Passenger Trains > WashDOT/Amtrak test train today

Illinois Department of Transportation #4611, a new Siemens SC44-Charger, leads a Amtrak/WashDOT test train south through Napavine, WA on 2/18/17. WashDOT has some of these currently on order with Siemens, and when they arrive, will replace the aging Amtrak F59PHI's(on the rear of the train) and help return the Amtrak GE P42's back to Amtrak long distance service trains.

Drew Mitchem
Centralia, WA

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Here is the video of the same train. Those LED lights are sure bright!

Drew Mitchem
Centralia, WA

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Has the weather affected the testing?

fulham Wrote:
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> Has the weather affected the testing?

They will know how well the windshield wipers work.

TAW

Sounds like a quillable K5LA. Do have to say, this engine does look sharp. Also in your photo, what does T-67 mean. I know P stands for Passenger, but what is T?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/17 21:10 by cornerfieldhobby.

T is for Talgo

cornerfieldhobby Wrote:
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> Sounds like a quillable K5LA. Do have to say, this
> engine does look sharp. Also in your photo, what
> does T-67 mean. I know P stands for Passenger, but
> what is T?

amtrak34east Wrote:
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> WashDOT has some of these currently on order with
> Siemens, and when they arrive, will replace the
> aging Amtrak F59PHI's(on the rear of the train)

Actually they won't be replacing the F59PHI's at all. They will be rebuilt at Progress Rail. The charger engines will be replacing the F40PH cabcars and those will be going back into the general pool and will no longer be assigned to Cascades service. Amtrak is also adding two additional roundtrips to Portland this year so with only 5 F59's and some being gone on rebuild, they won't be able to completely send the P42s back to long haul. It's likely you will still see them running in corridor service.
 

The T speed is for Talgos, not it is 7 mph faster than conventional passenger trains, the higher speed on curves permissible due to the tilting of the cars.
This is a key Talgo selling point: faster speeds on existing infrastructure.
Question: was this a dedicated (no passengers) "test train" or was it a test of a locomotive on an exisitng revenue passenger schedule?
As closely as the Talgo fleet is matched to the schedules and the lack of spare sets, I hope it was fulfilling a regular schedule.

railstiesballast Wrote:
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> The T speed is for Talgos, not it is 7 mph faster
> than conventional passenger trains, the higher
> speed on curves permissible due to the tilting of
> the cars.
> This is a key Talgo selling point: faster speeds
> on existing infrastructure.


Literally, the curve speed for a Talgo train in Cascades service (in Washington) is as if there were five more inches of superelevation than there actually is.

In addition, speed limits have been rounded to the next lower five mph from the calculation for a very long time, and nobody really knows why except perhaps the accuracy of speedometers of old or the ease of calculation, neigher of which applies any more. The Talgo speeds provide part of the run time savings of the Talgo trains. Using actual calculated value (which includes a safety factor) instead of the next five mph below provides additioanl savings. This is feasible because the Talgo trains are light and accelerate quickly. For them, a higher limit zone of only a couple of miles can make a difference that a conventional train could not achieve.


> Question: was this a dedicated (no passengers)
> "test train" or was it a test of a locomotive on
> an exisitng revenue passenger schedule?
> As closely as the Talgo fleet is matched to the
> schedules and the lack of spare sets, I hope it
> was fulfilling a regular schedule.

Special test train.

The Cascades service has been running without spares and with very few failures for a long time. that is due to the aggressive (way beyond Amtak standard, and some say excessive) Talgo maintenance practices.

TAW

SCspotter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> amtrak34east Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----

>
> Actually they won't be replacing the F59PHI's at
> all. They will be rebuilt at Progress Rail. The
> charger engines will be replacing the F40PH
> cabcars and those will be going back into the
> general pool and will no longer be assigned to
> Cascades service. Amtrak is also adding two
> additional roundtrips to Portland this year so
> with only 5 F59's and some being gone on rebuild,
> they won't be able to completely send the P42s
> back to long haul. It's likely you will still see
> them running in corridor service.
>  

So the Cascades are going to be running with powered locomotives on both ends?

The new Charger Units will allow some expansion. 
On some of the Corridor service. The F59s could sent to other areas.
Of the system. Where they need the extra help


SCspotter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> amtrak34east Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > WashDOT has some of these currently on order
> with
> > Siemens, and when they arrive, will replace the
> > aging Amtrak F59PHI's(on the rear of the train)
>
> Actually they won't be replacing the F59PHI's at
> all. They will be rebuilt at Progress Rail. The
> charger engines will be replacing the F40PH
> cabcars and those will be going back into the
> general pool and will no longer be assigned to
> Cascades service. Amtrak is also adding two
> additional roundtrips to Portland this year so
> with only 5 F59's and some being gone on rebuild,
> they won't be able to completely send the P42s
> back to long haul. It's likely you will still see
> them running in corridor service.
>  

Jerry Martin
Los Angeles, CA
Central Coast Railroad Festival

Nomad Wrote:
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> So the Cascades are going to be running with
> powered locomotives on both ends?

That's not the plan for the near future. Ultimately, the ability to do that could remove yet more time from schedules because of the additional power (acceleration, not higher speed - there are a LOT of speed restricitons) and the elimination of the F40 cabanchor, which alone  costs a little over two minutes of running time between Seattle and Portland.

TAW