Acela 21 (Avelia Liberty) development, testing and deployment (2018 - 1Q 2024)

[Agent]

Here are a couple more videos.

WNY RAILFAN caught it at Silver Springs, New York.



This is a local news report from WETM 18 News.

 

[jiml]

Lot of motive power assigned to this run. Don't mind the color scheme at all. It should look great at NEC speed.

 

[Thirdrail7]

Wow. It is already west of CLE. Not a bad run. It may make Tol by 830 p after all.

 

[tonijustine]

Wow. It is already west of CLE. Not a bad run. It may make Tol by 830 p after all.

How is this being tracked?

 

[Acela150]

ThirdRail is “in the know”.

 

[tonijustine]

ThirdRail is “in the know”.

I don’t doubt it. I am just trying to figure out ETA in Elkhart so I can see it on my hometown webcam. But I also have a meeting tomorrow morning and don’t want to be up too late. I have a conundrum.

Thanks!

 

[PerRock]

Here is my video of it leaving Toledo. Left around 8:30pm.


peter

 

[Thirdrail7]

Lot of motive power assigned to this run.

The waiver required riders on both ends.

I don’t doubt it. I am just trying to figure out ETA in Elkhart so I can see it on my hometown webcam.
Thanks!

It was supposed to be in that area around 1250am but it is +47" at BYN.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Is it at the station in Chicago yet? I'm here now and can't see it, although track 24 isn't visible so it could be there.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Is it at the station in Chicago yet? I'm here now and can't see it, although track 24 isn't visible so it could be there.

Nevermind, it is on Track 2, which is typically exclusively used by BNSF Metra trains. The platform is guarded so it can only be viewed from a distance.

 

[brianpmcdonnell17]

Pictures from CUS

 

[CraigDK]

A video from a slightly different angle.

 

[Thirdrail7]

It's closing in on FMD.

 

[jiml]

Side question for those who might know: Is there any documentation of the Hornell facility available (books, articles) that show its history, the existing railroad in the area, etc.? I'm somewhat familiar with the area and find it fascinating.

 

[cocojacoby]

So what happened to the powercar fairings? Are they really going to settle for a flat sided powercar and rounded coaches? Alstom's similar trains (AGV) look so sleek - almost beautiful. This American version already looks outdated and hobbled together.

 

[jis]

Side question for those who might know: Is there any documentation of the Hornell facility available (books, articles) that show its history, the existing railroad in the area, etc.? I'm somewhat familiar with the area and find it fascinating.

You may find this article interesting:

https://www.ble-t.org/pr/news/headline.asp?id=5156

So what happened to the powercar fairings? Are they really going to settle for a flat sided powercar and rounded coaches? Alstom's similar trains (AGV) look so sleek - almost beautiful. This American version already looks outdated and hobbled together.

Actually these trains are more similar to TGVs than AGVs, so in that sense they are one generation older than AGVs. These are essentially a standard TGV powered by two power heads, with tilt system added. They do not have distributed power like AGVs do.

 

[PerRock]

Actually these trains are more similar to TGVs than AGVs, so in that sense they are one generation older than AGVs. These are essentially a standard TGV powered by two power heads, with tilt system added. They do not have distributed power like AGVs do.

The French counterpart, the Avelia Horizon, looks to have straight-sided cars. https://lerail.com/storage/Local Press Files/5725/thumb-5725.jpg

I tweeted at Alstom yesterday evening asking... but they've not responded (I don't expect them to).

peter

 

[Devil's Advocate]

So what happened to the powercar fairings? Are they really going to settle for a flat sided powercar and rounded coaches? Alstom's similar trains (AGV) look so sleek - almost beautiful. This American version already looks outdated and hobbled together.

In my opinion the original Acela is genuinely attractive but the replacement looks really clumsy to me. I find most HSR trains to be at least mildly handsome but this thing is just plain ugly. I'm guessing this is due in part to the CEM system required by American law but I could be wrong.

 

[DSS&A]

Hi,
This news article states that the testing of the train at Pueblo will last nine months. It also has a great photo of the train on the new NS bridge in New York!

https://www.railjournal.com/fleet/a...m_source=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=12925

 

[John Bredin]

I like the color scheme. It's a bit old-school, but I think it's rich-looking.
I'm curious if the door colors mean anything: one red door, a bunch of silver doors, and one blue door with no window. Oddly, the windowless door is not on the first or last car, which probably means it isn't a baggage door. Emergency door for the cafe or food-service car?
While flat-sided power-cars look a little weird in contrast to the rest of the trainset, I don't think it sinks to the level of being ugly.

Loved the videos, but giggled at the news clip when the announcer mispronounced Acela.

 

[jis]

Red Door is First Class. Silver Doors are Coach Class. Very European. No Yellow band along the roof line for First Class though.

 

[Thirdrail7]

 

[Acela150]

I’m on it!

 

[jrud]

The French counterpart, the Avelia Horizon, looks to have straight-sided cars. https://lerail.com/storage/Local Press Files/5725/thumb-5725.jpg

I tweeted at Alstom yesterday evening asking... but they've not responded (I don't expect them to).

peter

It’s been a while, but I am pretty certain that I remember reading that the Alstom (Avelia Liberty) Acela trains were going to be the first to use the latest generation of short power cars with others to follow such as the Horizon. Based on that, these could be plausible:

1. They were designed to the most restrictive combination of loading gauges. Hence, the slab sides to match the Horizons.
2. To make design etc. easier, Alstom might have decided not to add special side fairings and spoil commonality.
3. The Acela cars are tilting. The non-tilting power cars are not going to smoothly fair into the passenger cars as the cars tilt even if they did when they were straight.
4. The front edge of the first passenger car may be in the train’s boundary layer and not as important from a resistance perspective.
5. A quick look at newer Japanese Shinkansens shows very strange noses because of aerodynamics with tunnels being especially annoying. I don’t think the tunnels are the driving factor on the NEC, but straight resistance should be. Unfortunately, physics doesn’t care about aesthetics.
6. Drawings do show a pretty substantial crash energy absorption system in the nose of the Alstom power cars. This probably had a noticeable effect on the design also.

Just a few suggestions.

BTW. The few non-rail fans I showed pictures of the new Acela to were positively impressed. We may be prejudiced toward the looks of an EMD E or F. Or, in my case, late New York Central steam.

TTFN.

 

[Acela150]

A post on TrainOrders mentions that Tuesday at 8am is the next pick up bound for Philly.