Possible Future Improvements - 110+ mph, Electrification...

Jeff Smith wrote: ↑Tue Oct 06, 2020 2:14 pm Has anyone mentioned dual modes?

Yes, me.

#1553950 by bostontrainguy
Sun Oct 04, 2020 9:15 am
Amtrak is looking into dual-mode locomotives to eliminate the engine change at certain places including Washington D.C. This will definitely be an improvement that will happen much quicker and cheaper than electrification. Any new engine should be capable of 125 mph and this one change will greatly speedup the average speed of many trains.

Jefe: THANKS!

I ran electric engines for Amtrak for 30 years.

New York City to Albany makes sense.
New Haven to Springfield might, too.

But everywhere else?
Not a chance.
(j.albert)

The best way to speed trains up is to eliminate time going 0mph. Less time on sidings waiting for freight trains to pass. Things that make stops shorter: level boarding, eliminating power changes, more doors?

The second best way is to spend less time going slow. Fix slow turnouts, straighten curves, and *accelerate faster after stops.*

On that last one, why is Amtrak so stuck on the idea of locomotives pulling unpowered coaches? All the horsepower in the world can't overcome the physical constraint of adhesion when accelerating from a stop. Adding more power to a single locomotive just changes the speed at which acceleration changes from adhesion-limited to power-limited.

Powering more axles is the only way. This can shave 2 minutes (or more) off the schedule from each stop - even when powered by diesel.

All of the corridor trains that run south of Washington Union Station should be EDMUs - the Virginia Regionals, the Carolinian, and even perhaps the Palmetto. This technology is commonplace overseas.

Long distance trains can keep the locomotives.

I agree with your premise orulz and agree there should be more MUs in use, but I also don’t think American locomotives have reached their adhesion limit quite yet. Amtrak has also regularly used push-pull top-and-tail locomotives, and will have that option for the medium-term future until the SC-44s and ALC-42s start experiencing low MBTF and the Genesis fleet is gone.

To answer an earlier question: the ruling grades on the RF&P are below 1% in both directions.

Literalman wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 6:17 pm To answer an earlier question: the ruling grades on the RF&P are below 1% in both directions.

Thank you! Curvature will be a bigger issue; Virginia will need to specify plenty of superelevation once it builds out the passenger line.

Thee may be location on the RF&P route that Va can purchase new ROW on the inside of the curve. Especially curves to the left going south. CSX locations may be more of a problem ?

The best way to speed trains up is to eliminate time going 0mph. Less time on sidings waiting for freight trains to pass. Things that make stops shorter: level boarding, eliminating power changes, more doors?

The second best way is to spend less time going slow. Fix slow turnouts, straighten curves, and *accelerate faster after stops.*

Indeed. Look for the low-hanging fruit, the minutes that are the cheapest or simplest to eliminate. All-door boarding seems like an obvious requirement for any new equipment (power doors, maybe automatic extenders/gap-fillers on the cars); seat reservation systems combined with platform markers that could get everyone lined up near the right door for their seat before the train arrived would also seem like a good idea.

daybeers wrote: ↑Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:52 pm The Union Station parking garage is a joke. None of the people who actually utilize the station use it, rather wealthy employees of surrounding buildings who could just as easily use one of the many Metro lines in the area or the actual, ya know, train station, and visitors of the city who are driving many miles into the heart of the city, clogging up roads unnecessarily. I think it's ridiculous 1400 spaces out of the current 2200 are monthly passholders. The garage covers up extremely valuable and usable land in the heart of a bustling city, not a place for a parking garage.

Do we even need a garage in the first place?

Excellent question which you already answered, but did not realize you did. 1400 parking spaces are already being used out of 2200 by monthly passholders. It is already being used. Of course it is needed. If there were zero monthly passholders, then you might ask that question with a straight face.