# Bombardier ALP-46



## Just-Thinking-51

It would seem the HHP-8 are not to reliable. So I was wondering how are the new NJ ALP-46 are holding up? Sure the ALP-46 can only go 100 mph, but if your motor can`t get out of the shop than what the point in going 125? :blink:


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## GG-1

Just-Thinking-51 said:


> what the point in going 125? :blink:


Aloha

I see one thing. Can the faster motor also accelerate faster? In commuter service I think this would be an issue.


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## battalion51

Well a lot of it has to do with the weight the engine's pulling, horsepower, track conditions, etc. But I seem to remember reading or hearing that the lower the engine is geared for the better it will accelerate. There are also issues with burining up the traction motors at low speeds. I know for sure the higher the engine is geared for the higher the burn speed is. For example if the burn speed is 8 and the engine is run at a speed of less than or equal to 8 MPH for extended period of time it will burn up the traction motor. This is why freight engines keep their maximum speeds to 70 since they may have to do the slow, heavy dragging. Same thing with switchers, many switchers have a maximum of 60 or 65 for the same reason.

On a side note I believe the ALP-46's might be holding up better than the Hippo's just because of the series reliability. The ALP-46's are relatives to the ALP-44's, which I'm guessing are holding up well since NJT ordered the 46's. Meanwhile the Hippo's are relative to the new Acela series, which has its bugs. Anytime you buy the first in a series there are bound to be problems. This is true with many things, the first computers, new car series, etc. The Acela/Hippo series is just the first (and maybe last) in the series to be built.


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## Guest

Transits ALP-46 is one heck of an Electric-Loco. Sure there are some problems but its a very good vehicle. Im my opinion much better than the ALP-44- AEM7 family. Serviceability and ease of repairs for the 46 is light years ahead of the 46/7. If you have ever been in the machine room of a 46 versus a 44 you know what I mean.

Give the HHP8 time, the reliability is in the toliet but its not Amtraks fault. Realize the NEC-MSC and the Acela sets get priority over Amtrak and their HHP's for parts and such.

The Amtrak guys will get the reliabilty up. The Amtrak High-Speed electric crew is a talented bunch. There is a learning curve and transition for it, its too bad that it seems the HHP8 gets lost in the shuffle for support from all the sub-manufacturers.


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## GG-1

Guest said:


> Transits ALP-46 is one heck of an Electric-Loco. Sure there are some problems but its a very good vehicle. Im my opinion much better than the ALP-44- AEM7 family. Serviceability and ease of repairs for the 46 is light years ahead of the 46/7. If you have ever been in the machine room of a 46 versus a 44 you know what I mean.


Aloha

Any Chance of a Picture


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## engine999

A photo of the ALP46 can be found at

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=103480.


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## GG-1

Aloha

Mahalo for the picture She looks OK but she isn't a "G", I wonder what Lowey would do with her. Picture not quite clear are those 2 or 3 axel trucks? What is the unit's hoursepower?

Mahalo


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## AlanB

GG1,

You can find more info on the ALP-46 at the Bombardier site.

IMHO though there is one thing wrong with these engines. They can't climb their namesake mountains. :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## GG-1

AlanB said:


> They can't climb their namesake mountains.   :lol:   :lol:   :lol:


Oh No

Aloha


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## angelo

on and alp 44 and an alp 46 does the engines need to be shut down to check the compressor oil


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## Dutchrailnut

angelo said:


> on and alp 44 and an alp 46 does the engines need to be shut down to check the compressor oil


They don't have engines,  you could just kill the compressor breaker.

or kill locomotive by lowering pantographs


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## angelo

ok let me rephrase that, to check the compressor oil levels, due to it being gravity fed on the alp44, should the compressor be off and the pant down or could it be checked while it is still running, i believe it to be to shut it down to check the proper levels, but i am being told by my general forman no and i believe he is wrong


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## Dutchrailnut

angelo said:


> ok let me rephrase that, to check the compressor oil levels, due to it being gravity fed on the alp44, should the compressor be off and the pant down or could it be checked while it is still running, i believe it to be to shut it down to check the proper levels, but i am being told by my general forman no and i believe he is wrong


Your General Foreman has been around these engines longer, but if in doubt ask your railroads Engineering dept for documentation.

Maintenace manuals etc.


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## jis

AlanB said:


> GG1,
> You can find more info on the ALP-46 at the Bombardier site.
> 
> IMHO though there is one thing wrong with these engines. They can't climb their namesake mountains. :lol: :lol: :lol:


But their siblings in Europe do :lol:


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## Neil_M

jis said:


> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> 
> GG1,
> You can find more info on the ALP-46 at the Bombardier site.
> 
> IMHO though there is one thing wrong with these engines. They can't climb their namesake mountains. :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> But their siblings in Europe do :lol:
Click to expand...

