ALP-45DP's - Usage and Delivery

25Hz wrote:I would call them the first successful truly dual power locomotive. The design isn't a compromise, it really is 2 units in one. The fact that it had to be single ended is probably the only caveat i can think of. Even the single panto isn't an issue, because in theory it could rescue itself if the panto was damaged.

IMO, NJ Transit took a REALLY HUGE risk on new locomotive technology that was built overseas, but cannot be tested at the factory because the rails at the factory couldn't stand up to the new locomotive, so they were shipped untested. Can you imagine what a fiasco this would have been if the ALP-45DP were a complete failure? I don't know if they would have shipped them back to Germany. Sure new technology will have a few bugs, but it sounds like that huge risk payed off. Seriously, Amtrak should reconsider Bombardier for 45s on its Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Crescent routes.

BuddCar711 wrote:

25Hz wrote:I would call them the first successful truly dual power locomotive. The design isn't a compromise, it really is 2 units in one. The fact that it had to be single ended is probably the only caveat i can think of. Even the single panto isn't an issue, because in theory it could rescue itself if the panto was damaged.

IMO, NJ Transit took a REALLY HUGE risk on new locomotive technology that was built overseas, but cannot be tested at the factory because the rails at the factory couldn't stand up to the new locomotive, so they were shipped untested. Can you imagine what a fiasco this would have been if the ALP-45DP were a complete failure? I don't know if they would have shipped them back to Germany. Sure new technology will have a few bugs, but it sounds like that huge risk payed off. Seriously, Amtrak should reconsider Bombardier for 45s on its Silver Meteor, Silver Star, and Crescent routes.

If the Pennsylvanian survives past October, I think they would be perfect for that service as well. They would cut out the 30 minute stop in Philadelphia to swap the engines, and have a high enough too speed to maintain schedule on both legs of the trip.

The Pennsylvanian would almost certainly still have to go into 30th Street. The detour from Zoo interlocking and back again is going to eat up time whether they switch engines or not. But that's an Amtrak train, not NJ Transit, and Amtrak doesn't own any ALP-45DPs and I'm not aware they have any plans to acquire them.

Btw the last time I looked the Pennsylvanian had a running time of eighty-eight minutes from 30th Street to NYP despite making four stops! That is some performance.

Tommy Meehan wrote:The Pennsylvanian would almost certainly still have to go into 30th Street. The detour from Zoo interlocking and back again is going to eat up time whether they switch engines or not. But that's an Amtrak train, not NJ Transit, and Amtrak doesn't own any ALP-45DPs and I'm not aware they have any plans to acquire them.

Btw the last time I looked the Pennsylvanian had a running time of eighty-eight minutes from 30th Street to NYP despite making four stops! That is some performance.

It would have to go to 30th street yes, but the stop would be much quicker because all you have to do is press a button to switch modes vs. uncouple and switch engines. I never said the train would skip 30th street.i just worded that horribly. I should have said cut down not cut out.

Budd, that's how innovation happens, someone has to take the risk, in this case it was NJT. Now we have by far the best dual mode engines in the country. I I remember correctly I thought the P32s can only run in electric mode for a limited amount of time, doesn't it have to do with the third rail shoe or something? I remember reading that somewhere.

I have an extremely high visual acuity, like off the charts.

Oh yeah? How many fingers am I holding up? (hint, I am not using my thumb, index, ring, or pinky finger)

Tadman wrote:

I have an extremely high visual acuity, like off the charts.

Oh yeah? How many fingers am I holding up? (hint, I am not using my thumb, index, ring, or pinky finger)

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's brilliant, good one Tadman!

25Hz wrote:I have an extremely high visual acuity, like off the charts. I can dissect images differently than most people, in fact how i "see" the world is different from most people. I've stood (for various reasons) trackside for hours on end, staring at the rails, seeing how they move, looking at the wheels and trucks, seeing how their movement relates to the wear and alignment of the rails, for example unevenly worn or newly installed rail will make the truck do different things as it moves over that spot. I've watched countless videos as well. Both of these add together to create a map in my head of what the rails and ties (the ties often move) should look like. I can recall all most every centimeter of rail/track/tie i've ever looked at, from the abandoned wye here in the middle of town, to the odd derailing switch on the east end of track 5 in trenton, to the LIRR grade crossing in bethpage east of the station, plus countless moments of when i've seen train wheels move over certain sections i've seen without any weight on them. I remember things as if they were video clips as well as stills. I can also manipulate objects in my visual mind to deduce what made marks say from a traffic accident or a tree falling (i call it forensic visualization). I can also recall all most every moment of every movie i've ever seen, including on youtube. I see a still photo of a locomotive on a section of track i've seen before, or looks similar enough to another i've seen to tell that the rail is not being deflected any more than a PL42AC would if it rolled over the same spot (this is interesting to me since they supposedly weigh the same!).

beanbag wrote:If the Pennsylvanian survives past October, I think they would be perfect for that service as well. They would cut out the 30 minute stop in Philadelphia to swap the engines, and have a high enough too speed to maintain schedule on both legs of the trip.

The Pennsylvanian would still have to swap engines no matter what because remember, at 30th Street, the train is reversing direction as well, and Amfleet II is not push-pull capable. So the DP's would not be a good choice for that train.

Silverliner II wrote:

beanbag wrote:If the Pennsylvanian survives past October, I think they would be perfect for that service as well. They would cut out the 30 minute stop in Philadelphia to swap the engines, and have a high enough too speed to maintain schedule on both legs of the trip.

The Pennsylvanian would still have to swap engines no matter what because remember, at 30th Street, the train is reversing direction as well, and Amfleet II is not push-pull capable. So the DP's would not be a good choice for that train.

Oh, I did not know that they used the Amfleet IIs for that train, or that the IIs aren't push pull capable. Alright, never mind then, it was just a thought.

I was thinking of the wrong train as well when I said it covered 30th St-NYP in 88 minutes with four stops. That's actually 640 which used to be called The Valley Forge (though I don't know if it still is).

Amtrak might find better use for these on empire service and vermonter due to the smaller fuel tanks. GO and SEPTA might make better customers, as the former is planning a phased electrification over the next so many years but is now all diesel, and the later could use them on re-activated lines without wire up.

That's pretty funny.

Lolololoololololololol ThirdRail.

How are their ride quality and tracking characteristics? Given the high weight, are they really good for 125 mph on the NEC? (I know NJT won't run 'em at that speed, but that's what the design speed is in electric mode.)

To operate on the NEC trains have to be able to achieve a pretty high minimum speed. About 105 mph I think.