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High Speed Texas Eagle?

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High Speed Texas Eagle?
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 4, 2012 12:54 PM

According to Amtrak's employee magazine, trains will be authorized 110 mph between Dwight, Illinois, and Pontiac, Illinois beginning in September.  Apparently this is the first segment of the high speed line that is being implemented between St. Louis and Chicago to be ready for the higher speeds?

Will the Texas Eagle be capable of running up to 110 mph or will equipment constraints limit it to its current top speed (79 mph) or a higher speed but not 110 mph?  

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Posted by schlimm on Saturday, August 4, 2012 1:58 PM

It's a good question.  If the track is 110 and roller-bearing equipped trains used to run at 90+ on the old IC (different line) back in the day, one would think the Eagle could go at least 90?  

C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan

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Posted by CSSHEGEWISCH on Saturday, August 4, 2012 2:02 PM

I'm not absolutely sure but I believe that the Superliners are good for 90 MPH or 100 MPH.

The daily commute is part of everyday life but I get two rides a day out of it. Paul
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High Speed Texas Eagle?
Posted by blue streak 1 on Saturday, August 4, 2012 4:28 PM

CSSHEGEWISCH

I'm not absolutely sure but I believe that the Superliners are good for 90 MPH or 100 MPH.

not such an easy question to answer. according to the ANTRAK fleet strategy plan version 3.1 pages 71  -  90

http://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/36/921/2012-Amtrak-Fleet-Strategy-v3.1-%2003-29-12.pdf

A SUMMARY NOT ALL

superlliner  I  & II  + caltrans bi-levels  ( rebuilt superliners ) 100MPH

surfliner  --  125 MPH

Pacific parlor 110 MPH,   ( NOTE THIS IS CONSIDERED  A HERITAGE CAR )

for information Horizon and Amfleet 1 & 2  --- 125  MPH

Viewliners  --  110   MPH.

Heritage single level cars 110 MPH

so to certify eagle trains for 110 MPH AMTRAK  would need to upgrade at least thE EAGLE cars and captive assign them to the eagle. then they would have to TEST run them over the route CHI - STL at 120 MPH to satisfy the FRA.

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Posted by CMStPnP on Sunday, August 12, 2012 11:44 PM

Amtrak P42 locomotives have a governor on them limiting their max speed to 83 mph, an alarm sounds once you hit 80-81 mph.   If you do not respond to the alarm and reduce speed the train brakes are applied, it works similar to the alerter (or formerly the dead mans pedal.....except it is a push button on the dash now).     Not sure what the P42 actual top speed is.

The Superliners can do 110 mph per their specs that was their max engineered speed.

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Monday, August 13, 2012 5:40 AM

CMStPnP

Amtrak P42 locomotives have a governor on them limiting their max speed to 83 mph, an alarm sounds once you hit 80-81 mph.  The Superliners can do 110 mph per their specs that was their max engineered speed.

Governor  83  mph ??  That makes no sense. How can the Southwest Limited go 90 MPH on sections of the transcon, the 110 MPH planned speed on CHI  -  STL, and the present 110 MPH on sections of detroit - CHI  ??  

 PER MY previous post. fleet plan shows superliners 100 mph ??  suspect modifications to bring them back to 110 mph.  note the rebuilt ones for california are 110 mph.

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Posted by oltmannd on Monday, August 13, 2012 7:41 AM

CMStPnP

Amtrak P42 locomotives have a governor on them limiting their max speed to 83 mph, an alarm sounds once you hit 80-81 mph.   If you do not respond to the alarm and reduce speed the train brakes are applied, it works similar to the alerter (or formerly the dead mans pedal.....except it is a push button on the dash now).     Not sure what the P42 actual top speed is.

The Superliners can do 110 mph per their specs that was their max engineered speed.

P42s are good for 110 mph, the P40s for 100.  My hunch is that the speed control system probably has a 79+3 mph limit when they are set up for non-train control territory.  If they are set up for ATS, "PTC", cab w/speed control, ACSES, etc, the overspeed limit would be different - sometimes dependent on the cab signal aspect, etc.

The set-up would be "soft", not hard -  selector switch or similar, I would imagine.

-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/

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Posted by blue streak 1 on Wednesday, August 15, 2012 5:00 PM

oltmannd

CMStPnP

Amtrak P42 locomotives have a governor on them limiting their max speed to 83 mph, an alarm sounds once you hit 80-81 mph.   If you do not respond to the alarm and reduce speed the train brakes are applied, it works similar to the alerter (or formerly the dead mans pedal.....except it is a push button on the dash now).     Not sure what the P42 actual top speed is.

The Superliners can do 110 mph per their specs that was their max engineered speed.

P42s are good for 110 mph, the P40s for 100.  My hunch is that the speed control system probably has a 79+3 mph limit when they are set up for non-train control territory.  If they are set up for ATS, "PTC", cab w/speed control, ACSES, etc, the overspeed limit would be different - sometimes dependent on the cab signal aspect, etc.

The set-up would be "soft", not hard -  selector switch or similar, I would imagine.

don;  good hunch.  didn't I read somewhere that when the P-40s that were rebuilt by ARRA funds they were upgraded to 110 MPH ??

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Posted by CMStPnP on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 8:24 AM

blue streak 1

CMStPnP

Amtrak P42 locomotives have a governor on them limiting their max speed to 83 mph, an alarm sounds once you hit 80-81 mph.  The Superliners can do 110 mph per their specs that was their max engineered speed.

Governor  83  mph ??  That makes no sense. How can the Southwest Limited go 90 MPH on sections of the transcon, the 110 MPH planned speed on CHI  -  STL, and the present 110 MPH on sections of detroit - CHI  ??  

 PER MY previous post. fleet plan shows superliners 100 mph ??  suspect modifications to bring them back to 110 mph.  note the rebuilt ones for california are 110 mph.

Well listen to a Locomotive Engineer Describe it yourself zoom forwards to minute #14, called the overspeed function::

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V5hBBx0d_k

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