Talgos on the Move for Good!

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A practical question is whether Talgo's (near-mandatory) service contract negates most or all of the savings vis-a-vis an active tilt system.

The active tilt technology has been advertised to the train-riding public in the PNW as a way to save time (i.e. run faster schedules). In that case, the service contract is a moot point.

If you mean do the financial savings realized by running faster schedules (i.e. less crew pay?) are offset by the Talgo service contract, I don't know.

All that said, I sort of think the active tilt technology has outlived its usefulness, as anyone who rides the trains in this corridor can tell you the real problem inhibiting faster service is not the trains' speeds going around curves but rather the time wasted sitting on sidings waiting for freight trains to pass (or other variations on this).
 
The active tilt technology has been advertised to the train-riding public in the PNW as a way to save time (i.e. run faster schedules). In that case, the service contract is a moot point.
No "active tilt technology" is used on the PNW Corridor. What is used is "passive tilt technology".

"Active tilt technology" is used on the NEC in the Acelas.
 
No "active tilt technology" is used on the PNW Corridor. What is used is "passive tilt technology".

"Active tilt technology" is used on the NEC in the Acelas.

Yes, that was a mistake on my part, but the remainder of my point remains the same.
 
I do disagree with the stubborn part. Talgo builds railcars for Europe and failed to understand the why, and how Amtrak and its customers work.

Amtrak and it’s SOP are quite unique, and very frustrating for outsiders.
I don't disagree that US rail rules are different than European rules, but I stand by my statement.

Talgo got into the business of building railcars for the US market in the early 1990's and has struggled to find customers.

Siemens got into the business of building locomotive-hauled railcars for the US market in 2014 and has been extremely successful. They are using the same business model as Talgo, adapting European designs for the US market.

Alstom also started off building railcars for Europe and has also been able to successfully navigate the US rules, both building cars specifically for the US market (Surfliner cars) and adapting European designs for the US market (Avelia Liberty for the Acela).
 
Wisconsin Public Radio has posted a video of the trains on the move. Interestingly the lights are on in some, but not all, of the cars.

They also have a pretty good article on the move, but there's no new info compared to the Trains article.
As an aside, if you haven't heard Wisconsin Public Radio's podcast Derailed on Wisconsin’s high-speed rail line that never was, I highly recommend it: https://www.wpr.org/derailed/
 
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