Acela II (Alstom Avelia Liberty): Design, Production, Delivery, Acceptance

Amtrak X967 (Acela 2 test train) Westbound at Princeton Junction 1:48 PM

Through North Philadelphia station at 2:20
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Here's a link to yesterday's Washington Post Story, "Amtrak’s faster, higher-tech Acela trains are delayed again" —
https://wapo.st/3JIfP8k

So, the cat problem is solved. The major hurdle is... making simulations for the FRA?

Isn’t that something they would do before they start all this testing?

Very strange. You'd think that the requirements came out just weeks ago.

Any time a significant modification is required, it needs thoroughly evaluated before being tested in the field. I sure as heck don’t want to be running a test train at high speeds if there are issues with components that need to be modified. Aside from the cant issue, one of the bogies was flagged for excessive movement going over a switch at high speeds at one or the Interlockings during testing runs. The most recent test run was to focus more on interior stuff like signage and announcements.

That all make sense, but what has some of us puzzled, are these computer simulations, which by the sound of it, should have been finished years ago.

From what I understood from one of the Alstom reps is that the simulations being done at this point are resulting from modifications to the train set. FRA oversight on this one is at an all time high for sure…

8th Notch wrote: ↑Fri Apr 15, 2022 12:09 am From what I understood from one of the Alstom reps is that the simulations being done at this point are resulting from modifications to the train set. FRA oversight on this one is at an all time high for sure…

Refresh my memory, but these train sets run on the Euro standards for build design, with crumple zones?

I've been rather vocal on what I think about the worn out A2 3rd world looking paint scheme. And then I saw the Phase 6 and 7 paint schemes - both quite attractive in their own ways. I found myself wondering how those can look so nice, yet they have such an ugly and plain paint scheme for A2. I can see the Acela's needing to look a bit different, but 6, maybe 7 look like they'd be a good starting point. I like the idea of the 6 scheme with the arrow to denote speed. And with all the delays, they'd have time to figure this out, maybe try out some ideas on the 2 test trains, at least a few cars. A2 needs to look premium, not like Amtrak was too cheap to pay for decent paint. What they have now reminds me of the old, LIRR rust bucket fleet that ran up until the late 1990's, like someone threw on some cheap house paint to cover the rust (which I think is what LIRR actually did). In contrast, the new Amtrak paint schemes seem well thought out, even how locomotive areas that tend to get dirty en route would look.

Videos of Trainset Three have begun to appear on YouTube, and I noticed the enormous individual car numbers on the side of the train, near the top of each vehicle, for the first time. Why are these numbers so enormous? Why does Trainset Three have them so prominently displayed while the other two don’t?

TheOneKEA wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:09 pm Videos of Trainset Three have begun to appear on YouTube, and I noticed the enormous individual car numbers on the side of the train, near the top of each vehicle, for the first time. Why are these numbers so enormous? Why does Trainset Three have them so prominently displayed while the other two don’t?

Trainsets 1 and 2 are the test trainsets while trainset 3 is the first "production" set. As to why they are so huge, not sure other than it was a design choice somewhere.

Trainset 3 also has the corrected Acela logo since it was backwards on one engine of set 1 and 2.

ST Saint wrote: ↑Thu Apr 21, 2022 10:36 am

TheOneKEA wrote: ↑Wed Apr 20, 2022 6:09 pm Videos of Trainset Three have begun to appear on YouTube, and I noticed the enormous individual car numbers on the side of the train, near the top of each vehicle, for the first time. Why are these numbers so enormous? Why does Trainset Three have them so prominently displayed while the other two don’t?

Trainsets 1 and 2 are the test trainsets while trainset 3 is the first "production" set. As to why they are so huge, not sure other than it was a design choice somewhere.

Trainset 3 also has the corrected Acela logo since it was backwards on one engine of set 1 and 2.

It’s a very curious design choice, because many of the “normals” aren’t going to care what the car number is, and the passengers who do will stop caring once they know which car their seat(s) are in. I don’t mind their size but they are so incredibly prominent…

Whoever at Amtrak is making these 'decor' decisions would appear to be isolated from everyone else at Amtrak who makes such decisions. IMHO, the design should be a variant of Phase 6 or 7 modified only to reflect the premium nature of Acela 2. Instead, whoever is deciding seems determined to make the A2 as ugly as possible. Garish numbers, a paint scheme that reminds us of the old LIRR rust bucket look (cheap house paint over rust) and always looking filthy.