No.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
Highly unlikely. DMU's are a rather expensive alternative to a conventional locomotive-and-train with a control cab on the other end.
No, another reason is crash standards, which eliminate the weight savings of a DMU over a locomotive.
BuslistI'm a bit puzzled by your comment on crash standards. Certainly if the proposed DMU was made up of individual cars, ala RDCs each cab would need something close to locomotive style crash protection ( although this doesn't seem to have affected commuter EMUs too much, but then they're tier I) and the weight penalty would probably be significant.
This was my point. In the past, DMUs have been used for maximum flexibility in North America, and not greater acceleration. I forgot about the advantages of greater powered axles when posting.
DMU's actually used in multiple unit operation have been relatively uncommon in North America. Most pre-WW2 motor cars (EMC, Brill, McKeen, etc.) were not or could not be equipped for multiple-unit operation and generally operated as single units on branches or division locals. Many of the RDC's were placed in similar service. Besides B&M, NH and B&O, few roads operated RDC's in multiple or otherwise made use of their flexibility.
The development of push-pulls for suburban service probably went a long way in eliminating a market for RDC's in that service.
When the RDCs were new the PRSL used them in a way that was unique in the States. A train of RDCs would leave Camden bound for the shore. When the train reached the junction between the Atlantic City line and the line which paralleled the coast the train was split and the front few cars proceeded to Atlantic City. The remainder of the train would travel down the coast and at each junction one RDC would separate and travel to the end of the branch while the remainder would continue south to the next junction. The return to Camden would be just the opposite with the train picking up an RDC at each junction until the meet was made with the Atlantic City section.
Just imagine how many partially dead heading engineers this operation took!
An operation not unlike Chicago Aurora & Elgin trains to the Fox Valley. A train would leave Wells Street Terminal. On arrival at Wheaton, short-turn cars would be cut off and one part of the train would continue to Aurora while the other part would continue to Elgin.
Last weekend I rode Turbostar DMU trains from Stansted Airport outside of London to Norwich. The three car trains can carry about 200 passengers. While not "high speed (100 mph) we stayed on schedule the entire trip. After seeing hundreds of modern DMUs during visits to Ireland and the UK over the last year, I wonder if the Brits and Irish know something about DMUs that we don't?
DS4-4-1000 When the RDCs were new the PRSL used them in a way that was unique in the States. A train of RDCs would leave Camden bound for the shore. When the train reached the junction between the Atlantic City line and the line which paralleled the coast the train was split and the front few cars proceeded to Atlantic City. The remainder of the train would travel down the coast and at each junction one RDC would separate and travel to the end of the branch while the remainder would continue south to the next junction. The return to Camden would be just the opposite with the train picking up an RDC at each junction until the meet was made with the Atlantic City section. Just imagine how many partially dead heading engineers this operation took!
Right up until the end in 1980 they did this. There was one train a day to/from Cape May (one car) and Ocean City (two cars) that they put together in Tuckahoe. They'd cover ground between Tuckahoe and Winslow Jct as fast at three Budd cars could go - long, flat tangents connected with a few big sweeping curves.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
081552After seeing hundreds of modern DMUs during visits to Ireland and the UK over the last year, I wonder if the Brits and Irish know something about DMUs that we don't?
They know that they don't have to meet American buff strength and collision standards, for one thing.
It does remain to be seen if there's a market for small Tier-4-final-compliant diesel engine powered trains, vs. the IDOT/CSR/AAF model (with locomotives along the lines of the HST125 'plan' fitted with larger engines in the C175 or QSK series, neither of which is likely to fit 'underfloor' without pain, and less-espensive-all-around unpowered cars). I believe we've looked at this in some of the other discussions on MU power...
Isn't all aboard Florida creating an American HST 125 with the Siemens charger locomotive and single level cars?
In addition to my quick response, please check out this additional link, http://www.allaboardflorida.com/recent-news/press-announcements/all-aboard-florida-selects.html.
The Sprinter in California that goes from Oceanside to Escondido uses DMU's.
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