ALC-42E Acquisition and Planned Operation

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:49 am From Hilton Suites Boca Raton--

I must wonder why Brightline did not order cab cars such as Siemens built for OBB and CD.with their RailJet sets.

It just seems as if with Brightline that two SC-44 engines and from what I've observed, both engines operate (of course as others here who have taken a Brightline joyride have surely noted, their stations are "not exactly" railfan friendly).

Possibly FEC required Brightline to have two engines on each set and perhaps Brightline envisions expanded consists, but failing either, Brightline sets appear way overpowered.

I believe the plan is to expand to five car trains then go all the way to 10 car trains. (Locomotives do better in grade crossing incidents at that...)

Remaining on topic - I'm still really curious to see if WSDOT will get ALC-42Es, more of a standard ALC-42 in WSDOT livery, or SC-44s matching the current get up. I haven't dug up anything concrete yet.

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:49 am Possibly FEC required Brightline to have two engines on each set and perhaps Brightline envisions expanded consists, but failing either, Brightline sets appear way overpowered.

Roughly 7500 or so for a 6-8 car train? That’s not much better than NJT, albeit with lighter equipment.

About the only locomotive hauled train in the US I’ve ridden in recent years that had respectable performance was a Keystone from HBG to NYC. And that was only 6 cars, but 8600 hp.

Do you want ridership or nice photo ops? If it’s my tax dollars, I know what I want, and nobody cares how cool a train looks, if it takes forever and a day to get them there…

From Hilton Suites Boca Raton---

Well, my "not a joyride" journey down to Miami in Coach was perfectly adequate in all respects.. I bought transportation, and Brightline delivered.

Thursday to McCoy and back will be a joyride.

Logical the WSDOT Chargers are the standard version, with out the DC link and alternator start equipment. But the real question is, will the Chargers be a longdistance ALC-42 or the commuter SC-44 version.

The WSDOT Chargers (SC-44) are leased to Amtrak, i wonder if the 2 new chargers will be Amtrak owned or WSDOT.

I don't think the WSDOT Chargers are leased to Amtrak, I think they are operated by Amtrak on behalf of WSDOT (as the Horizon cars in Cascades service are leased from Amtrak by WSDOT--it would be absurd to lease a thing from the person you are leasing that thing to). It seems that about a year before the ICT order was announced that WSDOT got a ~$75M grant to purchase rail cars for the Cascades service, but I can't find word one way or the other how that money is being spent (I imagine that if WSDOT already has 8 SC-44s and is getting 8 Venture trainsets, they would use the existing engines unless WSDOT wants those engines to be under the same maintenance plan the Venture cars are and can't do that without new engines).

The NGEC states other wise that the WSDOT Chargers are leased to Amtrak

https://ngec.org/wp-content/uploads/202 ... -2024-.pdf

I do think its is strange, but that is what the presentation is stating

WSDOT's website reads like Amtrak isn't leasing.

The WSDOT 2019-2040 rail plan indicates that they need 3 more locomotives to completely cover the Cascades service without relying on Amtrak's national fleet to fill in, so maybe the Cascades ICTs will use a mixture of SC-44s and ALC-42Es?

I found that per a NGEC Feb 2024 briefing, WSDOT is leasing its locomotives to Amtrak and that the Airo trains for the Cascades will be used with both the existing WSDOT fleet and two new Chargers (no word if that means more SC44s or ALC42(E)s).