Railroad Forums 

  • EMUs VS Engine on Electrified Track?

  • General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.
General discussion of passenger rail systems not otherwise covered in the specific forums in this category, including high speed rail.

Moderators: mtuandrew, gprimr1

 #1504987  by Nasadowsk
 
mtuandrew wrote: just that American roads have followed Amtrak’s lead and opted for maintenance simplicity.
For electric ops, NJT is the only ones besides Amtrak running any significant number of electric locos. Everyone else is EMU. Given the reliability of NJT's equipment, it's hard to say locomotives are any better from a maintenance / reliability standpoint. IIRC, SEPTA's loco hauled fleet doesn't do well either, despite getting LOTS of time between runs for maintenance, and a generally easy life. Also note the AEM-7s there barely outlasted the Silverliner IIs, despite the SL IIs being a LOT older and getting almost constant use.

I wonder if the cost of a train dropping dead on the mainline is partly why EMUs are becoming almost universal overseas for passenger ops?
 #1505011  by R36 Combine Coach
 
Nasadowsk wrote:The Arrows are limited to 80mph currently, and were never allowed faster than 100mph. I've never gotten a straight answer as to why they're limited to 80mph.
They have been limited to 80 for about 20 years now. I recall ALP44s were rated at 125 on the NEC in the 1990s, are the ALP46s only 100 now?
east point wrote:This is not always true but : NJT local trains are usually EMUs between short distance local trains. The NJT trains that are express from Newark and Trenton are electric loco hauled as those trains can maintain top speed.
Gladstone is usually Arrows. 10/12 car Arrows can found on the NEC, less so now.