Acela 21 (Avelia Liberty) development, testing and deployment (2Q 2024)

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
A few videos from the last week...


From June 2nd at Sunnyside Yard


From June 4th in NY Penn


Posted June 5th at Sunnyside Yard



Acela150 said:
A Trainset is making its way to Philly from Beantown as we speak. Following train 93.
Click to expand...

Yep, here it is:


Unknown date in Connecticut; posted today so could have been today's move


Today's move (6/6) back to Philadelphia filmed at Metropark





Night 6/4 - morning 6/5
9:23PM - KP2022 clearing east of County and planning to return west
10:23PM - KP2022 asked to call dispatcher (somewhere near County)
11:01PM - #3737 says hi to KP2022
11:10PM - #3891 informed of operating 3 track County to Ham
Several trains thereafter operated down track 3, so KP2022 probably only did 4 runs and then went home. Other NJ Transit trains ran down track 2 after midnight.

No sighting tonight 6/6 through 8:50PM.
 
Last edited:
Wow, test train left early; got a radio surprise. Test train is already at County as of 8:39PM. Westbound #2173, the last westbound Acela on weekdays, needed track 3 so KP2022 was just told to go to track 1.

Weird... normally they try to get #2173 clear of the testing area completely before the testing rounds begin. A few months ago I think they used to start testing ~20 minutes earlier and just shift #2173 at Lincoln onto the "wrong rail" down track 2. It seemed to me that a big part of the reason of starting testing around 9PM was to not occupy track 3 while revenue Acelas were operating, because they have the most speed and time to lose by running on track 4.

8:45:18PM - #2173 announced departure from Metropark (2 minutes late)
There was a little drama about moving KP2022 out of the way in time, I'm not sure what happened.

8:50:45PM - #2173 shifting from 3 to 2 "get out of my way" - so I take it KP2022 wasn't able to move at all - oops!
 
JuniusLivonius said:
KP2022 was out again tonight. No visual, hence I'm late; only heard on radio so I don't know if it was actually Avelia.

I'm thinking yesterday was a Charger test. Sometimes the test crew operates a Charger then goes back to running an Avelia Liberty the next day.
Click to expand...
Clarification: Wednesday's run was confirmed a Charger (ALC-42) based on a YouTube comment. Tuesday's was likely a Charger based on the abnormally early testing time. Both ran under Acela "speed test" name KP2022.

Last night was an Avelia Liberty, visually confirmed as I said above.

Tonight looks bleak because of wire issues at Hamilton, according to NJT. Track 4 is not usable Midway - Ham. Westbound trains are using track 3 so there's really no spare track that can be taken out for testing.
 
JuniusLivonius said:
Tonight looks bleak because of wire issues at Hamilton, according to NJT. Track 4 is not usable Midway - Ham. Westbound trains are using track 3 so there's really no spare track that can be taken out for testing.
Click to expand...
I can't believe it.

Avelia Liberty pulled/is pulling out of PCY right at 8:00PM sharp. They must have gone mad.

8:11PM - Slow move to a stop over the Schuylkill. Obviously an advertisement to everyone in traffic on I-76.
8:29PM - On the move west behind #92
8:42PM - KP2022 passed Tacony
 
Last edited:
JuniusLivonius said:
I can't believe it.

Avelia Liberty pulled/is pulling out of PCY right at 8:00PM sharp. They must have gone mad.

8:11PM - Slow move to a stop over the Schuylkill. Obviously an advertisement to everyone in traffic on I-76.
8:29PM - On the move west behind #92
8:42PM - KP2022 passed Tacony
Click to expand...
That could reflect pressure to continue testing/avoid delays from up top, even at the cost of making NEC congestion worse?
 
NE933 said:
Why are they making these moves behind slower traffic? Wouldn't a clear, open track all the way to Newark NJ, for example, be more useful?
Click to expand...

I understand your point. However, the trainsets are limited to 90 MPH max, Type “D” speeds unless certain operating conditions are met as determined by the FRA. Therefore being capped to 90 MPH, that makes them the slower traffic.

I believe that the FRA is currently evaluating data from the most recent testing and testing will be on hold for a little bit.
 
