ALP-45DP's - Usage and Delivery

Silverliner II wrote:

Fan Railer wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:

Fan Railer wrote:Broad.... someone should hang out there and get videos of the mode changes..... I should have thought of this earlier.

I'm on it!!

...well... in about two weeks or so when I get a free moment....

LOL it's gotta be tomorrow. Only one more day of this guaranteed operation for the forseeable future haha.... thinking about doing it myself, but then that's more money and time that I may not have.

I'll just wait for a Hoboken to Dover or Gladstone train during a PM rush then.... oh wait....

Just nailed one of 4502 going from electric to diesel at broad. Video will be up later, id wait for one to do diesel to electric but i dont have time. Another day ill get one. I better get alot of free JT popcorn for the amount of uploading i have to do!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9-vpUa_XLw

4502s mode change at Broad, sorry for the double posts I just wanted to make sure you guys saw them.

I've noticed that the ALP-44s are numbered 4400s, the ALP-46s 4600s, and now the ALP-45DPs 4500s. Does that mean that NJ Transit actually creates the model numbers for those locomotives?

BuddCar711 wrote:I've noticed that the ALP-44s are numbered 4400s, the ALP-46s 4600s, and now the ALP-45DPs 4500s. Does that mean that NJ Transit actually creates the model numbers for those locomotives?

They may have had input somewhere, somehow, but either way, involvement or not, it's really not that hard just to number the locomotives according to their model designation. If NJT really wanted to, they could renumber the ALP-45DPs to the 9xxx range.

What I would be curious about is why ALL of NJTs locomotives are in the 4xxx range. Perhaps that's just the way it fell, but who can blame me for curiosity?

Fan Railer wrote:

BuddCar711 wrote:I've noticed that the ALP-44s are numbered 4400s, the ALP-46s 4600s, and now the ALP-45DPs 4500s. Does that mean that NJ Transit actually creates the model numbers for those locomotives?

They may have had input somewhere, somehow, but either way, involvement or not, it's really not that hard just to number the locomotives according to their model designation. If NJT really wanted to, they could renumber the ALP-45DPs to the 9xxx range.

What I would be curious about is why ALL of NJTs locomotives are in the 4xxx range. Perhaps that's just the way it fell, but who can blame me for curiosity?

It's a holdover from the days when Conrail ran the show. The E-8 diesels were numbered based on where they fit in the Conrail numbering scheme at the time. The CNJ Geeps and U-boats were renumbered for the same reason. Then the F40PH's followed suit, and when NJT took over, and ordered subsequent diesels, they simply continued the pattern.

Fan Railer, dont forget the MPIs.

Silverliner II wrote:It's a holdover from the days when Conrail ran the show. The E-8 diesels were numbered based on where they fit in the Conrail numbering scheme at the time. The CNJ Geeps and U-boats were renumbered for the same reason. Then the F40PH's followed suit, and when NJT took over, and ordered subsequent diesels, they simply continued the pattern.

That seems to be plausible. Looking at an NJ Transit locomotive roster, updated as of last May (CLICK), they do seem to use the next available number block. Except they did jump from 4400 to 4600 and back to 4500. So using the next available block -- was the 4500 series in use when the ALP-46s began being delivered? -- doesn't seem to have been followed in that case. And they also skipped the 4700 series when they added in the ACES Genesis locomotives.

I've read stories by railroad motive power department officials in history journals, where they reveal there usually is some method they adhere to in numbering power. Sometimes just to make it easier for company employees -- from clerks to machinists -- to be able to recognize a model type of locomotive from the assigned roster series.

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beanbag wrote:Fan Railer, dont forget the MPIs.

I should say, then, revenue locomotives lol.

