ApproachMedium wrote: ↑Fri Feb 21, 2020 12:25 amI guess it's been over a year for me - Jan 2019 is when I recorded those youtube videos in the earlier post. That's interesting - didn't realize they were showing those problems. Makes me feel better about their retirement - hate to see good equipment thrown away early but if they're at the end of their useful life....
Anybody who thinks these current acelas are nicer than amfleets or in really good shape i guess hasnt ridden one in a while. The ceilings leak water from the light fixtures when it rains hard for too long. The plastic panels have had it. Theres constant problems. They get worse by the day. The faster this stuff can go the better. Its too heavy and its ripping itself apart.
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Acela Disposition Discussion
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I just hope at least one set makes its way to a museum ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
While I would like the RRMPA to get one, I think I’d rather the Illinois Transportation Museum get one, seeing as it supports catenary (and won’t relegate the Acela to just sitting around all the time).
While I would like the RRMPA to get one, I think I’d rather the Illinois Transportation Museum get one, seeing as it supports catenary (and won’t relegate the Acela to just sitting around all the time).
IRM has DC power wire for trolly,interurban cars, an Acela pan would rip right thru that!! 
The Land of Enchantment is not Flyover country!
Backshophoss wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:58 pm IRM has DC power wire for trolly,interurban cars, an Acela pan would rip right thru that!!How does the “Little Joe” operate then?
IRM runs IC and CSSSB equipment with pans, although they do have to watch them at wire junctions.
The first reason I'd say doubtful for IRM is the length of a train set. The deepest barn is around 400 feet; an Acela trainset is over 600 feet in length. You could omit a few cars to get length down, but two power cars alone would take up 2/5ths of the available track in the longest barn... is it worth having two power cars, two coaches and a cafe car?...
The bigger problem will be overhead voltage. IRM runs 600V. Acela needs 12,000V. The IC cars ran on 1500V as did the CSSSB. Those cars can and do run on "half" voltage at IRM. Running Acela at 5% won't work, just as it won't work on the AEM-7 that IRM received two years ago, or the Virginian EF-4.
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The first reason I'd say doubtful for IRM is the length of a train set. The deepest barn is around 400 feet; an Acela trainset is over 600 feet in length. You could omit a few cars to get length down, but two power cars alone would take up 2/5ths of the available track in the longest barn... is it worth having two power cars, two coaches and a cafe car?...
The bigger problem will be overhead voltage. IRM runs 600V. Acela needs 12,000V. The IC cars ran on 1500V as did the CSSSB. Those cars can and do run on "half" voltage at IRM. Running Acela at 5% won't work, just as it won't work on the AEM-7 that IRM received two years ago, or the Virginian EF-4.
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mcgrath618 wrote:It doesn't. The only way it moves is MU'd to a diesel....Backshophoss wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:58 pm IRM has DC power wire for trolly,interurban cars, an Acela pan would rip right thru that!!How does the “Little Joe” operate then?
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eolesen wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:51 pmMore importantly, it's DC which does not work with transformers. You'd be sending 600 volts DC through a wire coil and do nothing other than heat the wire and possibly short to ground (inductors are DC shorts) and not produce the 3000-4000 volts needed on the transformer secondary.
The bigger problem will be overhead voltage. IRM runs 600V. Acela needs 12,000V. The IC cars ran on 1500V as did the CSSSB. Those cars can and do run on "half" voltage at IRM. Running Acela at 5% won't work, just as it won't work on the AEM-7 that IRM received two years ago, or the Virginian EF-4.
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You could modify it to run under reduced power. Take out the transformer , put an inverter in to up the 600 volts d.c to whatever a.c the control gear wants , probably remove most of the traction motors ,and hope the scrap value pays for the inverter.
Moderator worldwide railfan , Rail travel & trip reports
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
David Benton wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2020 12:15 am You could modify it to run under reduced power. Take out the transformer , put an inverter in to up the 600 volts d.c to whatever a.c the control gear wants , probably remove most of the traction motors ,and hope the scrap value pays for the inverter.You are again talking about trying to make a super over complicated machine work in a simple manner. These train sets are heavily over complicated, high tech machines. Outside of their operational environment they are totally useless. Conversions would be very expensive, and would still require all the vintage computer electronics to work and play nice. For what its worth, its a static display piece when the time comes.
No good deed goes unpunished.
Yes , static display makes the most sense, probably not much point in having a HSR train moving slowly anyway .
Just pointing out it could be done in theory. But sounds like it would take a total gut , and substitute running gear from a dc machine though.
Be cheaper to give passengers a VIR headset each
.
Just pointing out it could be done in theory. But sounds like it would take a total gut , and substitute running gear from a dc machine though.
Be cheaper to give passengers a VIR headset each
.Moderator worldwide railfan , Rail travel & trip reports
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
eolesen wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:52 pm1:02mcgrath618 wrote:It doesn't. The only way it moves is MU'd to a diesel....Backshophoss wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2020 1:58 pm IRM has DC power wire for trolly,interurban cars, an Acela pan would rip right thru that!!How does the “Little Joe” operate then?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hej-kcgEsLw
Little Joe's quite large by our standards.
Moderator worldwide railfan , Rail travel & trip reports
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
The only train trips I regret are the ones I didn't take.
Acela I's have a/c traction motors DC power wont work. Can be plugged into ground power to allow the lights to work
There's story that the Little Joe ran on its own 1 time,a direct tap to a trolly pole to the traction motors,but not to be repeated,
due to the power draw.
There's story that the Little Joe ran on its own 1 time,a direct tap to a trolly pole to the traction motors,but not to be repeated,
due to the power draw.
The Land of Enchantment is not Flyover country!
mcgrath618 wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2020 6:35 pm 1:02As noted, the power draw is way too much for the overhead... It's not been repeated since then as far as I know, but it has been MU'd`.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hej-kcgEsLw
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Moderator Note: let’s get back to the Acela I’s potential disposition, because this thread is headed straight to “rebuild the Pacific Extension so we can have a Little Joe pull an Acela across the Rockies” 