NE933 said:
Why are they making these moves behind slower traffic? Wouldn't a clear, open track all the way to Newark NJ, for example, be more useful?
Click to expand...
To test at max speed, they only have the area from near Princeton Junction (CP Clark) to Midway (~7 miles north of there) and the 130-145mph sections on either side of that segment. That section is where the catenary is constant tension. Please see openrailwaymap for interlocking names/locations and current max speeds

It was surprising that they ran Friday because the test train would be (did) sharing the track throughout the night with several trains. It's possible they weren't running at a really high speed and that they may not have even delayed any trains. The turnaround spots were outside of the area affected by the track 4 outage so they maybe only suffered some extra wait time rather than going when they were ready.

A train named "KP2022" was also out tonight (contact with dispatcher at 11:42PM) but I don't know if it was Avelia Liberty. Yesterday there was a Charger set being shuffled around in the PCY so given Acela150's belief about data review I stopped looking.
 
Acela150 said:
Confirmed that testing is on hold for a while for now for FRA review.
Click to expand...
KP2022 was out last night. I didn't review radio yet but I see CETC-8 was trying to make contact at 8:45PM. Thanks to The Philly Buff for bringing attention:

There was a report Thursday morning/afternoon that a trainset moved from Philly to Wilmington and back, but I failed to follow up.

Keeping an eye out for 30 minutes or so.
 
Last edited:


Avelia Liberty was out the night of 7/29. I don't think I heard any radio contact. The Pihlly Buff was on top of this as usual.

Tonight at 11:04PM I heard the Morrisville extra (NJT) confused about why they were moving from track 3 to track 4; dispatcher replied "test train". My guess is that the Extra was at County and I do not know what test train it actually was. I haven't heard any test train make contact tonight. 11:40PM - KP2022 was told that it will be held at Ham. (The Charger test train has stolen the KP2022 identity a few times so it's not confirmed yet - I have not been doing camera watch either)
 
Last edited:
BlackDiamond said:
I know PCY is Penn Coach Yard (Philadelphia) but I don't know what or where LFG is.
Click to expand...
Let's freaking go. I should also spell out acronyms like PCY next time.

Last night I overheard the engineer of KP2022 say "we'll be here tomorrow" when talking with NJT #3742. Big thanks to the engineer of 3737/3742/3805 who is very conversational with the test train. No other radio contact last night.
 
Here is the radio and media roundup... lots to backfill...


Night 7/18 - morning 7/19

Acela #2173 was 2 hours late so it appears Avelia testing was started early
8:44PM - CETC-8 calling KP2022
8:54PM - KP2022 ready west


Night 7/23 - morning 7/24
I do not know what kind of train this was
10:53PM - "Test train" gets protection 2 track between County and Edison
11:28PM - Extra 827 told that they can only go to past Delco for the next round trip


Night 7/29 - morning 7/30

No radio contact


Night 7/30 - morning 7/31
Given how early this was, this was likely not Avelia Liberty
7:58PM - KP2022 redirected east to track 1 through County
8:06PM - KP2022 ready to head west 1 track at County; done for the night


Night 7/31 - morning 8/1
9:31PM - CETC-7 to KP2022 (inaudible)
11:04PM - Morrisville extra reminded dispatcher that it's not making any stops (test train on track 3)
11:40PM - KP2022 to be held at Ham for track car moves; return trips to be only turned at Delco
11:40PM - "Any way you can get me east of Ham otherwise you're going to ruin this test run" ???


Night 8/1 - morning 8/2
11:33PM - KP2022 to #3705: "works great" "Gotta continue to prove it" "We have 84,000 miles on it"
11:37PM - "we'll be here tomorrow"


Night 8/2 - morning 8/3

9:31PM - CETC-7 to KP2022 "do not proceed east?" (barely audible)
9:34PM - CETC-8 to #3883: "a couple more minutes, some activity going on up ahead"
9:35PM - KP2022 releasing protection 4 track CP Clark to Ham
9:35PM - KP2022 asked if stopping and turning at Delco or County - given all signals to County
9:45PM - KP2022 OK to accept signal at County; reminded of absolute block 3 track Lincoln to Ham
12:07AM - CETC-7 to KP2022: "Done for the night. Back to Philly? ... OK west"
 

Latest posts

Back
Top