Have not seen the progress of ACSES installation on the NEC spine for all tracks. There are reports that the Harrisburgh line is going ACSES very soon. Question. Since many diesel locos do not yet have ACSES installed how will the Pennsylvanian be handled ? ACS-64s with loco change at HAR or some other method ?
May become a problem for rotation of P-42s ?
To get the discussion rolling, we could look at this exhibit from 2010 -- it may be laughably outdated by now, but I leave that for people like Don Oltmann who have up-to-the-moment knowledge (or 'connections' who do).
Putting several details here together: V-ETMS, which was going to be installed on any Amtrak diesel that might go to Chicago, is an overlay that is compatible with ACSES on the Harrisburg-to-Philadelphia electrified section, so I would expect that to be the 'default' way Amtrak would address the issue.
A "possible" alternative would be some sort of power change at Harrisburg, as all the NEC electrics will have ACSES "already" and any current motor could handle any train (even if it tows or only pilots the diesels!)
I do look forward to seeing 'definitive' answers to the questions that have been asked.
Have a partial answer. Here is picture of Pennsylvanian train 43 leaving PHL with ACS-64 electric 658 leading P-42 120.
http://chuchubob.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4412691
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