The 4400s were so numbered because they had about 4 MW of power - the '46s have 6+ Megawatts of power, and the 46As actually produce 7+MW of power, but they decided to keep the numbers together because they are basically the same. The '45s.....you guessed it..... produce about 5 MW of power

The Conrail numbers were in the 41XX, 42XX and 43XX for passenger power I believe - all those E7 and E8s were numbered in those series. The CNJ Geeps were renumbered from 36XX to 41XX by CR/NJDOT, and the U34s were also in that number block on the upper end. The F40s came, they were after the Geeps, from 4113 to 4129. Then the FHs came, and they filled out to 4145. The GP40PH-2As, the 4146 - 4150 filled out the lower half of the 41XX series, while the U34s and MN locos filled out the upper end of the 41XX series. They bought the GP40PH-2Bs, and there wasnt' any room in the 41XX series, so they started in the 42XX series. The 4300s, were a whole other series, because they don't have HEP, just GP40-2s. Its easier to assign power if different types of locos are in different classes and groups. Makes it easier at a glace to see what kind of loco you have available

The non-revenue switchers were always odd numbered, from the GP7s and GP9s that were used, to the SW1500s that replaced them in the 500 series, to the now MP20s that are in the 1000 series

Jtgshu wrote:The 4400s were so numbered because they had about 4 MW of power - the '46s have 6+ Megawatts of power, and the 46As actually produce 7+MW of power, but they decided to keep the numbers together because they are basically the same. The '45s.....you guessed it..... produce about 5 MW of power

The Conrail numbers were in the 41XX, 42XX and 43XX for passenger power I believe - all those E7 and E8s were numbered in those series. The CNJ Geeps were renumbered from 36XX to 41XX by CR/NJDOT, and the U34s were also in that number block on the upper end. The F40s came, they were after the Geeps, from 4113 to 4129. Then the FHs came, and they filled out to 4145. The GP40PH-2As, the 4146 - 4150 filled out the lower half of the 41XX series, while the U34s and MN locos filled out the upper end of the 41XX series. They bought the GP40PH-2Bs, and there wasnt' any room in the 41XX series, so they started in the 42XX series. The 4300s, were a whole other series, because they don't have HEP, just GP40-2s. Its easier to assign power if different types of locos are in different classes and groups. Makes it easier at a glace to see what kind of loco you have available

The non-revenue switchers were always odd numbered, from the GP7s and GP9s that were used, to the SW1500s that replaced them in the 500 series, to the now MP20s that are in the 1000 series

I figured that last one had to do with megawatts of power I just didn't want to say something wrong, I had read something on the designations of the ALP series. Heads up JT, the last NJT FH was 4144, 4145 is the first PH-2A.

So where does 1.21 gigawatts fit in ?

Thanks bean...brain fart there....

1.21 Gigawatts is when you have 2 ALP46As powering a 6 car Comet set on your go home train! New York to Long Branch in an hour!! Woooot!!!

Jtgshu wrote:Thanks bean...brain fart there....

1.21 Gigawatts is when you have 2 ALP46As powering a 6 car Comet set on your go home train! New York to Long Branch in an hour!! Woooot!!!

Or that one time they had 2 46As and a 46 sandwiching a 7 car multilevel. Ludicrous speed, GOOOOO!!!!!!

If you don't mind me asking an off topic question, JT, what does the operator manual for the PL42AC say the continuous tractive rating is, and at what speed? Is it really only 27,000 lbs? I would think that is the final effort at maximum speed, since, even the Genesis has a higher continuous rating than that, and at 38 mph. I would think a newer locomotive and also AC powered would have better tractive characteristics and an older DC powered locomotive in the same category (semi-high speed commuter / long distance application).

Train 854 was being pushed by 4520 today.

Fan Railer wrote:

Jtgshu wrote:Thanks bean...brain fart there....

1.21 Gigawatts is when you have 2 ALP46As powering a 6 car Comet set on your go home train! New York to Long Branch in an hour!! Woooot!!!

Or that one time they had 2 46As and a 46 sandwiching a 7 car multilevel. Ludicrous speed, GOOOOO!!!!!!

If you don't mind me asking an off topic question, JT, what does the operator manual for the PL42AC say the continuous tractive rating is, and at what speed? Is it really only 27,000 lbs? I would think that is the final effort at maximum speed, since, even the Genesis has a higher continuous rating than that, and at 38 mph. I would think a newer locomotive and also AC powered would have better tractive characteristics and an older DC powered locomotive in the same category (semi-high speed commuter / long distance application).

I don't have my manuals handy, but Ill try to remember and keep an eye on it later on to see what "real time" numbers it comes up with. But I think the 27k is final effort at track speed. I think its roughly 7k for each axle. When starting off, I think the maximum is around 72k, with computer showing about 18k per axle, but don't quote me