines.

Silverliner II wrote:

lirr415 wrote:On the LIRR they still have them so the operators in the towers can see the lead motor/engine number. I'm not familiar with NJT, but I assume since they don't have any active towers (?) that they no longer need them, thus requiring one less thing to replace/fix on the engines.

That's the same reason I heard why Metro-North did not opt for them on the M-7a fleet.
On the other hand, the Silverliner V's do not have illuminating numberboards and SEPTA still runs in some tower-controlled territory (Amtrak's Harrisburg Line to Thorndale), and at the same time, the multilevel cabs have them even as the bulbs and controls have been removed from all the locos except the Geeps.
Oh well... I'll go with the "they are not needed any more" reasoning. It's the same way that when SEPTA installed the ditch lights on their cab cars and AEM-7's, they removed the strobe lights, reason being that the ditch lights negated the need for strobes, and with the strobes not being required, they were removed, since if they remained, they had to be kept in operating condition. Same with locomotive numberboards, I presume.

sixty-six wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:

lirr415 wrote:On the LIRR they still have them so the operators in the towers can see the lead motor/engine number. I'm not familiar with NJT, but I assume since they don't have any active towers (?) that they no longer need them, thus requiring one less thing to replace/fix on the engines.

That's the same reason I heard why Metro-North did not opt for them on the M-7a fleet.
On the other hand, the Silverliner V's do not have illuminating numberboards and SEPTA still runs in some tower-controlled territory (Amtrak's Harrisburg Line to Thorndale), and at the same time, the multilevel cabs have them even as the bulbs and controls have been removed from all the locos except the Geeps.
Oh well... I'll go with the "they are not needed any more" reasoning. It's the same way that when SEPTA installed the ditch lights on their cab cars and AEM-7's, they removed the strobe lights, reason being that the ditch lights negated the need for strobes, and with the strobes not being required, they were removed, since if they remained, they had to be kept in operating condition. Same with locomotive numberboards, I presume.

It's late and I'm tired, so I may be missing something, but which multilevels are you referring to?

25Hz wrote:There are number boards on the sides of MVL cab cars at the cab end, but i rarely see them turned on. When i do it can be very random, day night etc.

I kinda think illuminated number boards complete the design of cab cars & locos.

Equipment characteristics

The railways were aware that the gross vehicle weight of the dual-powered locomotive was approximately 7% heavier than the previously used type of locomotives. The heavier weight of the locomotive and the flatter wheel taper of 1:40 contributed to higher wheel loads being transmitted to the track structure. The length of the wheel base (110 inches) had a positive effect of distributing truck side forces on the rail. However, the hold-down effect that adjacent wheel loads can have to minimize gauge widening was negatively affected.

The vertical loads being transmitted to the track structure were similar to other heavy-freight equipment that was commonly accepted on most main-track areas, namely 286 000 pounds gross weight. In comparison with the F40-PH, the ALP-45DP locomotive generated higher lateral forces, and although the lateral forces were up to 25% higher, the L/V values were well within industry and regulatory norms and should not have posed a risk of rail rollover.

TSB concerned about the risk of derailment of heavy passenger locomotives on lower classes of track

Gatineau, Quebec, 24 January 2013 — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released today its investigation report (R11D0099) into the 9 December 2011 derailment of an Agence Métropolitaine de Transport (AMT) commuter train, in Montréal, Quebec, citing track conditions and a heavier locomotive as factors in the derailment.

The AMT commuter train derailed when a locomotive wheel dropped inside the rail as the train moved around a curve upon arrival in Central Station. The 1400 passengers on the train were evacuated safely. A number of factors contributed to the derailment: the TSB investigation focused on the weight of the locomotive, the track conditions in Central Station, and the track safety standards for lower classes of track.

The standards for station tracks are less stringent than for other tracks in the rail network because trains operate at lower speeds in stations. In this investigation, the TSB learned that the heavier passenger locomotive, combined with the existing track conditions, caused the track to widen despite lower speeds. New locomotives on Canadian railways are typically heavier, and it is likely there will be many more operating in the future as commuter rail networks grow and new equipment is bought. Lower classes of track may not always be up to the task of carrying these heavy locomotives safely.

"We need to make sure that heavier locomotives can be operated safely on lower classes of track," said Kathy Fox, TSB Board Member. "That is the TSB's concern (add link)."

25Hz wrote:The metroliner cabs still have strobes last i recall.... Plus a red marker for when in trailing position.