ACS-64 Heads Up

[Fan Railer]

 

[NE933]

Does anyone know if it's still in Penn Station yet?

 

[Acela150]

I waited at Croydon for a little over an hour and a half... No luck.... According to a post on Facebook, Piotr got it.

 

[Fan Railer]

From SSrendon:

 

[Fan Railer]

Does anyone know if it's still in Penn Station yet?

It was in Penn Station at 6:15

 

[Acela150]

Also... Train 863 today's test train is listed in ARROW, in the status section.

 

[NE933]

I saw it in Newark, NJ around 7PM-ish (I was too busy with my camera and getting freaked out to chck my watch). The LED headlights and on the ditches are awesome. There was either flicker or flashing, not sure if that's by design or not and if it is, if it will be FRA approved. This test train did not stop.

 

[Barciur]

Any tentative date for when they will be riding on the Keystone service?

 

[Acela150]

No. I would guess that these units will be put into service shortly.. At least 602. No word on 600 and 601, if they have made their way east, I'm sure their would be some word when and if they do. 604 just arrived on the east coast this week.

My guess is that the new unit will be put on a random train to start.

 

[Fan Railer]

Southbound through Philadelphia 30th street station around 7:50 tonight.

 

[Barciur]

Alright. If anyone hears about them being in service on a Keystone, do let us know, I'm dying to see it here in Lancaster.

 

[Acela150]

As of right now, testing is only the main line of the NEC. Testing on the Keystone Corridor will be separate as they will have to test it with a Cab-Car. Even then that's a stretch, all the Cab-Cars are being used everyday. I think there's only one spare and that's being Overhauled. The look gets even uglier... Just saying.. I personally think that Keystoners will get the new electrics towards the end of the AEM-7's and HHP's being put on the scrap line.

 

[Blackwolf]

As of right now, testing is only the main line of the NEC. Testing on the Keystone Corridor will be separate as they will have to test it with a Cab-Car. Even then that's a stretch, all the Cab-Cars are being used everyday. I think there's only one spare and that's being Overhauled. The look gets even uglier... Just saying.. I personally think that Keystoners will get the new electrics towards the end of the AEM-7's and HHP's being put on the scrap line.

No (currently) serviceable spares left for the cab cars? Aren't the AmFleet cab cars what became of the original Metroliners?

 

[Acela150]

As of right now, testing is only the main line of the NEC. Testing on the Keystone Corridor will be separate as they will have to test it with a Cab-Car. Even then that's a stretch, all the Cab-Cars are being used everyday. I think there's only one spare and that's being Overhauled. The look gets even uglier... Just saying.. I personally think that Keystoners will get the new electrics towards the end of the AEM-7's and HHP's being put on the scrap line.

No (currently) serviceable spares left for the cab cars? Aren't the AmFleet cab cars what became of the original Metroliners?

Yes, the Cab-Cars are Ex-Metroliners. The only Cab-Car that's available, isn't, it's being Retrofitted and Overhauled in Bear, DE. Photos are hard to find of the Overhauled Cab-Cars. I can't tell you how many are in use on Springfield Shuttles or Keystoners. Their are 17 Active according to OTOL.com. IIRC one was wrecked a few years back so that's now 16. That would leave 15 in service with 1 being Overhauled. So it's possible that their are say 7 Keystone sets and 3 Springfield shuttles and 2 are used on the Vermonter now. I'm not sure if those are the exact numbers. I would doubt it, but it's certainly close. Amtrak has a motor shortage and a Cab-Car shortage. Although Motor Shortages are well more documented then Cab-Cars.

 

[NE933]

Then testing shall have to occur on weekends, when there are fewer trains. Or: temporarily change operations by substituting a Genesis powered set from Phil to Harrisburg.

 

[ayezee]

Then testing shall have to occur on weekends, when there are fewer trains. Or: temporarily change operations by substituting a Genesis powered set from Phil to Harrisburg.

Or maybe just do the testing at night but again using a P42 shouldn't impact the schedule west of Philadelphia

 

[battalion51]

As of right now, testing is only the main line of the NEC. Testing on the Keystone Corridor will be separate as they will have to test it with a Cab-Car. Even then that's a stretch, all the Cab-Cars are being used everyday. I think there's only one spare and that's being Overhauled. The look gets even uglier... Just saying.. I personally think that Keystoners will get the new electrics towards the end of the AEM-7's and HHP's being put on the scrap line.

No (currently) serviceable spares left for the cab cars? Aren't the AmFleet cab cars what became of the original Metroliners?

Yes, the Cab-Cars are Ex-Metroliners. The only Cab-Car that's available, isn't, it's being Retrofitted and Overhauled in Bear, DE. Photos are hard to find of the Overhauled Cab-Cars. I can't tell you how many are in use on Springfield Shuttles or Keystoners. Their are 17 Active according to OTOL.com. IIRC one was wrecked a few years back so that's now 16. That would leave 15 in service with 1 being Overhauled. So it's possible that their are say 7 Keystone sets and 3 Springfield shuttles and 2 are used on the Vermonter now. I'm not sure if those are the exact numbers. I would doubt it, but it's certainly close. Amtrak has a motor shortage and a Cab-Car shortage. Although Motor Shortages are well more documented then Cab-Cars.

IIRC one of the Shuttle sets isn't used on the weekends so if they need to check it out with a cab car that would likely be the ideal time to do it. At the same time it would be pretty easy to put a second P-42 on a Vermonter set and use a Vermonter cab car.

 

[Fan Railer]

Video from 9/9/13 (Monday night's) test run. Departing from Trenton; courtesy of FL92002.

 

[Shawn Ryu]

I assume they are just pushing empty cars?

 

[rickycourtney]

There are reports on The Other train forum that the ACS-64 was being tested with an ex-metroliner amfleet cab car today.

 

[Acela150]

I assume they are just pushing empty cars?

Yes. Their are some folks who are from Amtrak riding to test ride quailty, but very few.

There are reports on The Other train forum that the ACS-64 was being tested with an ex-metroliner amfleet cab car today.

Any idea on what forum that would be?? It wouldn't surprise me if they are. Should it be true, I would guess it could be a while before anything on the Harrisburg Line gets an ACS-64. SImply cause it's brand new technolgy with much older technolgy.

 

[Ryan]

Trainorders.

 

[jis]

Looks like they carried out the test of a cab car consist during the daylight hours on a weekday!

 

[Fan Railer]

Trainorders.

Also from railroad.net, which I report news from:

ThirdRail7: "This was the incremental test run with the cab car. The train ping ponged back and forth on the race track increasing speeds on every run until they topped out at 130 on the sixth run. Then it did a few tests between Grundy and Holmes, including one that took the Torresdale curves at 105mph.

They were supposed to perform similar tests between Perryville and Philadelphia tonight, but last I heard they may have canceled that test and headed to Boston instead."

 

[CT]

Passing through southeastern Connecticut right now, Boston bound. 602, 4 Amfleets, and a freshly overhauled cab car.