It is typical, I assume the swap is made at NHV. I am not sure why other than to reduce demand on electrics?
They will use P42 diesels on #66, #67 when the catenary is shut down overnight east of NHV for track or catenary work. There are a number of track and bridge projects underway on the Shore Line East including the Niantic River bridge replacement project, electrification of passing sidings and station upgrades for the SLE service expansion, replacement of the railroad bridge over Rt. 1 in Branford.
Usually yes. Though on very very rare occasions a P42 has been towed through Penn Station too.
No cab car anymore, those have all been shuffled over to the Harrisburg trains.
An AEM-7 or HHP-8. No one said that power was turned off at all of NYP and all tunnels.
Power is turned off in short sections between New Haven and Boston on the electrified Shore Line to do construction and maintenance work at night at times, requiring the only overnight train - the 66/67 to use diesel power between New Haven and Boston. This has nothing to do with the fact that the Springfield line is not electrified. That is irrelevant to this discussion of 66/67 being pulled by diesel.
If 448's sleeper comes into Southampton with some sort of problem, that's the way to get it to maintenance. (This may require a 23-hour sit in the yard, and will often require Sunnyside to put a third sleeper on 49 ND.)
They can as long as the P42 is equipped with controls for the pantograph.
A senior Amtrak person involved with NEC Capital Program mentioned that they have looked at it and have decided to not look at it any further. BTW, Amtrak is yet to certify them for operation on the NEC. They are waiting for some issues to be resolved first. Amtrak wants something that is considerably lighter, absent which they are happy to just change engines where the catenary ends apparently.
No. Amtrak only owns 17 P32 AC-DM's. There are more than 17 in existence however, as Metro North owns & operates 30 P32 AC-DM's I believe.
The Genesis series I is technically the P40 and its close cousin the P42. The P40 was the first Genesis engine built, followed by the P32 AC-DM about a year later. The P40 originally was built to provide 4,000 HP, while the P42 had 4,200 hence the 40 & 42. The P32 AC-DM because of the need to have transformers to convert the third rail power has a smaller prime mover and only provides 3,200 HP, again why it's a P32.
Actually the North River tunnels (aka Hudson) do have third rail in the tunnels. It ends very quickly after popping up in NJ and doesn't really provide enough time to start up the diesel engine, so they typically aren't used unless there is an emergency situation. Additionally, since as you noted there are only 17 of them in Amtrak's roster, they don't want them roaming outside the Empire corridor.
True, at least in normal, regularly scheduled service. However, there was one weekend (maybe two) a few years ago during a bridge replacement in CT where Amtrak did run a couple of Regional's via the Inland route so as to not totally cut off service to Boston.
All of the catenary east/north of New Haven is fairly new, so they are not likely doing much direct work on the existing catenary there. There are a number of projects underway in eastern CT on the Shore Line East route. Niantic River bridge replacement, replacement of a bridge over Rt. 1 in Branford, adding catenary to the passing sidings at the stations so CT can switch SLE service to M-8 equipment in place of diesel locomotives. Don't know when they will start on the 1.5 miles of 3rd track and high level platforms at the Kingston RI station. With little traffic on the SLE line late at night, likely easier and safer to turn the catenary off than to work around live catenary.
Well part of it is simply the fact that there isn't a huge demand for such a locomotive. Amtrak doesn't absolutely need one, which leaves only NJT really having a need for such an engine here in the US.
Yep, that's right.
