Amtrak Siemens Charger Locomotive (SC44, ALC42, ALC42E) (2Q 2024)

thefirewarde · Oct 4, 2024

Airo is relevant because an APV derived solution is IMO the most likely way to get dual mode diesel + electric Long Distance equipment.

If the APVs work out on Airo, when Amtrak expands the Single Level LD fleet they're likely to ask about adding dual mode capability. It's relevant on the Cardinal, Crescent, Meteor, Star, and if they already have the technology in service, why not use it and get an order of Airo 2 long distance coach equipment? Then you add in the Lake Shore Limited and etc if the NYC-Albany project eventually gets started, etc. By the time Amtrak is ready to order new single level LD equipment they'll know if Airo was a good idea or not.

lamegaming · Oct 6, 2024

I agree, it's a good idea to wait until Airo has been tested out before making more purchases

Agent · Oct 7, 2024

I caught 365 and 367 deadheading on Amtrak #6(04) yesterday. The train was running just under an hour late out of Ottumwa, Iowa.

HalftoneCHI IDTX 4611 · Oct 30, 2024

MARC Rider said:
I think you're confusing that with the future Airo trains that will be dual mode but will only be used for corridor service. They're being made by Siemens, but they're not Chargers, they're Airos, and they're a semi-permanently coupled trainset, not a locomotive. Or New Jersey Transit, which has some dual mode locomotives right now. Right now, anything that runs beyond the NEC has to change engines in either Washington or (for the Vermonter and Springfield trains) New Haven.

NJ Transit's dual mode locomotives are called ALP45DPs.

HalftoneCHI IDTX 4611 · Oct 30, 2024

Fenu S said:
A friend shared with me that a Midwest Charger got a new nose. Not sure if it's been posted before.

View attachment 37502

That is an awesome shot of 4626. I like the paint design that goes well with the locomotive.

Paniolo Man · Nov 4, 2024

I may have missed news, has it been decided if 300 will be repaired?

Acela150 · Nov 4, 2024

Paniolo Man said:
I may have missed news, has it been decided if 300 will be repaired?

Already repaired by Delaware Car Company in Wilmington IINM.

Agent · Nov 16, 2024

Sky Rider posted a video yesterday of AMTK 362 and 366 in a ferry move fresh from the factory.

Agent · Nov 18, 2024

Yesterday, I caught Amtrak #6(15) running on time east of Ottumwa, Iowa with the deadheading 362 and 366.

frequentflyer · Dec 2, 2024

Interesting how Amtrak's latest livery on the locomotives match with the older Phase IV on the passenger cars better.

frequentflyer · Dec 6, 2024

With Genesis locos being repainted, when will all of the Siemens orders be on the property?

Goldspike_Railfanning · Dec 8, 2024

frequentflyer said:
With Genesis locos being repainted, when will all of the Siemens orders be on the property?

The remaining ALC-42s will probably take 2-3 years to be fully delivered. After about four-ish years, we're about to see the delivery of the first 75. But there's also the Airo sets coming in which will take more time. Good thing that second facility in Lexington will be in operation soon.

Agent · Dec 11, 2024

Yesterday, Amtrak #5(10) left with a Charger apparently in service (lights were on at least) in between two Genesis engines. This is the first ALC to go west on #5 since mid last year, if I remember right.

Agent · Dec 13, 2024

To update on the Zephyr Charger; the unit, AMTK 341, did not stay with #5(10). I read it was dropped off at Lincoln, Nebraska. #5(12) evidently picked it up last night as Marne_KJ-80701 caught it at Fort Morgan, Colorado this morning.

Cal · Dec 14, 2024

Did they wye it in the middle of nowhere or?

Amtrak25 · Dec 14, 2024

Why Lincoln, NE ?

Agent · Dec 14, 2024

Cal said:
Did they wye it in the middle of nowhere or?

It was facing the same direction on both trains, so I see no indication that 341 was wyed.

What I have seen is that 341 was dropped off again, as it was spotted sitting at Denver Union Station yesterday.

Cal · Dec 14, 2024

Agent said:
It was facing the same direction on both trains, so I see no indication that 341 was wyed.

Wasn't sure about that, thanks.

