Last week I happened to be trackside and saw what I believe was Amtrak 3 (or perhaps 5) westbound with three P42 units, two Amtrak AEM-7 electrics behind the regular power followed by seven or eight old baggage cars and then the regular passenger car consist. Two questions...did anybody get shots of this monster train and secondly, does anybody know where the AEM-7's were headed (and why)ditto for the old baggage cars? Thanks!
AEM-7s are headed to TTC in Pueblo, presumably for crash testing, and the baggage cars are along to provide additional braked axles.
According to the internet (so it must be true) they are headed to the TTCI testing centre near Pueblo, CO. Photo & video:
http://www.rypn.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=36219&start=105
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7nh11eM9Pw
EDIT: Didn't mean to step on you Northwest, seems we were writing at the same time.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
This has been discussed on RyPN, with some fairly good argument that the two locomotives are far more useful as high-speed 'tugs' for the electrified sections than as crash test dummies.
Not sure why locomotives as light and short as toasters, with very competent cheek=plate braking, would need additional axles of braking in a monster train the size of the one mentioned; I'd speculate more along the lines of the additional cars carrying spare parts and documentation for the pair of locomotives ... with, perhaps, some use for Heritage bags, too, at TTCI.
Calling CopCar...(Seen 'em yet at Avondale?)
SD70M-2Dude: no problem. I've been guilty of that several times myself.
RME: braked axles can also be for signal system and grade crossing detection, as I'm not sure a P42+2 AEM-7s would be enough for the railroads. And I suppose we have data from two Sprinters that would be more useful than that from an AEM-7, but I have to wonder why they wouldn't have picked up an NJT ALP44 years ago if they needed one.
NorthWest SD70M-2Dude: no problem. I've been guilty of that several times myself. RME: braked axles can also be for signal system and grade crossing detection, as I'm not sure a P42+2 AEM-7s would be enough for the railroads. And I suppose we have data from two Sprinters that would be more useful than that from an AEM-7, but I have to wonder why they wouldn't have picked up an NJT ALP44 years ago if they needed one.
NJT tried to give its remaining ALP-44s to TTCI about 6 years ago but infighting between FTA and FRA killed the deal.
I understand that these are AEM-7AC rebuilds and may well be easier to maintain for at least a few years than the original Thyristor configuration.
Peter
They may be only on loan. Amtrak is going to need them back to use as switchers when Sunnyside is covered over and switching then must be converted back from diesel to electric. Or are others being saved?
"Informed sources" confirm they are just to have around in case the need arises for higher speed testing. No crash tests planned.
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