AmtrakLocomotiveEngineer wrote:bostontrainguy wrote:Still want to complain about the fixed seats and the fact that half the passengers will be forced to ride backwards at 160 mph!
Everybody is going to have to make HUGE adjustments with the new trains, both passengers and crews. Unfortunately, Amtrak is buying these "off the shelf" and basically it's "AS IS".
Most of the engineers are already dreading the change because it's going to be a European design, with center seat in the cab and only one master controller which will be throttle AND brake in ONE LEVER.
Off-the-shelf means they have been proven to work well in the past. The AEM7 and ACS64 have been pretty darn reliable. As a passenger, I really don't want to be stranded because something unproven has problems.
As for adjustments for crews, I work with situations a lot like this in the crane industry. New crew interfaces and electrical controls can be frustrating because the equipment reaction is totally different. That said, good training helps a lot, and it certainly takes some time to get up to speed. Also, if it was easy to make any train go fast and safe, there wouldn't be an need for trained professionals to do the job. I notice a lot of heavy equipment operators take a lot of pride in their job, and justifiably so. They are experts and are good at figuring out new equipment.
The new Acela: It's not Aveliable.