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

Right ... So of all of the above is true of what Amtrak runs now or in the recent past then I have a very hard time believing there's anything wrong with the Avelia Liberty.

I’ve taken Brightline, in Select (first class).

Fair point about the trains being bright colors but that’s mostly in the outside. Inside, they’re mostly beige.

Brightline is way more upscale than Amtrak. There’s no comparison. Sleek, modern stations with free-flowing drinks and unlimited food and drinks and food on board, for free. Inside, the cars are very modern.

And the power cars don’t have broken beaks. Again, I’ll concede that the exteriors are bright so that does contradict my assertion. But overall the Brightline experience is super-luxury.

After my Brightline trip I relaxed in the Admirals Club at the airport and flew back first class, feeling totally spoiled (and angry that NY-area railroads and Amtrak are so drab).

Admin note

Les stop going to the paint shed and sniffing the stuff. None of us have the ability to influence Amtrak.

In addition, Brightline isn’t Amtrak.

Let’s move along.

New videos are still being uploaded to YouTube of the second set being delivered to Amtrak. This one has very good light and allows the viewer to enjoy the full effect of the very sleek train as it rolls by up close @ 2:20.

Several takes in this video from Scranton, PA.

My goal is to get some video footage of it during high speed testing through Princeton Junction. I imagine we're still a ways off from that (and I'm guessing that late night testing will precede daylight runs).

I sure that will look very impressive indeed. I'm curious to see how loud the engines are given their compressed size.

Matt Johnson wrote: ↑Sun Apr 26, 2020 2:01 pm My goal is to get some video footage of it during high speed testing through Princeton Junction. I imagine we're still a ways off from that (and I'm guessing that late night testing will precede daylight runs).

I'll gladly take NJT down to PTJ for some first-person viewing of it.

I was born in and grew up in Scranton, and have stood on the viaduct, a still amazing piece of engineering, and still great to look at, with that huge "Lackawanna" on one of the spans.

DutchRailnut wrote: ↑Fri Apr 24, 2020 8:01 pm they never had problem with amfleet and slab sided AEM-7's ?

Agreed 100%. We are blowing this way out of proportion.

The Avelia Liberty set is still in Penn Coach Yard as of Monday, April 27th. The set has been moved forward a bit, closer to the upper platform level at 30th Street Station. There was a very small crew out today, working around the Acela II set:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=5306270

Ben

Nice picture. From that angle it looks cross-eyed.

F40CFan wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:15 pm Nice picture. From that angle it looks cross-eyed.

A face only a mother could love

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:27 pm

F40CFan wrote: ↑Mon Apr 27, 2020 3:15 pm Nice picture. From that angle it looks cross-eyed.

A face only a mother could love

BTG, F40C and Everyone:
From looking at various photos of the cab cars of the new Acela train I do think
that the front ends remind me of a horse (with the coupler cover doors closed)
I am thinking of famous thoroughbred horses: Secretariat, Citation, Affirmed...

Another thought is that the front end could look like an alligator (the blue top
line from the windshield and above) with the headlight "nostrils" like a nose.
The new Acela train cab motor could be either nicknamed "Gators" or named
for famous horses such as thoroughbred champions or maybe "Mr. Ed"

The picture with the coupler nose open looks like it is "screaming" practically.
That famous painting with the screaming individual comes to mind...


MACTRAXX

Seriously: