In a press release yesterday, the BNSF announced that it has become the first class 1 freight railroad to reach this milestone. All 88 subdivisions and all 5000 of their required locomotives have been fully equipped with PTC. All Amtrak trains are now operating on PTC protected BNSF lines. Now the question remains: Have all Amtrak locomotives been fully equipped to function under PTC on the BNSF??
.........Edward Johnson
If this is correct the question again arises is BNSF responsible for the Lakewood sub PTC ? If so why hasn't it been completed.?
With this completion every other RR is going to be under the gun as to why they haven't completed as well. Short answer - " No excuse "
RR JohnsonNow the question remains: Have all Amtrak locomotives been fully equipped to function under PTC on the BNSF??
No.
RR JohnsonAll 88 subdivisions and all 5000 of their required locomotives have been fully equipped with PTC.
But, BNSF is probably still operating in "test" mode, meaning trains don't have to have PTC active to operate.
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
blue streak 1If this is correct the question again arises is BNSF responsible for the Lakewood sub PTC ? If so why hasn't it been completed.?
The line owner is responsible for fixed facility portion. Operating entity is responsible for their equipment. Everything I have seen in the media says owner of the line is Sound Transit. BNSF is not involved, except as dispatcher.
As to completion, ask ST and ATK.
Cannot imagine sound transit would spend time and effort to train intallers for that short distance 10 - 12 miles when they could have contracted BNSF ?
IIRC, PTC was installed on the Bypass line, but not operational yet.
A signal installer of my acquaintance says that the testing required before PTC is "operational" is lengthy, often revealing local quirks. In his part of the country, the PTC design tweaks had to take into account some environmental issues (in this case, literal bugs) that don't usually occur to electrical engineers. Any testing failures seem to reset the clock.
I read somewhere recently that UPRR CEO was complaining about their PTC implementation slowing down or improperly stopping frieght trains and that it was causing congestion across the UPRR rail network.
CMStPnPI read somewhere recently that UPRR CEO was complaining about their PTC implementation slowing down or improperly stopping frieght trains and that it was causing congestion across the UPRR rail network.
Just having the equipment installed in the field and locomotives is just the start of testing to make the system work. Any one that thinks that just installing the equipement is the end of the exercise is too dumb for words. Railroads have ALWAYS been goverened by the physical characteristics of the territories upon which the operated. The correct answer for one physical characteristic is not the answer for all the physical characteristics the exist across any of the carriers.
Real world 'testing and tuning' will take a extended period of time to come up with the right answers under nearly all operating conditions.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
BaltACDJust having the equipment installed in the field and locomotives is just the start of testing to make the system work. Any one that thinks that just installing the equipement is the end of the exercise is too dumb for words.
Editor Emeritus, This Week at Amtrak
Mr. Carleton, with respect it's completely different. Newsworkers won't understand, and probably won't care, that "100% mandate compliant" doesn't mean functional protection. To them PTC actually HAS BEEN installed and is protecting, so their 'likely' tack will be 'why didn't PTC prevent this accident', likely followed up by neomuckraking exposes on how railroads SAID they had installed PTC but lied because it did not work.
As the saying goes, "The devil is in the details".
BNSF and others get PTC installed and the bugs worked out to their satisfaction. Amtrak has their locomotives equiped compliant with the freight railroads PTC.
Do the freight railroads raise their speed limit for passenger trains, or not?
Victrola1 BNSF and others get PTC installed and the bugs worked out to their satisfaction. Amtrak has their locomotives equiped compliant with the freight railroads PTC. Do the freight railroads raise their speed limit for passenger trains, or not?
Johnny
Assuming the frieght railroad's track structure is PTC equiped and capable of higher passenger speeds, what about grade crossing signal timing, etc.? If passenger speeds were increased, what affect on the ability to keep slower freight trains flowing smoothly?
Victrola1Assuming the frieght railroad's track structure is PTC equiped and capable of higher passenger speeds, what about grade crossing signal timing, etc.? If passenger speeds were increased, what affect on the ability to keep slower freight trains flowing smoothly?
Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC.
BaltACD Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC.
blue streak 1 BaltACD Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC. Believe that Denver RTD might think very differently ! PTC crossing at DEN "A" line crossings still does not work !
Presume the R means Rapid and the T means Transit - Not a Class 1 railroad. And from everything I have heard Denver hasn't come close to understanding their equipments operation.
BaltACD blue streak 1 BaltACD Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC. Believe that Denver RTD might think very differently ! PTC crossing at DEN "A" line crossings still does not work ! Presume the R means Rapid and the T means Transit - Not a Class 1 railroad. And from everything I have heard Denver hasn't come close to understanding their equipments operation.
D.Carleton BaltACD blue streak 1 BaltACD Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC. Believe that Denver RTD might think very differently ! PTC crossing at DEN "A" line crossings still does not work ! Presume the R means Rapid and the T means Transit - Not a Class 1 railroad. And from everything I have heard Denver hasn't come close to understanding their equipments operation. The RTD lines to the airport and points north are 49CFR238 heavy rail services and the grade crossings are PTC activated, first in the nation. The rest of us will eventually follow suit.
BaltACD
The RTD lines to the airport and points north are 49CFR238 heavy rail services and the grade crossings are PTC activated, first in the nation. The rest of us will eventually follow suit.
Not if it can't be made to work correctly. As with PTC in general - the devil is in the details and physical characteristic of each location vary all over, thus changing the details. One siize doesn't fit all.
BaltACD D.Carleton BaltACD blue streak 1 BaltACD Grade crossing protection timining is not a function of PTC. Believe that Denver RTD might think very differently ! PTC crossing at DEN "A" line crossings still does not work ! Presume the R means Rapid and the T means Transit - Not a Class 1 railroad. And from everything I have heard Denver hasn't come close to understanding their equipments operation. The RTD lines to the airport and points north are 49CFR238 heavy rail services and the grade crossings are PTC activated, first in the nation. The rest of us will eventually follow suit. Not if it can't be made to work correctly. As with PTC in general - the devil is in the details and physical characteristic of each location vary all over, thus changing the details. One siize doesn't fit all.
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.