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

If Amtrak is not prepared to accept any of these trains until the "issues" are resolved, then why is Amtrak continuing to take delivery of them?

Sit around too long, with the earliest acceptance date now projected for some time next year, they will become the "Penn Coach Yard Annex of the Philadelphia Museum of Art".

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 6:52 am If Amtrak is not prepared to accept any of these trains until the "issues" are resolved, then why is Amtrak continuing to take delivery of them?

Sit around too long, with the earliest acceptance date now projected for some time next year, they will become the "Penn Coach Yard Annex of the Philadelphia Museum of Art".

Does the manufacturer not have room for them? If not, then this is probably the next best option.

Mr. Wolf, all I can recall is that when the existing Acelas had to be withdrawn for about three months account brake issues, they quickly became "easels".

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 2:19 pm Mr. Wolf, all I can recall is that when the existing Acelas had to be withdrawn for about three months account brake issues, they quickly became "easels".

I didn't say it was a great idea, just the best at the time.

That said, you just stumbled onto one scene for the sequel novel I'm writing: A gang of kids is about to be artistic on a custom train... only for them to be hired to be artistic on a canvas that'll get displayed on said custom train.

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 11:21 am

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 6:52 am If Amtrak is not prepared to accept any of these trains until the "issues" are resolved, then why is Amtrak continuing to take delivery of them?

Sit around too long, with the earliest acceptance date now projected for some time next year, they will become the "Penn Coach Yard Annex of the Philadelphia Museum of Art".

Does the manufacturer not have room for them? If not, then this is probably the next best option.

I was told by one of the Alstom guys last trip that they have 9 sets built so I’m guessing that Alstom doesn’t have the room to keep them all either. On my last check ride with the Road Foreman, he told me that they were considering storing some at Pvd MoW base.

TS 3 is en route to Philly

8th Notch wrote: ↑Sun Jul 17, 2022 7:05 pm On my last check ride with the Road Foreman, he told me that they were considering storing some at Pvd MoW base.

Mr. 8th Notch, is there another MofW facility at Providence or is the one you are addressing at Midway?

planespotting wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 4:14 pm

robelybasis wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 3:03 pm Trainset #4 is scheduled to depart Hornell Alstom Facility on Wednesday, July 20th 022. Unlike the previous trainsets, this set will not go through PA. It will be following Amtrak train 64 as an extra down the Mohawk from Buffalo to Albany, south over the Hudson Line down past Croton into Penn Station, from there it will change locomotives and be hauled down to Philly. Consist is 2 diesels + Pacific Bend crew car + Avelia Trainset

Thank you for sharing, robelybasis. That is a huge news scoop! Do you happen to know if it will be a Siemens ACS or a Genesis P42 hauling it down to Philly? I'm hoping P42 as it's been more than 10 years since I last saw one under the wires on the NEC in eastern PA/NJ.

A little more info on this move. It will be a pair of back to back P42s a coach then train set #4. Although a P40 the 824?? showed up in Albany over the weekend so you might see a 42 and a 40 in the consist. Do not know if the P40 is ACSES equipped. It will follow AMT 64 So I would guess there will be stops in Buffalo to drop the NS pilot SYR to change engineers and Albany to change crews and fuel the locos. Once it arrives in NYP it will be looped in Sunnyside yard and then its off to Philly.

Thanks for the great update, Railjunkie! Do you think that mean "turn on the fans" and let the P40/P42s run through tunnels or switch to Siemen's ACS-64 at Sunnyside?

Gilbert B Norman wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 7:59 am Mr. 8th Notch, is there another MofW facility at Providence or is the one you are addressing at Midway?

The MoW base just east of Providence Sta where they stored the current Acela’s while they were OOS.

planespotting wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 6:14 pm Thanks for the great update, Railjunkie! Do you think that mean "turn on the fans" and let the P40/P42s run through tunnels or switch to Siemen's ACS-64 at Sunnyside?

There are large exhaust fans inside the ceilings on some of the platforms in Penn, tracks five and six are the ones I'm most familiar with. We notify PSCC or in this case remind them about the diesels so they can turn them on. If they do not the lower level gets smoked out pretty quickly. This is going to be an all diesel move to Philly no switching to an electric motor at Sunnyside. At least that's the plan...

8th Notch wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:04 pmThe MoW base just east of Providence Sta where they stored the current Acela’s while they were OOS.

Mr. 8th Notch, weren't there "issues" last time with RISD students and/or "others" doing a little "design"?

Isn't Midway a little more isolated and some kind of Watchman to safeguard the Mof W equipment maintained there?

Thank you! Train 64 is scheduled to arrive NYP at 9:55PM ET I believe. With the special move following behind, I figure 30 minutes to do the loop at Sunnyside and get track permission before the pulled by diesel Avelia trainset 4 is on its way under the wires. Sound about right?

Railjunkie wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 11:22 pm

planespotting wrote: ↑Mon Jul 18, 2022 6:14 pm Thanks for the great update, Railjunkie! Do you think that mean "turn on the fans" and let the P40/P42s run through tunnels or switch to Siemen's ACS-64 at Sunnyside?

There are large exhaust fans inside the ceilings on some of the platforms in Penn, tracks five and six are the ones I'm most familiar with. We notify PSCC or in this case remind them about the diesels so they can turn them on. If they do not the lower level gets smoked out pretty quickly. This is going to be an all diesel move to Philly no switching to an electric motor at Sunnyside. At least that's the plan...

Its a special move special things happen it likely will not be delayed once it gets into Penn getting there in a timely fashion maybe an issue. CSX heat restrictions will be place till 7pm tomorrow night. With temps in the low to mid 90s I don't see how they don't put them up. Not sure if NS has any such rules. Mix in a work area or two and I have seen and had personal experience of losing an hour or two. Perhaps not, but you never know. The yard crew in Penn should be at the ready to loop it and the road crew should be ready to take it to Philly it will get preferred treatment going out to Sunnyside and back.

Estimated time into Penn is 2:20 AM, train is running a bit late.