I didn't realise those ALP-46 are based on the German Class 101 locos. There is a family resemblance when you compare the 2 though. http://50031.fotopic.net/p52803505.html The 101s are standard Inter City traction for none ICE DB services. Very quick away even on 13 or 14 coaches.

Bombardier make good electric locos, a lot of the new cross Europe freight traction is made by them.


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## TrolleyMovie

Neil_M said:


> jis said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> AlanB said:
> 
> 
> 
> GG1,
> You can find more info on the ALP-46 at the Bombardier site.
> 
> IMHO though there is one thing wrong with these engines. They can't climb their namesake mountains. :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> 
> 
> But their siblings in Europe do :lol:
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I didn't realise those ALP-46 are based on the German Class 101 locos. There is a family resemblance when you compare the 2 though. http://50031.fotopic.net/p52803505.html The 101s are standard Inter City traction for none ICE DB services. Very quick away even on 13 or 14 coaches.
> 
> Bombardier make good electric locos, a lot of the new cross Europe freight traction is made by them.
Click to expand...

-----------------

The Deutche Bahn class 103 (now retired) is an honorary GG-1. It has 3 axle trucks (just like a GG-1) and the control panel has edgewise gauges and meters resembling a GG-1. Just like a G- it could handle an 18 car train as if it were hauling a much lighter load.

NJ transit was more interested in acceleration than top speed, that's why the published top speed is "only" 100 mph.

Now tell my why someone in Hawaii uses a GG-1 as their logo!


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## Neil_M

TrolleyMovie said:


> The Deutche Bahn class 103 (now retired) is an honorary GG-1. It has 3 axle trucks (just like a GG-1) and the control panel has edgewise gauges and meters resembling a GG-1. Just like a G- it could handle an 18 car train as if it were hauling a much lighter load.


One or two 103s still in operation........

http://50031.fotopic.net/p56491775.html

Superb pieces of kit.


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## GG-1

TrolleyMovie said:


> Now tell my why someone in Hawaii uses a GG-1 as their logo!


Aloha

Easy, it was pulling the first train I remember, as a 6 yr. old in New Jersey about 20 years before I came to the Islands. This was in a local Station, going by on the express track at around 100mph. It both scared and impressed me. I even remember hearing the catenary "sing" from the pan sliding on the wire.

Mahalo

Eric


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## jis

Neil_M said:


> TrolleyMovie said:
> 
> 
> 
> The Deutche Bahn class 103 (now retired) is an honorary GG-1. It has 3 axle trucks (just like a GG-1) and the control panel has edgewise gauges and meters resembling a GG-1. Just like a G- it could handle an 18 car train as if it were hauling a much lighter load.
> 
> 
> 
> One or two 103s still in operation........
> 
> http://50031.fotopic.net/p56491775.html
> 
> Superb pieces of kit.
Click to expand...

A classic!

When Indian Railways was shopping for new generation AC drive electrics it played around with Bombarider's Bo-Bo offering for express trains but found them lacking in tractive effort to handle 24 car trains effectively. So they reverted back to Co-Cos. They took a Bombardier Co-Co freight design and re-geared and reprogrammed it for 160kph passenger working, and appear to be really happy with the resulting engine, which pulls 24 car trains effortlessly from stop to track speed (usually 130 to 140 kph) and maintains track speed up 2% grades.

You can see one of them - a WAP-7 class - in my avatar.

And please let us not start another discourse on toilets on Indian trains  

Having read through this thread one more time, I have a couple of observations:

o The ALP-44 and ALP-46s are not even distant cousins in design as is hinted at in one of the posts. One is derived from a Swedish Rc3 and the other from a German 101.

o NJT has asked for 125mph capability in the ALP-46a so as to be able to keep up with the Amtrak trains on tracks 2 and 3 (the center tracks) on the NEC. This will effectively increase capacity of the high speed tracks since NJT outer zone expresses will require only one slot instead of the 2 that they require now since they run much slower than the Amtrak trains and thus get in their way.

o Technically, the 46a's will be quite different from the 46s, but externally they will look quite similar.

And finally.... Both NJTransit and Amtrak engineers (who operated the ALP-46s when they were borrowed by Amtrak for use on the Clockers in their waning days) seem to quite like these engines. They have proved to be generally reliable and good performers.


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