Why during the 9/2001 Hoboken festival did they run aux. power to the Amtrak Acela versus simply raising the pans ?I asked this same question to the crew on the train. The first crew member didn't realize they were under wire. The second said they didn't want to risk harming the equipment even though he said it probably would not have been a problem.
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Amtrak equipment on M&E Line of NJT
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I take it that the Acela was on Ground power (480 volt standby lines) so people could walk trough the set including maybe the powercars.
If I were Amtrak , I would not want high voltage on a train during a public event with low level platforms.
If I were Amtrak , I would not want high voltage on a train during a public event with low level platforms.
If Conductors are in charge, why are they promoted to be Engineer???
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
Retired Triebfahrzeugführer. I am not a moderator.
The Acela's would require an external stair case that would have to be grounded and bonded incase some freak thing happened to the train with the pans up. You could charge the entire platform and zap everyone standing on it. (souce Amtrak saftey trainin personnel) Granted the likelyhood of this happening are extremly remote. The EMU's or any coach meant for low platform use don't have this issue since the stairs are part of the rail car.
Olton Hall wrote:The Acela's would require an external stair case that would have to be grounded and bonded incase some freak thing happened to the train with the pans up. You could charge the entire platform and zap everyone standing on it. (souce Amtrak saftey trainin personnel) Granted the likelyhood of this happening are extremly remote. The EMU's or any coach meant for low platform use don't have this issue since the stairs are part of the rail car.Wow! The Acelas don't have any kind of Stairs at all? I would have figured they would have something to let people off in an emergency (I'm not an Amtrak rider.)
Has there ever been an incident where people were "zapped" on the platform?
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Moderator of the "widely popular" NJT Rail Forum! What once was first is now seventh!
That's correct—the stairs were indeed made out of wood. They were of the same type that they put up to the PATH cars when on display at the Hoboken tracks.
The Acela Express does have two sets of emergency steps on either side of the train, that have to be removed and manually extended. IMHO, though, that was not a good idea to build them without the steps/trapdoors since that removes flexibility, not to mention makes them unable to stop at every NEC station (it limits them to the high platforms at Washington Union Station, also).
Acela Expresses are quite capable of using 25kV 60Hz, since they run on that voltage/frequency between New Haven and Boston every day. The "risk harming the equipment" excuse was a canard, IMHO...although the AE does have a bad reputation of ripping down catenary when the pans get entangled (whereas they are supposed to break away; that feature must not work as well as on other equipment).
The Acela Express does have two sets of emergency steps on either side of the train, that have to be removed and manually extended. IMHO, though, that was not a good idea to build them without the steps/trapdoors since that removes flexibility, not to mention makes them unable to stop at every NEC station (it limits them to the high platforms at Washington Union Station, also).
Acela Expresses are quite capable of using 25kV 60Hz, since they run on that voltage/frequency between New Haven and Boston every day. The "risk harming the equipment" excuse was a canard, IMHO...although the AE does have a bad reputation of ripping down catenary when the pans get entangled (whereas they are supposed to break away; that feature must not work as well as on other equipment).
nick11a wrote:Wow! The Acelas don't have any kind of Stairs at all? I would have figured they would have something to let people off in an emergency (I'm not an Amtrak rider.)They do carry a portable set of steps on the Acela. I know, because I was on board an Acela that broke down back in 2001! (Actually, the pantograph snagged the catenary and was damaged.) They had us exit the train and board a Regional that pulled up on the adjacent track.
It was interesting, but I wasn't thrilled about being put on a Regional after paying the Acela fare! Not to mention, we sat for at least a couple of hours before they had us transfer to the other train.
This happened at New Rochelle, where Amtrak merges with the Metro North tracks. When we transferred to the Regional, I asked if I could get off at New Haven and catch the next Acela Express behind us. It turns out there was one right behind us, and they let all of the "refugees" switch trains at New Haven if they chose to do so. So, I actually rode on three different trains to get from New York to Boston that day!
This happened at New Rochelle, where Amtrak merges with the Metro North tracks. When we transferred to the Regional, I asked if I could get off at New Haven and catch the next Acela Express behind us. It turns out there was one right behind us, and they let all of the "refugees" switch trains at New Haven if they chose to do so. So, I actually rode on three different trains to get from New York to Boston that day!