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Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

Moderator: lensovet

 #1607850  by Greg Moore
 
west point wrote: Tue Oct 04, 2022 11:58 pm have to wonder the availability of Hydrogen. NWS has been made to cancel some weather ballon launches. They use Hydrogen. helium even shorter. No birthday ballons for almost 3 weeks here.
Helium is a limited resource (there's relatively little on the Earth's surface since it's basically non-reactive so won't bind to other elements and is extremely light so tends to escape the atmosphere easily.)

Hydrogen, we're literally swimming in it it's so plentiful.
As noted above though it's really more of an energy storage solution than a raw power source since it does take energy to crack it out of water. Fortunately, that can be done in a variety of ways and still be fairly green.
 #1607857  by electricron
 
Stadler FLIRT trains can be ran in multiple units.
A typical diesel power FLIRT unit has a cab, trailer, diesel/hydrogen generator, trailer, and a second cab.
Those set up for Fort Worth's TexRail diesel power FLIRTs have 224 (all seats?) capacity for commuter service. I am sure larger, more comfortable seats would cause a lowering of the seating capacity. Never-the-less, two - possibly three - FLIRT units can be coupled together to make a large, longer train. Even if the seating capacity was as low as 100, two coupled together would provide a train with over 200 seats. This is frequently done in Europe, no reason it can not be done in California.

How environmentally clean the production of hydrogen is depends upon several factors. If electrolysis is used, what is used to generate the electricity, and if reformation of natural gas is used, there would be few benefits. Note: production of hydrogen gas by reformation is much cheaper than by electrolysis.
 #1608072  by RandallW
 
frequentflyer wrote: Sun Oct 09, 2022 8:17 pm These FLIRTS may look like the UK version since it states it will be an InterCity Version.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/stuart166axe/48673517113
I think they are more likely to look like the FLIRT units already operating in the US as those units allow (near) level boarding at track-level platforms while the UK units are designed specifically to operate only with the UK standard 36" platform height.
 #1608193  by Gilbert B Norman
 
Volks, Stadler also makes Diesel sets as well.

Shouldn't the California agency just stay away from all this esoteric stuff? After all, they have enough of a boondoggle with the CAHSR project to fill that plate.

Allow me to note at this topic; I have ridden Stadler equipment; namely Salzburg-Linz and Salzburg-Munich. "It's nice".
Last edited by Gilbert B Norman on Tue Oct 11, 2022 3:08 pm, edited 3 times in total.
 #1608196  by STrRedWolf
 
Gilbert B Norman wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 1:36 pm Volks, they also make Diesel sets as well.

Shouldn't the California agency just stay away from all this esoteric stuff? After all, they have enough of a boondoggle with the CAHSR project to fill that plate.
This is California we're talking about. Home of Hollyweird down south and those chips-run-by-dips in the middle, with a screwed up state constitution that screws them over time and time again.
 #1608203  by eolesen
 
As long as it's zero emissions at the time of use, how on the energy is generated or stored is apparently immaterial.

Unless it's pork. Then suddenly California cares about how it's created.
 #1608223  by frequentflyer
 
My only knowledge of FLIRTSsare the FTW to DFW Tex Rail. Nice trains, but not something I think will be comfortable for three hours in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRAgvdlWsWI&t=25s
I hope there is another interior that goes with the InterCity package. Still think it will look like the UK's version since Stadler has stated that is the Intercity FLIRT.
 #1608234  by eolesen
 
frequentflyer wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:29 pm My only knowledge of FLIRTSsare the FTW to DFW Tex Rail. Nice trains, but not something I think will be comfortable for three hours in.
They won't be used on three hour runs. The current and planned lines for SBCTA (the agency getting these) has are only 9-12 miles in length.
 #1608239  by Gilbert B Norman
 
For quick reference, here is the Westbahn Stadler equipment (should be in English):

https://westbahn.at/en/company/about-westbahn/

One of my rides was Salzburg-Linz (132km) during '18. After boarding with no ticket (surcharge for on board; just "wasn't into" figuring how their slot machines worked, would it "eat' my credit card?), I said to the Conductrix (spoke perfect English; married to a retired US Army LTC) "may I look at First to see where I want to ride? sure"; and decided Second was good enough. The ride is very comfortable, but for that distance "just a ride".

The same applies to my Salzburg-Munich ride this past August (BTW, because of The War, Germany has suspended Schengen access; it's back to "papers" just as it was when I entered East Germany during '90. This time the woman Polizei saw my US Passport in hand, smiled, waved, and walked on).

Memo again to CA; just stick with Stadler Diesel-powered sets, maybe METRA, who I think should wake up and accept "they're never coming back", and will scrap their order for 200 Coaches and acquire a fleet of these.
 #1608244  by RandallW
 
Stadler is sending FLIRTS made for DART’s Cotten belt line to TTC for testing. https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/co ... us-at-ttc/ Once this gets the safety approval, I suspect the basic design is complete and the diesel fuel and power needs only to be swapped for hydrogen systems for mechanical design of the CA units to be substantially complete.
 #1608246  by STrRedWolf
 
frequentflyer wrote: Tue Oct 11, 2022 8:29 pm My only knowledge of FLIRTSsare the FTW to DFW Tex Rail. Nice trains, but not something I think will be comfortable for three hours in.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRAgvdlWsWI&t=25s
I hope there is another interior that goes with the InterCity package. Still think it will look like the UK's version since Stadler has stated that is the Intercity FLIRT.
I dunno. Bergen to Oslo on a FLIRT is about 3 hours...