Blue Streak High Speed Service

[Junctionfan]

I read recently that the new NS/UP service is supposed to go 78 mph for their Rocket service or something like that. How is NS or UP suppose to do this? Do thease railroads have any locomotives capable of this?

[CSXrules4eva]

I don't know about NS but I do know that UP has a wide variety of locomtives in their fleet. Mabe UP should use the AC6000s or the SD90MACH for the rocket service, just like they use them for high speed intermodel. In trains mag October's 2002 issue which feachered an article "Like a Blues Streak". The author was an engineer for SP and ran the BSM. Anyway he had four SD45T-2 locos and got the train up to 80mph. he also covered a 174mile run in 3hrs. I think it can be done.

[Overmod]

The figure is 79mph maximum, established by the Government's insistence on automatic train control for trains going "80mph or more"

There are a variety of locomotive designs that are capable of operating at that speed (although not generally rated as such by manufacturers or even by railroad rules). I would expect that any of the EMD units with radial steering would be relatively stable at high speed, or could be made so, without pounding hell out of the track -- I would also surmise that the ride of an SD45-2 (tunnel or not) would be getting rather extreme at that speed.

There is one class of locomotive, of course, that is happy at that speed: the GE P-series. As I remember, a few years ago there were test UPS trains operating with leased Amtrak locomotives, which I thought were Genesis units. The NS experimental service in the NEC was operated with GP40-2s, and Don Oltmann can probably give you details of this or any other high-speed Norfolk Southern operations.

[Junctionfan]

They want to use SD70Ms and make sure that there is a minimum of 4.0 hp per ton. Incidently the train symbols are ZLCNS2 (eastbound) and ZNSLC2.

How good are the TTRX 3 unit spine cars against hunting at that speed?

[Anonymous]

i thought the UP just tried this and it failed....why again..?

[Anonymous]

Maybe the U.P. should use their large fleet of DD40's and E Units. They would be perfect for this service.

keep asking keep learning

[railman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Terry_C

Maybe the U.P. should use their large fleet of DD40's and E Units. They would be perfect for this service.

keep asking keep learning

That would give railfans too much fun...think, a prototype example to get away with running the big centennials or E units in front of stack trains.

[ericsp]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Terry_C

Maybe the U.P. should use their large fleet of DD40's and E Units. They would be perfect for this service.

keep asking keep learning

They don't have a large fleet of those anymore.

I am guess they will not be using GP60s. That is the type of service Southern Pacific bought them for (running fast intermodals over the Sunset Route).

[dehusman]

All of UP's road engines are capable of running 70 mph. The newer engines are set to run 79.

Dave H.

[Junctionfan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by farmer03

i thought the UP just tried this and it failed....why again..?

If you don't suceed try, try again? I don't know; hopefully it will work or the powers to be will say that about hiring a new CEO I guess.[:D]