Acela Speeds

I found the 2007 plan (early O'Malley)and it never got beyond 4 tracks @ BWI. So I mis-remembered. Nonetheless, for people who like MOAR rails, this was pure planporn.

ApproachMedium wrote:This is fantastic news as somebody who gets in to Balitmore on time with an Acela, and even a regional train often, and then is forced to follow the painfully slow diesel hauled MARC local all the way to DC. My little heart just cannot wait until I can blow past that slow junk on the fast track.

Then you have the delays to MARC due to no 4 tracks such as is occurring today. From a MARC notice

MARC Service Alert <[email protected]>
To
MTA Maryland Alerts Subscriber
Today at 11:39 AM
MARC Train 481 (dpt Balt 11:05am) is operating 12-15 minutes behind schedule due to following multiple Amtrak trains.

Yea because there is a track out of service from baltimore to odenton station so they have to share two tracks, also because the one crossover at new carrolton broke a rod last night and they cannot cross trains from 2 to 3 track at carrol until they find the part and have clearance overnight to replace it.

So, I see based on the same upgraded variable tension hangars that are in place north of Monmouth Junction, it looks like the constant tension won't extend down to Hamilton.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/631540/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/631553/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perhaps not this time around in the current project but I think its inevitable at some point in the future.

Just like the New Haven on Metro-North the wires have a service life that has to end ultimately.

I doubt very much that Amtrak will accept any plans which force them to replace variable tension wire "as is".

I wonder what that means for the speed profile. Upgraded variable tension runs from just south of New Brunswick to Monmouth Junction, then constant tension from Monmouth Junction to somewhere south of Princeton Junction, and then upgraded variable tension from there to Trenton. I guess those will be acceleration/deceleration zones on the way up to and down from 160 mph.

Matt Johnson wrote:So, I see based on the same upgraded variable tension hangars that are in place north of Monmouth Junction, it looks like the constant tension won't extend down to Hamilton.

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/631540/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.railpictures.net/photo/631553/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

The hangers in your photos are not constant tension they just keep the vibrations from one track from going to another track, keeps the wire more stable for higher speeds and high speed passing of trains. Ham to CP clark did not get new wire and was in the original plans to get wire and constant tension, but since the funding ran out for now its not getting done.

A point not made aware to this poster until lately is the spacing of the CAT poles need to be closer than some of the PRR poles are spaced. Just speculation would believe the spacing is related to MAS speeds so even the route is not planned for more than 160 MPH the spacing may be planned for 220 MPH ? Another reason that money ran out is that many more poles were found to be beyond reasonable repair and have to be replaced. If 16 miles a year can get converted to constant tension then the whole NEC including Harrisburg would be done in ~ 20 years. Also the need to mitigate the various slow sections, 2 and 3 track sections to 4 main tracks. The 3 - 2 track draw bridges in Maryland will need replacing with 4 track bridges. Also the Baltimore B&P tunnel replacement with 4 separate tubes. All that work will make the time NYP - WASH 2 hours with probably 3 stops for Acelas .

east point wrote:All that work will make the time NYP - WASH 2 hours with probably 3 stops for Acelas .

None of us will live to see three-stop trains scheduled NY to Washington in two hours.

So has OTP or speed yet improved due to any of these recent (ongoing?) upgrades?

I would guess we won't see it in OTP given that Acela runs close to a perfect schedule most of the time.

None of us will live to see three-stop trains scheduled NY to Washington in two hours.

I don't know about two hours, but there used to be an Express Metroliner that did WAS-NYP with one intermediate stop at NCR, taking about 2:40 to do it. I took it once - fun ride. Doesn't seem to be any such express service nowadays - the Acelas all make more stops than that.

jwhite07 wrote:I don't know about two hours, but there used to be an Express Metroliner that did WAS-NYP with one intermediate stop at NCR, taking about 2:40 to do it. I took it once - fun ride. Doesn't seem to be any such express service nowadays - the Acelas all make more stops than that.

For reference to future discussions of the Acela ... How was the ridership?

Mr. O'Keefe, somewhere at this Forum, the Late Randy Resor (Nellie Bly) reported the ridership was not great. Amtrak tried out same with the Acela and with like results.

However, on the New Haven, Amtrak has Stamford-Providence Nonstops, which certainly is a breakthrough from the NYNH&H days.

The trip I took was in August of 1990. I don't remember how busy the train was overall, but I did have the two-seater to myself the whole way, except for a fair bit of time when one of the trainmen noticed I was reading a railfan magazine and sat down next to me for a chat and to point out a few things of train-buff interest along the way. Couldn't have been all that busy if he could do that!