SC-44 Siemens Charger Locomotives

If by received you mean "accepted into service"...no. They're all still in beta test.

IDOT's was the very first pilot train delivered, now joined by the WSDOT and Caltrans pilot units. They're all grouped together doing non-revenue tests on the Cascades corridor and now L.A. The IDOT pilot won't move over to native territory until pilot shakedown is complete, it's time to start clearance-testing and signal-qualifying on Chicago-hub routes, and it's joined by 1-2 other IDOT units making up the "A-Day" revenue fleet.

Video of IDOT's pilot unit hauling a Talgo trainset in Portland 3 weeks ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZTeCIdZ9h0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



Cascades pilots are slated to be the first to enter real revenue service, since there's now 4 WSDOT units in-testing. IDOT's second on the pecking order...but it probably will be one of their other units that enters service first because it's S.O.P. for the #1 pilot on any new order to go back to the factory for heavier mods than all later units and re-emerge some point further down the line. That's why the IDOT pilot is still wearing generic Siemens factory paint and not the Illinois livery (or the Cascades and Caltrans livery of the delivered WA & CA pilots). It'll get repainted when it goes back for mods, and some other fresh-minted IDOT unit will earn "A-Day" honors.

keep in mind a p40 or p42 when delivering HEP is reduced to 3750 hp due to steady engine speed at 900 rpm.
the Chargers having AC propulsion do not have that limitation and will deliver 4400 whenever its asked for.
yes in commuter service the hep load is around 100 hp per car due to frequent opening of all doors.
In Amtrak service we are more looking at a 50 hp per car range.

Saw 4611 trailing on Hiawatha #334 rolling through Bannockburn today. A P42 was leading. I was driving and couldn't get a picture.

Special test train, not 334. Dp CHI for MKE @ 0545 and then dp MKE 1110 on the return. It will be testing in the next days on the Carbondale and Quincy routes.

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php/pas ... channel=41" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Siemens said that the first SC-44 Charger diesel-electric passenger locomotives for the California Department of Transportation will begin revenue testing on the Sacramento-Oakland-San Jose Capitol Corridor before the end of April.

Reserve your tickets now to experience that "new locomotive smell". It's happening in the next 9 days.

I haven't payed any attention to these, but I just saw the first one in the wild playing around on the Michigan Line....

Who had the genius idea to put the LED board on the front of these? What is this, a giant subway? Like the LED board will stand up to everyday service at high speeds on a mainline railroad. Just wait until the first midwest storm event when the thing will get wacked with hail, tree branches and such. Or the winter, when it has to buck snowdrifts.

Not to mention, it's a bit distracting and eye grabbing to motorists. I don't know if that is going to be a problem or not.

Alcochaser wrote:
Who had the genius idea to put the LED board on the front of these?

Someone at Amtrak who has and actually uses, a passport?

Like the LED board will stand up to everyday service at high speeds on a mainline railroad. Just wait until the first midwest storm event when the thing will get wacked with hail, tree branches and such. Or the winter, when it has to buck snowdrifts.

They seem to work just fine on SJ, DB, PKP, and others.

Not to mention, it's a bit distracting and eye grabbing to motorists. I don't know if that is going to be a problem or not.

If you're on the tracks and the train's that close, you're probably going to be dead. I guess as long as it doesn't say something sarcastic like "Have a nice day!", it's not going to affect anything...

The headlight is much brighter, anyway. It'll be helpful when trains meet close to a station so people don't get on the wrong train (yes, it does happen).
The lighted opening in the side'll be a lot weirder.

Alcochaser wrote:I haven't payed any attention to these, but I just saw the first one in the wild playing around on the Michigan Line....

Who had the genius idea to put the LED board on the front of these? What is this, a giant subway? Like the LED board will stand up to everyday service at high speeds on a mainline railroad. Just wait until the first midwest storm event when the thing will get wacked with hail, tree branches and such. Or the winter, when it has to buck snowdrifts.

Not to mention, it's a bit distracting and eye grabbing to motorists. I don't know if that is going to be a problem or not.

On Stage Rally cars with LED light bars, they have taken abuse from rocks, snow, mud, rain, grass, and flying parts from other cars and still work....

The LED station sign, as well as the headlights, are covered with FRA 1 glass. If the hail, twigs, locust, etc. get to the LEDs then we have bigger problems.

Nasadowsk wrote:

Alcochaser wrote:
Who had the genius idea to put the LED board on the front of these?

Someone at Amtrak who has and actually uses, a passport?

Like the LED board will stand up to everyday service at high speeds on a mainline railroad. Just wait until the first midwest storm event when the thing will get wacked with hail, tree branches and such. Or the winter, when it has to buck snowdrifts.

They seem to work just fine on SJ, DB, PKP, and others.

Not to mention, it's a bit distracting and eye grabbing to motorists. I don't know if that is going to be a problem or not.

If you're on the tracks and the train's that close, you're probably going to be dead. I guess as long as it doesn't say something sarcastic like "Have a nice day!", it's not going to affect anything...

I'm with Chaser on this one. (A) anything other than subway cars with such a sign has not been plugged in for long. A few Cosmopolitans had these and they didn't last long; (b) any station where there might be more than one Amtrak train at a time has such protective safety maven procedures that one is not allowed on a platform unless the train is in the station and ready to board and the passengers are walked to the train. I have no idea why this is as any busy European station has open platform access.

What does it hurt? In some corridors, you may have more than one train operating over the same line.

I wish Metra had this on their lead and trailing cars, especially on a delay day where nothing is running in time.

Tadman wrote:(b) any station where there might be more than one Amtrak train at a time has such protective safety maven procedures that one is not allowed on a platform unless the train is in the station and ready to board and the passengers are walked to the train. I have no idea why this is as any busy European station has open platform access.

In general there is a lack of familiarity with train travel in the American public that does not exist in Europe where it is a universal experience.

This means that in the average crowd there will almost always be people taking the train who either are unsure of boarding procedures or uncertain of direction of travel.

The volunteer train and station hosts on the Downeaster see this a lot in Portland where they actually assist the ticket agent with the procedures at the gate.

Tadman wrote: I'm with Chaser on this one. (A) anything other than subway cars with such a sign has not been plugged in for long. A few Cosmopolitans had these and they didn't last long; (b) any station where there might be more than one Amtrak train at a time has such protective safety maven procedures that one is not allowed on a platform unless the train is in the station and ready to board and the passengers are walked to the train. I have no idea why this is as any busy European station has open platform access.

Currently used destination signs are in operation on many if not most commuter rail lines in the country, including on many Amtrak trains. Most multiple departure stations shared between Amtrak and Commuter railroads have some form of open access to Amtrak platforms. The only stations I can think of where that is not the case are Philadelphia and Seattle, where this issue is avoided by splitting the commuter rail to a separate set of platforms.

Tadman wrote:I'm with Chaser on this one. (A) anything other than subway cars with such a sign has not been plugged in for long. A few Cosmopolitans had these and they didn't last long; (b) any station where there might be more than one Amtrak train at a time has such protective safety maven procedures that one is not allowed on a platform unless the train is in the station and ready to board and the passengers are walked to the train. I have no idea why this is as any busy European station has open platform access.

Metro-North's M7 fleet has destination signs on the side of the car. The M8's have signs on both the side and the cab end, above the windows. They seem to work just fine from what I see-- and I'm on MNR a minimum of 2x/day 5 days/wk.