Agent · Dec 15, 2024

Amtrak #6(13) is carrying two brand new Chargers eastward. Marne_KJ-80701 caught AMTK 368 and 369 on this train at Fort Morgan on Saturday night.

Agent · Dec 16, 2024

I caught #6(13) with 369 and 368 running six minutes late through the ice and fog east of Ottumwa, Iowa this morning.

Septa9739 · Friday at 8:47 AM

This YouTube video took (I think) an interesting look at the new equipment being delivered nationwide. It main assertion is that the problem with the new equipment isn’t with the manufacturers but with the receiving railroads. Brightline e.g. has apparently no major issues, because they spend heavily on maintenance. My objection to the premise, if it is true, is that a brand new locomotive shouldn’t need to be shopped nightly and tinkered with. If all this technology is so great, why could equipment from the twentieth century roll off a line, enter service, run on a standard maintenance cycle, go for millions of miles, and last decades beyond expectation? Personally, if it is true, Amtrak should look to buy simple equipment with as few parts to fail as possible.

JamesWhitcombRiley · Friday at 9:29 AM

Septa9739 said:
This YouTube video took (I think) an interesting look at the new equipment being delivered nationwide. It main assertion is that the problem with the new equipment isn’t with the manufacturers but with the receiving railroads. Brightline e.g. has apparently no major issues, because they spend heavily on maintenance. My objection to the premise, if it is true, is that a brand new locomotive shouldn’t need to be shopped nightly and tinkered with. If all this technology is so great, why could equipment from the twentieth century roll off a line, enter service, run on a standard maintenance cycle, go for millions of miles, and last decades beyond expectation? Personally, if it is true, Amtrak should look to buy simple equipment with as few parts to fail as possible.

The video ignores the cold weather explanation, if it is one. Still it has interesting assertions: that Amtrak spends less (or less wisely) on maintenance than Brightline, does not have full shops at every endpoint, and has the diesel engines specified to a higher horsepower, and it describes what that does to the engine. It also says the engine should be shut down rather than idled at stops of any significant length, and Brightline always has shore power for that. HEP power to the passengers if the locomotive conks out in the wild I'm not sure is mentioned, or maybe it is along with Brightline running double-headed. (The video does mistakenly say the southern facility for Brightline is in Miami instead of West Palm.)

I'd say a diesel that saves fuel and pollutes less is going to be complex, not simple. I recently asked a service manager at a car dealership if they could still pressure test the engine cylinders on a hybrid like we did in the old days, screw out a spark plug and put a gauge on the hole. He said no.

railiner · Friday at 9:35 AM

Septa9739 said:
Personally, if it is true, Amtrak should look to buy simple equipment with as few parts to fail as possible.

Yeah!! Bring back steam!!

Septa9739 · Friday at 9:55 AM

The problem is if they don’t maintain that, it could blow up.

Then we’ll be sitting around wishing they kept the chargers.

Lcon · Friday at 2:33 PM

Septa9739 said:
Personally, if it is true, Amtrak should look to buy simple equipment with as few parts to fail as possible.

“The more they over think the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain”
-Mr Scott Star Trek III

The problem is likely deep in the tier IV standards. To get these engines cleaner requires a lot of hardware and chemistry. In automotive that means DPF, SCR and EGR systems. Consumables like DEF the latter can freeze at about 12*F.

For the basics see this video Yes I know it’s a truck but the basics are more or less the same of course Chargers and Spirits are a lot bigger and not likely to be rolling coal. However the main point I am making is that this is a very sensitive bit of engineering that isn’t likely to unhappen. So these are going to be more sensitive than the Genesis series which was built to a lower standard.

Brightline may be babying their Trains as they are a premium service and trying to establish a premium image for their customers. Yet that’s not to say they are not implementing some ideas that may be a good move to copy for Via and Amtrak services. Shore powering idle locomotives rather than burning fuel for example seems like a no brainer move for the future to both keep costs down on maintenance and fuel well getting that cleaner image. Of course another move would be to expand electrification but that would require a lot more investment and $$ Ka-Ching $$.

Amtrak Siemens Charger Locomotive (SC44, ALC42, ALC42E) (2Q 2024)

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