Acela150
Super Buff
Does that kid have a Bedtime? :help: :giggle: His voice and the bounciness of the shot got annoying real fast. :huh:
ACS-64 Heads Up
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Just be thankful he had a tripod. On the plus side, I'm glad to see the younger generation enjoying filming trains. Although (speaking a bit from experience here), he'll probably cringe a little when watches this when he's older.
Acela150
Super Buff
I'll agree about the tripod.. But from the bouncing it appeared he didn't use it much.
I'll also agree with the cringing.. I did some stuff when I was younger and now it's the, What was I doing?? Thing.. But hey we're kids at one point in time.
NE933
Conductor
What?! I thought it was refreshing (his amazement and optimism), had a vibrance sorely lacking in communications today. It was pure, uncontaminated.
cirdan
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Maybe initially its not even providing power, but they're just measuring the interaction between pantograph and catenary to see if its within the specs.
I spent half a year testing new locomotives for ABB Transportation in Switzerland back in 1994 and we'd extensively test the mechanical side before even switching on power, and then we'd start with the low-voltage and auxiliary stuff and only after all that was found to be perfect and signed off by higher authority would we be allowed to actually turn on the traction power.
jis
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Apparently the test motor is running under its own power now.
It will probably be a little while before they do any high speed tests though. Most likely the first order of business is verifying that it works with the signal, communication and control systems, there are no unexpected interferences etc. At present they may still be checking mechanical (clearances etc.) and basic traction matters before they move on to those.
It will probably be a little while before they do any high speed tests though. Most likely the first order of business is verifying that it works with the signal, communication and control systems, there are no unexpected interferences etc. At present they may still be checking mechanical (clearances etc.) and basic traction matters before they move on to those.
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Acela150
Super Buff
I can agree with that. Young Railfans are needed in what some call a "Dying hobby".
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The great progress with the production and testing of the ACS-64 motors certainly contrasts with the seeming snail pace of the production of the Viewliner II cars - already a year late and counting. Is it possible that the first ACS-64 goes into revenue service before the first Viewliner II heads out to Pueblo for testing? Of course, the ACS-64 is being designed and built by Siemans (who knows a thing or two about electrical stuff), and the Viewliner II is being designed and built by CAF. That probably says it all.
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jis
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CAF actually knows quite a bit about designing and building passenger cars, though it has its own collection of skeletons in its closet.
The problem with Viewliner II is apparently that it is designed by Amtrak and built by someone else. The Viewliner I project was not exactly a cake walk either, involving an underbid being accepted followed by a bankruptcy and recovery from that, all in the name of encouraging American carbuilders of course. The net result was that Alstom is now the stucky for any residual responsibilities. We shall see what happens with Viewliner IIs. But in the same spirit as PRR's comment about CAAF, I do wonder if it would have been any different if it was Bombardier, Alstom, Kinki or Kawasaki building these.
The problem with Viewliner II is apparently that it is designed by Amtrak and built by someone else. The Viewliner I project was not exactly a cake walk either, involving an underbid being accepted followed by a bankruptcy and recovery from that, all in the name of encouraging American carbuilders of course. The net result was that Alstom is now the stucky for any residual responsibilities. We shall see what happens with Viewliner IIs. But in the same spirit as PRR's comment about CAAF, I do wonder if it would have been any different if it was Bombardier, Alstom, Kinki or Kawasaki building these.
rrdude
Engineer
I found the kids enthusiasm, well, spot-on. That's prolly how most of us felt at a younger age. I actually sent the link to my co-worker, and wrote, "See, this is how it starts......."
Younger fans are truly needed, and at least a few legacy carriers kind of realize ths, adsdoes Amtrak.
Younger fans are truly needed, and at least a few legacy carriers kind of realize ths, adsdoes Amtrak.
I met a railfan on my recent Canadian trip who's just going off to college. We're connected on Facebook now, and it turns out that he has a bunch of friends who are major railfans. So I'm not worried about the hobby dying. I just hope that these folks actually get to ride trains, rather than simply taking pictures of them.
Based on the Kids I see riding Trains (including School Groups and Families traveling Together!), the Turnout on such things as National Train Day, Thomas the Train Special Events and just the Kids I see hanging around Train Stations and the Tracks I'm confident that our Hobby (and some of us our First Love) will not Die but will Grow and be Passed On to future Generations! As the Old Amtrak Ad said: "There's Something About a Train!" 
Acela150
Super Buff
I agree Charlie. I would always be out and about photographing trains. But then started riding them more and more. It's a ton of fun doing both! But at least when you ride the train you can take photos of trains in new places!
I don't consider it a dying hobby. Railfans in this area mostly are of the middle aged to seniors. Very hard to find young railfans around Philly. I've seen a few but not many.
cirdan
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The same in my observation.
I'm also concerned, at least in my observation, that railfans are virtually all white and over 40. Are we scaring off railfans from minorities by not being sufficiently sensitive? I've met a handful of railfans of Indian origin and also from China, but I never met or saw an African American or Latino railfan. I wonder why.
