Amtrak Empire, LIRR, MNRR/CTDOT Dual Mode Procurement - Charger Variants

[ATK]

6 FL9's at $420K are worthless without having ACSES equipment on them. $350K won't even buy you enough ACSES on board equipment to retrofit two locomotives. The math is pretty simple, loco not equipped with ACSES = no deal.

[dha10001]

We can't talk about coaches without talking about locomotives. There has seemingly been no movement on that topic for a while. How long is the current fleet of P32AC-DMs good for? Really, this seems to be one area where there is a real scarcity that is holding back service expansion (among other factors of course). For instance, any increased GCT direct service to Danbury, or any service at all to Waterbury, or points farther afield.

Let's say schedules are modified to replace a Bridgeport-GCT M8 run with a P32AC-DM hauled train from Waterbury. It couldn't happen today because we don't have the locomotives, right? In fact the CT Commuter rail council is meeting this month with Joe Giulietti in the room to talk about the passing sidings and signalization project along that branch, and the question of what kind of rolling stock will be used or procured to provide increased service is a critical issue. Maybe ConnDOT will have enough rebuilt locos and coaches to cobble together the service.

Now Amtrak is moving forward towards new trainsets for Northeast Regional and Empire Service, and eventually, presumably, locomotives will follow. What comes next?

[Backshophoss]

The weight debate is still in progress on the Dual-Mode Charger.
This is a shared order,With Amtrak,MN,ConnDOT,and LIRR in the mix.
The given is the BBD ML II type coach/cab car specs tweaked for MN/ConnDOT and LIRR(C-5).

[EuroStar]

The weight debate is still in progress on the Dual-Mode Charger.

What is the hold up there? Is the prime mover more powerful and as a result bigger and heavier causing the weight issues? Or is it the emissions technology? Other than that I would have expected the equivalents of all other components to have gotten lighter since the time the current engines were built due to progress in engineering and better materials.

[Backshophoss]

Reported to be the "Energy storage module",needed to keep moving across 3rd rail gaps in NYP and GCT puzzle switches.
Thats the big fail of LIRR's DM-30's due to the long gaps at Penn.

[Ridgefielder]

We can't talk about coaches without talking about locomotives. There has seemingly been no movement on that topic for a while. How long is the current fleet of P32AC-DMs good for?

Well, they got 50+ years out of the fleet the P32's replaced so....

[njtmnrrbuff]

The MNR and CDOT owned dual mode Genesis units still work fine. They are reliable but of course have lousy acceleration. I think they entered revenue service in 1996.

[DutchRailnut]

problem is GE no longer supports or has parts .

[Backshophoss]

By now there should be some aftermarket suppliers that have parts for the GE P-series locos with Amtrak and MN as Buyers.

[DutchRailnut]

There should, but fact is there is not.

[Erie-Lackawanna]

The Gennies are anything but reliable, as any regular commuter in diesel territory can tell you; monthly MDBF numbers confirm the declining reliability. They desperately need to be placed in a museum or scrapyard.

Jim

[ALBCastaway1993]

I have been riding trains on the Empire Corridor since I was about 7 years old and spent a good chunk of my life until this point volunteering/working in the local tourist/Class 1 freight scene in order to eventually operate trains on this corridor. The current buzz around the state owned P32s is that they are old and tired and need to be replaced. Given the current hype around the Siemens Charger everyone thinks they are a shoe in for a platform to base the next generation of dual mode equipment on. However, if you read the RFI Metro North did in 2013 you will find that the weight estimates for a dual mode Charger are significantly higher than New York State's specifications:

http://www.highspeed-rail.org/Documents ... roval.docx

What does the forum think of this?

Personally, if I were in charge I'd go with an F125 based platform but use the new 1010j Prime Mover developed for the SD70ACe-T4

[David Benton]

If weights a problem , i would think the new Hitachi's 800(?) series fit the bill. Plus they have all possible power combinations covered,

[njtmnrrbuff]

Right now, there is a joint order for dual mode power for NY State owned Amtrak operations, MNR, and LIRR. I agree that the P32AC-DMs are worn out. Not sure if they received the best maintenance, at least the Amtrak ones. They are almost 25 years old.

[bostontrainguy]

This is probably a great place to eventually use battery powered locomotives as they are tested and developed. Seems a perfect solution.