Trains Newswire reports that almost 25% of AMTRAK's P-42s have been failing on a daily basis. Many reasons were cite including oil fires, traction motors grounding out and turbo chargers blowing up.
My question; is this the same turbo that is failing on freight GEs? Even though the P-42 are rather old maybe this is a replacement turbo that is the same one as the freight locos? The newswire said GE is honoring replacements under warranty and that strikes me as the turbos being fairly new? Also mentioned was GE is short of turbos. Holiday slow downs were cited but that should only have been 4 or 5 days slow down of manufacturing? Is GE may be running very short of turbos?
For your information AMTRAK's Dec performance report showed a daily average of 16% locos out of service.
Sounds like they are worn out. The internal parts of the turbo might be the same as that used on the 12 cylinder GEVO engine as they are about the same horsepower, but the housing would have to be different as the ducting they connect up to is different. As far as warranty is concerned I doubt that they would honor it when the failure is the result of external (to the turbo) causes, such as overheat - overspeed or foreign material damage as in pieces of broken valves flying through, Its a tough one to call.
Personally I think EMD products are a better quality than GE. I don't recall Amtrak having this many problems with the EMD F40PH's, especially this late in their life... granted the F40PH was just a GP40 in a cowl shell. Amtrak should be in the market for new locomotives soon since the P42 are almost 20 years old.
If AMTRAK is short of locomotives, I'm guessing that if they borrow a Freight locomotive with out HEP ,
do they have generator equipped cars still available ? Does it take an HEP equiped unit, and a freight locomotive to move a consist in revenue service that requires normally a single P42?
It seems that having 15 % (more or less) of their locomotive fleet unavailable; their choices are to cancel or find HEP generator equiped cars for their out of service P42.
How does AMTRAK handle unavailable power situations?
Thanks
What TRAINS reported on the failures:
[snip]" failures in a cast metal transition piece in the turbocharger assembly and traction motor ground failures have been the primary culprits."
To deal with the HEP problem when using freight engines, Amtrak is using the borrowed engines as the leader on trains requiring more then one engine. For example, there is a video of a Coast Starlight lead by an NS engine that was recently posted on another web site.
That would explain why I've periodically seen single freight locomotives from various roads turning up at 18th Street.
....Could this be a job contract for Progress Rail here in Muncie, who are now preparing their new manufacturing facility. Made in America I understand is a requirement to supply Amtrak engines.
Quentin
Actually, I think the requirement is "assembled in America". It seems to be OK if it's made by a foreign company with foreign parts as long as they build the final assembly plant here.
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
......Yes, I should have said "Assembled in America".
The reason I call them Problematic 42s. They don't work right. Amtrak needs to get better locomotives.
Then AMTRAK also needs locos from both WABTEC and EMD.
Andrew
Watch my videos on-line at https://www.youtube.com/user/AndrewNeilFalconer
Andrew Falconer Then AMTRAK also needs locos from both WABTEC and EMD. Andrew
Except for the fact that EMD does not market a passenger locomotive of any kind and MPI designs are oriented to suburban service.
CSSHEGEWISCH Andrew Falconer: Then AMTRAK also needs locos from both WABTEC and EMD. Andrew Except for the fact that EMD does not market a passenger locomotive of any kind and MPI designs are oriented to suburban service.
Andrew Falconer: Then AMTRAK also needs locos from both WABTEC and EMD. Andrew
Couldn't EMD now an arm of....{Progress Rail}, somehow overcome such a problem.
EMD / Progress Rail could treat it like the government project it is and charge them for the engineering time and the cost of building prototypes. Then if they don't get the contract at least they are not out all that money. I think right now EMD's engineering staff has more important things to do than cater to the whims of some bureaucrats. Progress Rail may have engineering personnel with nothing to do,however.
Progress Rail may have been planning a move into the commuter rail and Amtrak locomotive market even before the EMD acquisition. It seems very unlikely that they will take a "clean sheet of paper" approach and offer a 100% locomotive. I also doubt that will be marketing a cowled unit modified from a freight design. Far more likely they will partner with one of the European builders (my money is on Vossloh are a big user of EMD engines and components in their line of locomotives)..
But that's strictly O.T..
"I Often Dream of Trains"-From the Album of the Same Name by Robyn Hitchcock
How long will the GE P42s be waiting for such extensive repairs?
UP 2002 was leading the Texas Eagle #21 the monday after SB w/end...
The Wabtech Locomotive series would be fine for operation in states EAST of the Mississippi where AMTRAK has a lot of shorter routes where they are basically hauling Commuters across those states.
MerrilyWeRollAlong Personally I think EMD products are a better quality than GE. I don't recall Amtrak having this many problems with the EMD F40PH's, especially this late in their life... granted the F40PH was just a GP40 in a cowl shell. Amtrak should be in the market for new locomotives soon since the P42 are almost 20 years old.
AMEN TO THAT BROTHER
Phoebe Vet Actually, I think the requirement is "assembled in America". It seems to be OK if it's made by a foreign company with foreign parts as long as they build the final assembly plant here.
Don't know about Amtrak specifically, but the general rules for Federal gov't procurement which deal with trade agreements are fiendishly complex, and depend on the country of origin. I don't deal with items that are required to be made in USA, but my understanding is that an item is considered to be made in USA if at least 51% of the value or cost of the item is for material, labor, etc. of American origin.
(I guess my original post did not get posted!) As a native East Peorian and retired gov`t type-my loco(sic.)observation is let us see if Cat/EMD can start a revolution in locomotive technology and get EMD back into leadership in people moving power and earthmoving. Cat already is in it with engines for locomotives.
I look forward to the CAT trademark on locomotive builder`s plates.
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