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Earlier today at N. Elizabeth:
ACS-64 Heads Up
- Thread starter Acela150
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Ziv
Conductor
What the h***!? That ACS-64 was just 4 seconds behind the commuter rail train! Is that "photoshopped"? Did that test train actually run just seconds behind a commuter? It looks like the commuter is just going by at 24 seconds and you can see the ACS-64's lights several hundred yards down track and it zips by at 28 seconds. I have never seen any trains running...
Oh. Never mind. They were on different tracks.
LOL! I thought they were on the same track the first time I watched. That is a very cool video.
Oh. Never mind. They were on different tracks.
LOL! I thought they were on the same track the first time I watched. That is a very cool video.
Ziv
Conductor
AmtrakBlue, I am from Montana. Most of the track where I am most familiar was single tracked when I left in 1982. I imagine a lot of it (the Hi Line) is double tracked now due to the coal and oil shipments but I still don't "think" multiple tracks when I look at railroads.
So when I saw that video, I thought the ACS-64 was drafting on that commuter rail train like a Nascar driver.
I am starting to like the look of the ACS-64 more and more. The first time I saw it, it looked kind of plain. But seeing them at speed makes me like them a lot more. I hope they will be leading Amtrak to record ridership in the years to come!
So when I saw that video, I thought the ACS-64 was drafting on that commuter rail train like a Nascar driver.
I am starting to like the look of the ACS-64 more and more. The first time I saw it, it looked kind of plain. But seeing them at speed makes me like them a lot more. I hope they will be leading Amtrak to record ridership in the years to come!
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jis
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Ziv, look carefully at which catenary the pantograph is touching for each train, and it will become obvious that the commuter train is on the outer track farthest from the camera and the special is on the inner track next to the outer track, closer to the camera.
That section through North Elizabeth station has four tracks, the two tracks closest to the camera are unoccupied and typically operating in the opposite direction. It is probably one of the heaviest used four track sections in the country.
That section through North Elizabeth station has four tracks, the two tracks closest to the camera are unoccupied and typically operating in the opposite direction. It is probably one of the heaviest used four track sections in the country.
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warrenwarner
Train Attendant
70 new ACS-64 electric locomotives were ordered from Siemens in 2010 for use on the NEC. Does anyone know how many have been delivered so far? any sightings? What does is look like?
664 is the latest on the NEC, I believe. I don't think it's in revenue service yet.
Acela150
Super Buff
I believe 664 is going to Septic for their review.
Septa?
Thirdrail7
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665 is the highest number on the east coast and 660 is the highest in revenue service.
SEPTA is buying thirteen units so they are borrowing the 664 for a week or two. It is similar to NJT borrowing a MARC AEM-7 to see how they behaved before ordering their ALP-44s.
WoodyinNYC
Conductor
This thread has all the info you asked for. Like this post to two weeks old.
Plenty of pix of them around. If you are allergic to looking for the info in this thread, go to Google Images.
Pls don't ask the obvious when you can scroll a thread and find simple stuff for yourself. You might annoy the curmudgeons hereabouts.
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Ryan
Court Jester
He was unlikely aware of the thread, he started a new one and had his question merged in.
WoodyinNYC
Conductor
You are too kind.
He was unaware of the thread because he was too lazy to look for it. It was a live topic. If it wasn't listed on the first page, it was on the second.
But yes, I am feeling curmudgeonly this afternoon.
Thirdrail7
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Woody, you are one of the most genial members of the boards I'm involved in (as long as you're not talking about Congress) so you're entitled to let it out every now and then.
I wish people would search a little more. Perhaps this board needs a tagging system or something.
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warrenwarner
Train Attendant
Thank you for your help. Please do not name call. We are not lazy, but we are very new to using this site. I'm not a train enthusiast myself, but I work as an aide to my friend Warren who is visually impaired. We are both slowly getting the hang of using this forum and we love it! So much information, it's overwhelming!
sitzplatz17
Lead Service Attendant
Over 60 have been delivered and there are plenty of sightings. I see one at least every day. This morning I saw three. A quick Google search will provide you thousands of images.
warrenwarner
Train Attendant
Will these new locomotives help to improve rider ship on the NEC?
WoodyinNYC
Conductor
They will be more reliable, with fewer breakdowns en route. So the On Time Performance will improve. Good OTP pleases riders and keeps them coming back. Good word of mouth helps bring new riders.
More reliable locomotives will also help operations. If an old locomotive konks out on the NEC, That train is delayed, of course. But it's worse if coming behind it is an Acela full of riders paying top dollar for a fast trip. And one konked out engine can mess up several trains because the NEC is so congested with Acelas, Regionals, Keystones for part of the way, long distance trains like the Star and Meteor to Miami, and a large number of commuter trains up and down the line.
However, the larger impact could be on the cost side, as new equipment replaces old equipment and repairs are not needed so often. And standardization saves money (lower spare parts inventory, simpler training for maintenance workers, etc) as the ACS-64s replace three different types of locomotives.
They will be cheaper by capturing energy with regenerative braking, putting that electricity back into the system that powers all the trains.
So the ACS-64s are win win win. Amtrak figured that the new locomotives will "pay for themselves" in 6 years with the various savings. It got a 30-year government loan to pay for buying the ACS-64s, so it will have the use of most of that money long after the locomotives have "paid for themselves."
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west point
Engineer
As some understand the costs of the ACS-64s included a fairly broad warranty that includes many items that Amtrak will not have to pay for that they did with the just retired units. Plus with more active motors units that need just minor work can be replaced with units without any problems.
Fan Railer
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Any time frame (as in a specific week or two) on the said borrowing of 664? And is it just going to be in test service, or are they going to be audacious enough to use it on a revenue train or two? Trying to gauge whether or not it would be worth it to head down to SEPTIC territory to catch it in action lol.
Acela150
Super Buff
No clue.
Thirdrail7
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If I was looking for a specific date, I would only be able to celebrate the hand off every four years. I have no idea what Septic is going to do with it, but it'll be delivered to
h34r:
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HAHAHAHA thanks.
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