Only one special cable required per train, at the half-way point in the consist between the two halves, The real expensse is equipping the power with distributed power technology, which is radio control of the rear unit by the front. It should be a cosst-effective investment, though. The second unit is then between the last passenger car and the auto carriers.
Why not a Capstone turbine alternator in the equipment bay over the trucks of each food service car? This is where a good portion of the electrical load is and they are set up to recuperate heat from the exhaust gases, so hot water can be free. They run off various fuels and are pre packaged skids in 30, 65, and 200 kW variants for transportation applications. You could use several for redundancy. http://www.capstoneturbine.com/prodsol/products/ Take a look at the pictures in the back of a bus to get the scale. http://www.capstoneturbine.com/prodsol/solutions/hev.asp
Then put the carriers up front combined with ECP braking (again).
these are used all the time in the KCS business train.
ACY, your mechanical people may not have thought of the idea of special cablles with only the control circuits running through and the power circuits left out. I sugest you might score by including this and your making suggestion again.
ACY . My suggestion was to place a loco (perhaps an old F40 or something of that ilk) behind the last Superliner and ahead of the first Auto Carrier. The loco would be there only to contribute to HEP, and would not contribute to traction because it would probably create some serious buff/draft issues if the traction motors were engaged. .
. My suggestion was to place a loco (perhaps an old F40 or something of that ilk) behind the last Superliner and ahead of the first Auto Carrier. The loco would be there only to contribute to HEP, and would not contribute to traction because it would probably create some serious buff/draft issues if the traction motors were engaged. .
There must be a way to isolate the power distribiution at the half-way point without isolating the control funcitons. Possiblyi a special jumper cable for the purpose.
daveklepper ACY: Maybe you can make this suggestion: Install distributed power capability in the locomotives assigned to the Auto Train. Instead of all locomotives concentrated at the front, have one unit at the back, mid-train do not connect the HEP jumper, let a front locomotive provide HEP for the front half of the train and the rear locomotive for the rear half.
ACY: Maybe you can make this suggestion: Install distributed power capability in the locomotives assigned to the Auto Train. Instead of all locomotives concentrated at the front, have one unit at the back, mid-train do not connect the HEP jumper, let a front locomotive provide HEP for the front half of the train and the rear locomotive for the rear half.
blue streak 1 Long distance operations in the Southeast will resume in full, including the popular Auto Train which now features additional capacity. The Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) will operate between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami.
Long distance operations in the Southeast will resume in full, including the popular Auto Train which now features additional capacity. The Silver Star (Trains 91 & 92) will operate between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami.
I wonder where they found the additional Superliners. I thought those cars were in short supply with several routes that essentially are at capacity. Perhaps the western trains are shortened during the winter months?
Normal LD and NEC service Saturday.
February 14, 2014 1:15 p.m. ETAmtrak will operate a full Saturday schedule on the Northeast Corridor on February 15th. Acela Express (Boston – Washington), Northeast Regional (Boston - Lynchburg/Newport News/Norfolk), Keystone Service (New York – Harrisburg, Pa.), Empire Service (New York – Albany, N.Y.) and Piedmont Service (Raleigh – Charlotte) will all operate on normal Saturday schedules.
As of 11:0 Pm (2300) all SE Long distance trains show cancelled except Crescent.
Preliminary plan for Friday but LD not yet as of 3:45 PM.
Amtrak bulletin
Feb. 13, 2014 3:45 p.m. ET
Amtrak plans to operate all Keystone Service (New York - Harrisburg) and most Northeast Regional service (Boston - Washington), in addition to reduced frequencies of Acela Express (Washington – Boston) and Empire Service (New York – Albany, N.Y.) on Friday, Feb. 14, following the severe winter storm that impacted most of the East Coast.
Amtrak Downeaster (Brunswick, Maine – Boston) and the Springfield Shuttle (New Haven, Conn. – Springfield, Mass.) will continue to operate a normal schedule.
Additional information about long-distance service that runs along the East Coast will be provided later today when available.
February 13 -
US Government offices in DC shut down.
VRE & MARC cancelled all operations
Contracted Crew transportation shut down.
All school systems in the Baltimore/Washington Metro area - closed.
As of 0700 - Interstates in the Baltimore area snow covered with snow plow conga lines
Upto 18 inches in Baltimore suburbs
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Hindsight being 20/20, I am not sure 19 and 20 (Crescent) needed to be cancelled. Freezing rain, sleet, and heavy wet snow events happen during the winter months here in the GA/SC/NC Piedmont. The former Southern mainline is equipped with switch heaters to handle it. Although typical winter weather is not of this magnitude, NS has managed to run at least some of their trains through the storm. Maybe the primary concern was signal outages due to anticipated commercial power failures, which appear likely on CSX in SC/NC with this storm.
Here is Amtrak's announcement.
Feb. 12, 2014
4 p.m. ET
Due to the winter storm now moving up the East Coast, Amtrak will operate a modified schedule on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2014.
Acela Express (Washington – Boston), Northeast Regional service (Boston - Lynchburg/Newport News/Norfolk), Keystone Service (New York – Harrisburg, Pa.) and Empire Service (New York – Albany, N.Y.) will all operate at reduced frequencies or modified schedules.
In addition, the following long-distance services originating on Feb. 13 are canceled: Crescent (New York – New Orleans), Auto Train (Lorton, Va. – Sanford, Fla.), Carolinian (New York – Charlotte), Palmetto (New York – Savannah) and Piedmont (Raleigh – Charlotte). Additionally, the Silver Meteor (New York – Miami) Train 98 is canceled and the Silver Star will only operate between Jacksonville, Fla., and Miami. Amtrak Thruway Bus services associated with canceled trains will not operate.
Amtrak Downeaster (Brunswick, Maine – Boston) and the Springfield Shuttle (New Haven, Conn. – Springfield, Mass.) are not affected and are expected to operate a normal schedule.
ACYMy latest info indicates the decision to annul the Auto Train was made by CSX, not Amtrak. I presume this is also true of the other trains affected.
Link to cancelled trains. Appears Auto train is operating according to status maps.
Weather here SW of Atlanta is not going to be as bad as the Carolinas and Augusta, Ga with an inch of freezing rain there. Really hope there is no power failure here.
AMTRAK liink
http://www.amtrak.com/servlet/ContentServer?c=AM_Alert_C&pagename=am/AM_Alert_C/Alerts_Popup&cid=1251625562802
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