CJtrainguyOr could that be due to the host railroads not wanting to give higher speed passenger trains priority in a
Oh no, it is schedule padding. Can tell you this by observing the Texas Eagle at it's Dallas and Fort Worth stops as well as riding it. The UP line North of Dallas to St Louis is loaded with freight and I think in one case Amtrak is running against the flow but there are enough gaps that Amtrak can keep the train running fast with few stops in the siding. The slowness to the schedule are the many dubious station stops with light passenger loads and the waiting for the schedule to catch up at larger cities. Additionally, even with the high speed track St. Louis to Chicago, the train still only does 79 mph on that segment......apparently still not ready for an increase in speed there.
I remember in the early days when Amtrak was behind schedule and it had a stop with few or no passengers, train would remain stopped less than a minute then proceed (30-45 seconds). No longer the case on a lot of the LD trains, though I still see it every once in a while (probably an old timer conductor).
CMStPnPAdditionally, even with the high speed track St. Louis to Chicago, the train still only does 79 mph on that segment......apparently still not ready for an increase in speed there.
Superliners are not to exceed 79mph. The Lincoln Service trains (uses Amfleet and Horizon cars) hits 110 in stretches recently, and is supposed to run at 110 Alton to Joliet in 2017.
C&NW, CA&E, MILW, CGW and IC fan
schlimmSuperliners are not to exceed 79mph. The Lincoln Service trains (uses Amfleet and Horizon cars) hits 110 in stretches recently, and is supposed to run at 110 Alton to Joliet in 2017.
Geez man, after all that pain with the German designed Boogies in 1979 and they can't exceed 80 mph? WTH?
schlimm CMStPnP Additionally, even with the high speed track St. Louis to Chicago, the train still only does 79 mph on that segment......apparently still not ready for an increase in speed there. Superliners are not to exceed 79mph.
CMStPnP Additionally, even with the high speed track St. Louis to Chicago, the train still only does 79 mph on that segment......apparently still not ready for an increase in speed there.
Superliners are not to exceed 79mph.
I don't think so. The Southwest Limited, which uses Superliners, has some 90 MPH streches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pTdvLDkSN1Y
An "expensive model collector"
According to Amtrak Unlimited and Wikipedia, the top allowable speed for Amtrak's Superliner cars is 100 mph.
Rio Grande Valley, CFI,CFII
I know my phone app clocked the Southwest Chief somewhere around 90mph on some sections when I rode it earlier this year. (Obviously not while going through the area around the Raton Tunnel.)
OK, well the big question is that if the Superliners can do 90 to 100 mph, will they speed up the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis and reflect it in the timetable? Also, hopefully now that it is a HSR corridor can we delete some of the stops for the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis?
CMStPnP OK, well the big question is that if the Superliners can do 90 to 100 mph, will they speed up the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis and reflect it in the timetable? Also, hopefully now that it is a HSR corridor can we delete some of the stops for the Texas Eagle between Chicago and St. Louis?
In the back of my mind I seem to remember that the contract between the State of Illinois and the UP imposes some restrictions on what can be operated at "high speed". I don't know the details but that may be a factor here.
BuslistIn the back of my mind I seem to remember that the contract between the State of Illinois and the UP imposes some restrictions on what can be operated at "high speed". I don't know the details but that may be a factor here.
Could be but I was thinking what Schlimm said........maybe they never tested them on the Pueblo test track above 79 mph. Back when the first batch was new 70 mph was fast for a LD train. Plus then they had all the issues with cracks on the boogies and stuff, maybe they are concerned about whatever fix they put on the boogies?.....presume welds or reinforcements? Beats me.
1. The corridor speed limit is 110 mph and the new equipment is designed for such.
2. Although Superliners were designed for a 100 mph limit, the VIA/Amtrak 1999 crash near Limehouse, ON showed structural problems with the sidewalls in Superliners. As a result, they were removed from Canadian service. Perhaps this is a consideration?
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