I don't know where you live (I know Acela 150 is from Philly) but down here in Texas there are lots of Railfans and Riders who are Latino, Black, Asian and Other! (this is Austin after all! :giggle: ) The Lamar Street RR Bridge (Built in 1881) on which the Texas Eagles and UP Freights Cross Lady Bird Lake always has all kinds of people (mostly Tourists but lots of Young) watching Trains cross the Bridge from the Pedestrian Bridge next to it and even taking Pictures! Every time I ride the Eagle, whether North or South, I see lots of Kids waving @ the Train, at least around here they dont throw Rocks or Shoot @ the Train like other Places!!
YMMV
cirdan
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Maybe I should have been more specific. I wasn't really talking about people who wave at trains or otherwise think they're cool, but people like myself who are more in the foamer category, who go places specially to see trains, who plan their vacations not primarily around the destination but about the train ride to get there, have taken tens of thousands of train pictures in their life, who regularly buy train magazines and books, have a model railroad, are a member in a local group or club etc etc.I don't know where you live (I know Acela 150 is from Philly) but down here in Texas there are lots of Railfans and Riders who are Latino, Black, Asian and Other! (this is Austin after all! :giggle: ) The Lamar Street RR Bridge (Built in 1881) on which the Texas Eagles and UP Freights Cross Lady Bird Lake always has all kinds of people (mostly Tourists but lots of Young) watching Trains cross the Bridge from the Pedestrian Bridge next to it and even taking Pictures! Every time I ride the Eagle, whether North or South, I see lots of Kids waving @ the Train, at least around here they dont throw Rocks or Shoot @ the Train like other Places!!
sitzplatz17
Lead Service Attendant
I'm part of a model railroad club in the DC area and we have pretty broad mix.
Yes, the vast majority are men and most are white and older. But we have a significant group of younger foamers as well as different races and ethnicities (including African-Americans).
Yes, the vast majority are men and most are white and older. But we have a significant group of younger foamers as well as different races and ethnicities (including African-Americans).
Fan Railer
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REPOST from another forum:
Here's a teaser video from my Boston trip. Unfortunately I can't upload the rest of it until tomorrow since the hotel internet is slow and inconsistent. Here, at one of the only stops on the NEC where trains can accelerate out of the station at full throttle without low speed restrictions, we are afforded rare opportunities to catch Amtrak's trains showing off their full might and power. Train 173 NE Regional departs first with Toaster Rehab 904. The Acela, train 2163 is running 20 minutes late, and the engineer does a good job of indicating that he plans to make up that time. Just watch her fly out of the station. This is also one of the few spots that affords a decent opportunity to record traction motor sounds. Can't wait to come back in a few years and see how the ACS-64s perform coming out of this station.
Here's a teaser video from my Boston trip. Unfortunately I can't upload the rest of it until tomorrow since the hotel internet is slow and inconsistent. Here, at one of the only stops on the NEC where trains can accelerate out of the station at full throttle without low speed restrictions, we are afforded rare opportunities to catch Amtrak's trains showing off their full might and power. Train 173 NE Regional departs first with Toaster Rehab 904. The Acela, train 2163 is running 20 minutes late, and the engineer does a good job of indicating that he plans to make up that time. Just watch her fly out of the station. This is also one of the few spots that affords a decent opportunity to record traction motor sounds. Can't wait to come back in a few years and see how the ACS-64s perform coming out of this station.
Acela150
Super Buff
Nice video!
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Nathanael
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Meh. It always was a minority hobby and it always will be. I mean, even I don't qualify by that standard, and I make a point of planning my trips by train, and have a few railroad atlases. But I don't think there's any sense in which railfanning is "dying".
I think the number of "casual" train supporters -- people who will make a point of taking the train rather than some other mode of transport -- is growing by leaps and bounds. I think this is far more important than the number of fanatical railfans. Even for rail museum operations, these people provide the deep base of interest which keeps the museums funded, if not the supply of volunteers which keeps the museums running.
The revival of trains as an ordinary thing also reduces the pressure in some sense; someone who might have had to go to a club to get any exposure to trains may now just get on the train. You may see a reduction in the intensity of interest, but that's a side-effect of a good thing (more trains).
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Nathanael
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Citation needed.
All the leaks which came out about the year-long delay said that the problem had to do with the combination of "built in America" requirements, and difficulty of finding Americans who knew how to weld stainless steel properly, which is apparently a highly specialized skill.
jis
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It was just my opinion. I don't give citation for my opinions
I find the finding welders thing a highly dubious thing since others seem to have no difficulty. But again my opinion, so there will be no citation.
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Nice Video Tom! Sort of strange to see Joe Boardman and the other VIPs dressed up like Real Workers in their Safety Vests and Hard Hats! I Look forward to when it actually goes into Much Needed Service on the NEC!!!
