Siemens to manufacture 83 Airo Intercity Trainsets for Amtrak: Design, Delivery, Acceptance

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 10:02 amNew York State says you cannot run any sort of combustion engine (steam/diesel/petrol/etc) south of the Harlem River (a 1903 law still on the books) except in cases of emergency. So when you hit the Spuyten Duyvil Railroad Bridge, you can fire up the diesel.

Amtrak must have a lot of emergencies every day, since there is no 3rd rail anymore (and never was catenary) South of the Spuyten Duyvil Railroad Bridge until very close to Penn Sation.

The APVs will have third rail shoes, or just pantographs ?

The NEC version of the APV will have pantographs. It will convey power to the Charger and the APV itself will also have a powered truck. The Charger's traction motors running off electric and the powered truck on the APV together will provide the required acceleration for the higher speed operations on the corridor. The Empire Service APV will have batteries only which will convey power to the Charger for the brief periods when it's required.

lordsigma12345 wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 12:03 pm The NEC version of the APV will have pantographs. It will convey power to the Charger and the APV itself will also have a powered truck. The Charger's traction motors running off electric and the powered truck on the APV together will provide the required acceleration for the higher speed operations on the corridor. The Empire Service APV will have batteries only which will convey power to the Charger for the brief periods when it's required.

I'd read that the Apv would act like a booster slug, what charge the empire service batteries?

The running diesel engine?

But i wonder, if the battery APV don't have 3e rail shoes. Will (HE)P need come from just batteries? I wonder if they are powerfull enough for power it when the train is stationed at NY Penn?

And if the trainset is parked at sunnyside. It's requires the dieselengine to run, just to charge the APV batteries...
It just makes me wonder if an APV with an pan is not an better solution.....

STrRedWolf wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 10:02 am There's two sides here. First, some context: New York State says you cannot run any sort of combustion engine (steam/diesel/petrol/etc) south of the Harlem River (a 1903 law still on the books) except in cases of emergency. So when you hit the Spuyten Duyvil Railroad Bridge, you can fire up the diesel.

That said, the question becomes "Can you string caternary line up to the bridge?" I think most of us would say "YES, NEXT QUESTION PLEASE" but some of us would look at a few maps and say "Um, what's the clearances on those tunnels and bridges?"

If this law applies to all trains how is Amtrak ignoring this law?. Federal pre emption??? But that is not going to be for MNRR services. Then you will have the Necessity to add third rail to the west side line from Spuyten to Amtrak third rail. IMO it would be better to use M-8 type MNRR EMUs for this service. As well would allow those EMUs to operate thru service for the east side Hell gate line. You still have the problem of 25 Hz CAT, Maybe time to convert SSY and NYP to 60 Hz?

For that quetion how much did it cost Amtrak to convert New Rochelle to Gate CP from 25 Hz to 60 Hz?

west point wrote: ↑Tue Nov 08, 2022 1:23 am IMO it would be better to use M-8 type MNRR EMUs for this service. As well would allow those EMUs to operate thru service for the east side Hell gate line.

That gets you as far north as Croton. Do we go back to adding E-Units and Hudsons to those trains to get them out of third-rail territory?

Allouette wrote: ↑Mon Nov 07, 2022 10:32 am Amtrak's West Side Access is diesel operated except for the tunnels. Third rail begins around 42nd St. going south.

The only third rail on the Empire connection is within the Empire tunnel. There is no third rail in the over build or anywhere else on the west side between CP Empire and MNRR CP12

CP Empire's south end is visible on satellite photos from above just south of 39th St between 10th and 11th aves. Third rail ends northbound a couple hundred feet north of the CP.

Amtrak Airo

At another site, the comment was made "they look a lot like RailJets".

Having ridden to date some 2K miles, or 3225 klicks, in both OBB and CD sets, I would say the member at that site has paid the Airo quite the compliment. Since I think best to think 2030 before they are in Amtrak revenue service, who knows if I will ever have occasion to ride them.

In the Business Class picture, if that is the cab car, it appears that most seats are facing forward by the seventh window (11 out of 14 maybe?). Since there are only eight windows on the side of the car it would appear that that is the case. Is this a change? Previously most pics show a 50/50 set up in most new cars which I personally strongly dislike. I hope this may be a positive change back to rotating seats but I am very doubtful. Not sure what the case is.

I'll give it a thumbs up for looks at least. Nice to see a truly matching set of equipment for a change.

Amtrak Cascades will get these first in 2026 (in addition to two more locomotives) and they have also provided renderings of those as well:
https://wsdot.wa.gov/about/news/2022/ne ... 5-corridor
https://www.flickr.com/photos/wsdot/set ... 564860877/

That looks pretty cool actually.

Video renders of their ICT... er... Airo sets are up at: https://media.amtrak.com/introducing-amtrak-airo/

All in all... a slick set. I wouldn't mind riding in them.

Lets see how it fares when stuffed full of convention attendees and costumes.