71 replies to this topic

[amtrakwolverine]

Any updates? nothing on semcogs website.

[amtrakwolverine]

January Update

http://www.semcog.or...2011Update.aspx

[DET63]

Work is nearly complete on the refurbishment of a locomotive, coach car, and cab car for the Ann Arbor - Detroit Regional Rail Project. View the photos below to see the progress that has been made on MiTrain.

Click on amtrakwolverine's link above for more. Note that the photos appear to be large files and thus load slowly. How many train sets will there be? Are they refurbishing one loco, coach, and cab car at a time?

[amtrakwolverine]

It appears only 1 loco 1 cabcar and 1 coach car have been refurbished. The trains will only have 2 cars. I hope they build more later cause only 1 transit is not going to cut it. What if the 1 engine breaks down. they won't have any backups. The engine came from GO transit in toronto were they did the rebuild of the loco.

[PerRock]

There is a picture of another F59PH at the shops where the 1st was refurbished. Last pictures I've seen still have it in GO paint, but it may be in line to be updated. Also GLC owns some more coaches that may or may not be refurbished at a later date for service on the MiTrain.

peter

[Nexis4Jersey]

Why aren't they buying DMU's which are cheaper and use less Fuel. There also better for low use corridors...

[MattW]

Probably because they'd be a higher initial cost, and because except for the new units Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is buying from Nippon Sharyo, and the (now defunct) Colorado Railcar DMUs, available DMUs don't meet FRA crash standards, and because any DMU would be years away from seeing the rails.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Probably because they'd be a higher initial cost, and because except for the new units Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is buying from Nippon Sharyo, and the (now defunct) Colorado Railcar DMUs, available DMUs don't meet FRA crash standards, and because any DMU would be years away from seeing the rails.

Texas is buying DMU's for its Newer lines that share with freight. NJT runs the Riverline that shares with freight....it seems to me the FRA does not care.

[AlanB]

Probably because they'd be a higher initial cost, and because except for the new units Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is buying from Nippon Sharyo, and the (now defunct) Colorado Railcar DMUs, available DMUs don't meet FRA crash standards, and because any DMU would be years away from seeing the rails.

Texas is buying DMU's for its Newer lines that share with freight. NJT runs the Riverline that shares with freight....it seems to me the FRA does not care.

NJT's Riverline cars don't meet FRA crash standards to share the tracks with active freight trains. Freight only runs on the tracks during the late night hours when the Riverline doesn't operate; something called temporal separation. Newark's light rail system also has a temporal separation with freight on the last few miles of the line in Newark & Belleville. They even have a big gate that the freight crews have to unlock before they can roll out onto the shared tracks.

And the FRA cares quite a bit. In fact if there was ever a violation of the temporal separation, some people would have some major explaining to do. And quite possible could be looking for a new job.

[Nexis4Jersey]

Probably because they'd be a higher initial cost, and because except for the new units Sonoma-Marin Area Rail Transit is buying from Nippon Sharyo, and the (now defunct) Colorado Railcar DMUs, available DMUs don't meet FRA crash standards, and because any DMU would be years away from seeing the rails.

Texas is buying DMU's for its Newer lines that share with freight. NJT runs the Riverline that shares with freight....it seems to me the FRA does not care.

NJT's Riverline cars don't meet FRA crash standards to share the tracks with active freight trains. Freight only runs on the tracks during the late night hours when the Riverline doesn't operate; something called temporal separation. Newark's light rail system also has a temporal separation with freight on the last few miles of the line in Newark & Belleville. They even have a big gate that the freight crews have to unlock before they can roll out onto the shared tracks.

And the FRA cares quite a bit. In fact if there was ever a violation of the temporal separation, some people would have some major explaining to do. And quite possible could be looking for a new job.

Why do we still have these 19th Century rules , time to join the rest of the planet... Aussieland has the same of trains we do and they have no issues...

[amtrakwolverine]

September Update http://www.semcog.or...tember2011.aspx

[amtrakwolverine]

June Update http://www.semcog.or...2012Update.aspx

Could be running by the end of the year or 2013. it will run during events only. Right now the cars can run up to 40MPH. 79MPH tests to start in july.