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

F40CFan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:43 pm Seeing them side-by-side confirms that I prefer the way the Acela I looks over Acela II.

It's the headlights for me. I have grown to no longer hate the new Acelas but those headlights are too garish. Get rid of that black stuff that looks like eyeliner.

Were the Acela 2's not supposed to enter service this month?

Traingeek3629 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 8:48 pm Were the Acela 2's not supposed to enter service this month?

Old news - last I heard was maybe sometime in 2023. The two delivered sets haven't been doing many test runs but rather seem to spend most of their time sitting in Philly. I'm guessing that Amtrak must have a wealth of data on parking/storage performance by now.

They have unofficially been named the Acela 23 on the property for now. In addition to the design issues, the FRA took exception to a number of other things I’ve been told.

mcgrath618 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:09 pm

F40CFan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:43 pm Seeing them side-by-side confirms that I prefer the way the Acela I looks over Acela II.

It's the headlights for me. I have grown to no longer hate the new Acelas but those headlights are too garish. Get rid of that black stuff that looks like eyeliner.

I'd like to meet the obviously blind and taste free individual who designed the paint scheme for A2.

I'm not sure why but the Acela II already looks old to me.

Don't much care how it looks. How does it run? does it accelerate faster than A 1? Have the speeds (especially on curves) been formalized? And have they published running times yet? TY . P.S. Retired from Zone 1.

8th Notch wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:01 pm They have unofficially been named the Acela 23 on the property for now. In addition to the design issues, the FRA took exception to a number of other things I’ve been told.

Oh you've got to be kidding me!

bostontrainguy wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 9:08 am I'm not sure why but the Acela II already looks old to me.

It reminds me of decades old trains that someone slapped a new coat of house paint on. The colors are beyond boring and maybe even a bit garrish. My only guess is that as a result of cost overruns that they used the cheapest paint they could find and slopped it on. I mentioned house paint because I had heard years ago that LIRR would use it (and cheap house paint at that) on their old rust bucket fleet before they stopped bothering with paint and let the rust take over.

My fear is that when prospective passengers get a look, they might choose to not use A2. Sure, once you are on board they are said to be nice looking. I used to see A1 trains at least daily M-F at Penn, and I loved the look.

daybeers wrote: ↑Sat Feb 05, 2022 11:54 am

8th Notch wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:01 pm They have unofficially been named the Acela 23 on the property for now. In addition to the design issues, the FRA took exception to a number of other things I’ve been told.

Oh you've got to be kidding me!

Where are you AmeriStarRail?! Privatize this line so that we don't have to deal with these problems! (Since Brightline didn't seem to have any problems with their Chargers and Ventures, while the Amtrak Ventures had numerous bugs and lead in their sinkwater).

I guess I can't be too surprised since only three known trainsets seem to exist. I'm not sure about my original claim of a 2108 on a trainset since I haven't heard any news of it.

photobug56 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 11:38 pm

mcgrath618 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 3:09 pm

F40CFan wrote: ↑Fri Feb 04, 2022 2:43 pm Seeing them side-by-side confirms that I prefer the way the Acela I looks over Acela II.

It's the headlights for me. I have grown to no longer hate the new Acelas but those headlights are too garish. Get rid of that black stuff that looks like eyeliner.

I'd like to meet the obviously blind and taste free individual who designed the paint scheme for A2.

I still wish we could do what the Brits do and put a couple of these in "heritage" schemes for the NEC. PRR Tuscan red with gold stripes, NH warm orange and Hunter green...

Almost anything would be an improvement.

When I first saw the Acela Deux paint scheme, it reminded me of pictures of the L&N. The Heritage paint scheme sounds really interesting - Tuscan red but with a white and a blue stripe?

Are there any chances that either of the Avelia Liberty units will be on test in MD anytime soon? I still haven’t been able to see one in person and would like to get some linespeed shots from a station platform.

Test runs have ground to a halt. No official word, but reading between the lines would suggest that something is wrong with the trains.