Amtrak #5(16) Only Has One Engine

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Agent

Conductor
Joined
Nov 30, 2011
Messages
1,644
Location
Iowa
I caught the westbound California Zephyr come through Agency, Iowa this evening about an hour and forty-seven minutes late with only AMTK 822, the Phase III-painted P40DC, as the only locomotive. There's a report that the other unit, AMTK 145, died after Amtrak #5 left Chicago Union Station.

 
They better have something else to stick on it at Denver. Grab the ski train loco maybe? It will lose time with a freight loco.
Depending on the loco freight trains are capable of going over 80 mph but are restricted to FRA lower speeds. The Cardinal runs one locomotive and I have been on it when my GPS read over 100 mph. As I understand it, the problem with running one loco is that you lose time during the acceleration phase. This does slow down a trip that has many station stops .
 
They better have something else to stick on it at Denver. Grab the ski train loco maybe? It will lose time with a freight loco.
Depending on the loco freight trains are capable of going over 80 mph but are restricted to FRA lower speeds. The Cardinal runs one locomotive and I have been on it when my GPS read over 100 mph. As I understand it, the problem with running one loco is that you lose time during the acceleration phase. This does slow down a trip that has many station stops .
You must have clocked that on the NEC. Aren't LD trains restricted to 79 or 90 on some small stretches.
 
They better have something else to stick on it at Denver. Grab the ski train loco maybe? It will lose time with a freight loco.
Depending on the loco freight trains are capable of going over 80 mph but are restricted to FRA lower speeds. The Cardinal runs one locomotive and I have been on it when my GPS read over 100 mph. As I understand it, the problem with running one loco is that you lose time during the acceleration phase. This does slow down a trip that has many station stops .
You must have clocked that on the NEC. Aren't LD trains restricted to 79 or 90 on some small stretches.
IIRC, I used my cell phone GPS speedometer on one Cardinal trip and did see some impressive speeds.. Don't recall exactly where I took the reading on my GPS speedometer but somewhere after departing Indianapolis sticks in my mind. My smartphone GPS is probably not the best tool for measuring speeds.
 
There is no possible way that you were going anywhere near 100 MPH anywhere near Indy.
On the other hand, I did get a smartphone GPS screen capture showing 90 mph between Gallup and Manuelito, NM...and I believe it!
The SWC has some 90 mph running in New Mexico, Arizona and California.
As well as in both Illinois and Missouri... and it used to in Colorado and Kansas.
 
Maximum speed on the CZ anywhere on its run is 79 mph. Same for the CS and the EB and the TE/SL.
 
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