Came across this. Suspect that it died because of the fuel consumption especially when operating at slow speeds. Also idea would be on freight RRs ?
JetTrain: The high-speed dream that never took off (msn.com)
Gas turbines have always had fuel consumption issues when in railroad service.
Well first, it is not in any shape or form a "Jet train". The engine is properly known in aviation circles as a "turboshaft" engine and in power generation it is a "combustion turbine".
It will never be fuel efficient at any but high outputs. That is why most helicopters are turbine powered. They require high output because the engine is providing the lift as well as forward propulsion. Trains spend a significant amount of their time at lower outputs and there the combustion turbine is just not viable.
Mechanically correct or not, Bombardier branded it as the "JetTrain".
The main appeal was the potential for very high top speeds without the need for catenary. But none of the projects that it might have been intended for were ever built.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Yes so I think I might know why this train was dead on arrival. Amtraks experience with the Turboliners. Fuel hogs unless run at high speed consistently, the repairs to the power plant also expensive.
I think VIA Rail would be more successful if it started to seek funds from non-Federal sources. Maybe start sticking it's nose in provincial infrastructure projects as well as private financing for payback projects such as large station redevelopment (like Amtrak is doing). Seems to me that VIA is basically just sitting on its hands for the most part with creative financing and waiting for the next Federal handout. Thankfully, Amtrak has the states and has borrowed private money in some cases for projects it could to lower it's costs.
CMStPnPYes so I think I might know why this train was dead on arrival. Amtraks experience with the Turboliners. Fuel hogs unless run at high speed consistently, the repairs to the power plant also expensive.
Everything I have read about the operation of jet engines is that they operate most economically at 40K feet - difficult for a train to operate at 40K feet.
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My impression of the JetTrain locomotive was that it was a cheap and not particularly advanced imitation of the ALPS locomotive. As I recall it got around some of the fuel issues by having a mechanical gearbox that took the turbine drive at high power, but allowed a diesel to be directly connected for lower speeds, hostling, etc. where the turbine would be on a turning gear or shut down. That made it limited in speed and power compared to what the ALPS locomotive with MegaGen could have provided.
I think it is well worth preserving (with or without the 'expensive' turbine itself) as an example of interesting high-speed passenger thinking... just as we should preserve at least one example of the Canadian LRC locomotive. Neither is a particularly useful example of what actual high-speed power ought to be capable of.
You would think Bombardier would have learned the lesson of the PT6-derivative turboshaft engines in the Sikorsky-UA TurboTrain. They certainly used a more 'advanced' engine, and understood the need to use a different prime mover for turndown. But compare it to what Prof. Herbst was planning and you'll understand part of why no one thought it enough to spend the money on.
Overmod ... just as we should preserve at least one example of the Canadian LRC locomotive. Neither is a particularly useful example of what actual high-speed power ought to be capable of.
... just as we should preserve at least one example of the Canadian LRC locomotive. Neither is a particularly useful example of what actual high-speed power ought to be capable of.
Two of those made it into preservation. One is at the Canadian Railway Museum, the other is owned by the Toronto Rail Historical Association and is kept at VIA's Mimico yard, where they got it running a few years ago.
The LRC cars are of course still getting the wheels run off them in daily 90+ mph service behind F40s and P42s.
SD70DudeThe LRC cars are of course still getting the wheels run off them in daily 90+ mph service behind F40s and P42s.
There is a youtube video of the head of RAPIDO TRAINS (scale train manufacturer in Canada). He actually funded VIA to fix and restart a LRC locomotive they still had on hand not too long ago so he could record sounds for DCC on the HO version, they moved it around the VIA yards as well. I am not sure if he is also funding preservation but so far he has funded preservation on a VIA (ex-CN) sleeping car, I think some locomotives as well as old GM city buses. He said he will never take on restoring a passenger car again as he said he sunk too much money into it so far but he is committed to getting it done at least to full restoration.
Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9jyrirUT_8
And here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zYWX7TeaI&t=243s
The finished DCC model in HO Scale:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFkKsgwEHjQ
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