I think Amtrak should also order extra standalone SC-42DMs and not just ALC-42E Airo Trains. The reason why Amtrak also needs the SC-42DMs to supplement the ALC-42Es is because of the Lake Shore Limited long-distance trains that go into New York City. There are no internal 3rd-rail shoes on all on the ALC-42Es used on the Empire Service, since it’s all battery powered, and the battery is not on the locomotive itself, but on an Auxiliary Power Car behind the locomotive on the Airo. The Semi-Permanently coupled Airos are obviously not going to be used on Long Distance Trains, since the cab car end doesn’t offer direct access to the sleeper cars, since there is no passageway connecting the sleepers, trains are not allowed to enter Penn Station on Diesel Power, and the ALC-42Es are unable to use electric mode when coupled to the long distance consists on the Lake Shore Limited. And for that reason, Amtrak should also order STANDALONE Dual-Mode SC-42DMs like Metro-North did, just to be used on the Lake Shore Limited trains from New York Penn Station since the ALC-42Es’ in electric mode are NOT gonna be Compatible with Standard Amtrak Stock since the auxiliary equipment for electric mode is solely gonna be on the Airo set, not on the ALC-42E itself like the P32AC-DM locomotives they are replacing, and NYP mandates that equipment that goes into Penn should not be using diesel power.
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