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I know that a majority of Amtrak's equipment will get repainted to Phase IIIb, maybe all.

But is it likely that Amtrak's ACS-64's will get repainted to Phase IIIb?
 
Amtrak has said "single level long distance equipment". I'm pretty sure that the Sprinters don't qualify and they won't be repainting new motors.
Oh, I see.

But wait. Why are the P32AC-DM's being repainted to Phase IIIb?
 
Amtrak has said "single level long distance equipment". I'm pretty sure that the Sprinters don't qualify and they won't be repainting new motors.
Oh, I see.
But wait. Why are the P32AC-DM's being repainted to Phase IIIb?
Simply due to New York State paying for new colors on them.
Oh, really?! They can afford to paint 18 locomotives, but not to do high speed rail and extending the tunnel height on the Hudson River tunnels?!
 
Amtrak has said "single level long distance equipment". I'm pretty sure that the Sprinters don't qualify and they won't be repainting new motors.
Oh, I see.
But wait. Why are the P32AC-DM's being repainted to Phase IIIb?
Simply due to New York State paying for new colors on them.
Oh, really?! They can afford to paint 18 locomotives, but not to do high speed rail and extending the tunnel height on the Hudson River tunnels?!
Do you know how much it costs to paint locomotives? On the order of $1,000 to $10,000. These are small line item costs in the transportation department for the state of New York, not huge multimillion dollar projects, so yes they are much easier to get the money for them. It could even have come from cost savings elsewhere in their budget.
 
Extending the height? Why would that be a remotely-worthwhile expenditure of funds, whether New York State or otherwise?
 
Extending the height? Why would that be a remotely-worthwhile expenditure of funds, whether New York State or otherwise?
Exactly. Some people for unknown reason will keep beating on a stupid idea with very little return on investment. Frothing too much I suppose. :p

But anyhow - trying to compare the cost of vinyl striping a locomotive vs. building tunnels and HSR shows a certain level of immaturity of thought process IMHO.
 
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Does anyone know of any reasons why the ACS-64's have LED headlights and ditch lights?

I heard that LED's can't throw a beam like Halogen lights.

Also I heard they can't generate heat to melt ice and snow off the light covers.
You asked the same thing on the NEC fans Facebook page and you got told the answer by multiple people. Despite your ignorance and telling everyone they were wrong. Cause you have clearly operated or have been in the cab of an ACS unit. If you want to double dip and get told the same thing. That's your issue.
I will say it again. LED lights melt snow and ice. They provide heat. Do you know how many watts those lights are? No? Ok then please don't tell anyone you know that they don't melt the ice and snow when the clearly do.

Amtrak has said "single level long distance equipment". I'm pretty sure that the Sprinters don't qualify and they won't be repainting new motors.
Oh, I see.
But wait. Why are the P32AC-DM's being repainted to Phase IIIb?
Simply due to New York State paying for new colors on them.
Oh, really?! They can afford to paint 18 locomotives, but not to do high speed rail and extending the tunnel height on the Hudson River tunnels?!
You do realize a tunnel project is billions of dollars. Not about $100k to reprint 18 units that are beat to a pulp.
Please think logically.
 
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Some people are really obsessed with getting Superliners onto the Northeast Corridor and into New York Penn, for absolutely no good reason.
 
Some people are really obsessed with getting Superliners onto the Northeast Corridor and into New York Penn, for absolutely no good reason.
Actually, there is a pretty good reason. To increase passenger capacity. A Bilevel could carry more passengers than a single level.
 
But you would have to rebuild every high level platform to accommodate them, as the current height makes it impossible to board a superliner, it's almost three FEET to high of platforms.
 
Some people are really obsessed with getting Superliners onto the Northeast Corridor and into New York Penn, for absolutely no good reason.
Actually, there is a pretty good reason. To increase passenger capacity. A Bilevel could carry more passengers than a single level.
Actually it is a pretty dumb reason, since there already are double decker equipment that fit through the NEC which gives the capacity advantage without spending jillions of dollars on fixing infrastructure. As a matter of fact TGV Duplexes used extensively in France would fit nicely through the NEC loading gauge. So no need to spend money on pointless vanity project and instead spend it where it is truly needed.
 
raising height in tunnels is only drop in bucket, which would require new tunnels, old once are cast iron pipe segments

But every road overpass and structure from south of Newark to just east of New Haven is build for 14'6" equipment plus catenary clearance.

Amtrak could not even raise catenary voltage due to all restrictions.
 
Actually it is a pretty dumb reason, since there already are double decker equipment that fit through the NEC which gives the capacity advantage without spending jillions of dollars on fixing infrastructure. As a matter of fact TGV Duplexes used extensively in France would fit nicely through the NEC loading gauge. So no need to spend money on pointless vanity project and instead spend it where it is truly needed.

The TGV Duplex has floor height about 30 " lower than US floor height so it would be problem on NEC.
 
Actually it is a pretty dumb reason, since there already are double decker equipment that fit through the NEC which gives the capacity advantage without spending jillions of dollars on fixing infrastructure. As a matter of fact TGV Duplexes used extensively in France would fit nicely through the NEC loading gauge. So no need to spend money on pointless vanity project and instead spend it where it is truly needed.

The TGV Duplex has floor height about 30 " lower than US floor height so it would be problem on NEC.
Yup. Many TGVs out of the box would have a floor height problem on the NEC. They would be OK with a step for non ADA folks only. The point I was making is that the loading gauge of NEC allowing 14'6 height is plenty tall to allow two decks while interfacing with a current standard platform using a mid level for doors at each end of a height matching the platform. All that changes is the number of steps in the staircase connecting to the two levels.

Allowance has to be made with baggage stands at the end of the car to compensate for the lack of large overhead racks/bins. ADA facilities must exist at the mid level, so restrooms and wheelchair stands have to be at that level. When you are in an inherent high level platform environment, there is absolutely no other choice that works if one insists on packing as many as possible in a single car.

Of course the current loads on Amtrak trains on the NEC really do not demand the existence of bi-level cars. It is easier and cheaper to just have more single level cars.
 
Some people are really obsessed with getting Superliners onto the Northeast Corridor and into New York Penn, for absolutely no good reason.
Actually, there is a pretty good reason. To increase passenger capacity. A Bilevel could carry more passengers than a single level.
That honestly is the stupidest reason I've heard.. On top of raising tunnels you'd have to take tracks OOS at NYP of all places to go from a high platform to low..

Yet again please think practical.
 
Extending the height? Why would that be a remotely-worthwhile expenditure of funds, whether New York State or otherwise?
So they can get Superliners into NYP, which will apparently bring about world peace and solve global hunger or something.
Yep. We all know the biggest problem Amtrak faces is that it cannot run Superliners into NYP. If/when that occurs, all will be well.
 
Extending the height? Why would that be a remotely-worthwhile expenditure of funds, whether New York State or otherwise?
So they can get Superliners into NYP, which will apparently bring about world peace and solve global hunger or something.
Yep. We all know the biggest problem Amtrak faces is that it cannot run Superliners into NYP. If/when that occurs, all will be well.
It will even reverse Global Warming and immediately fund Amtrak to take over all the freight railroads in one fell swoop. A new Department of Amtrak will be created at the Federal Government with its own Secretary of Amtrak, and we will all live happily ever after foaming even more frothily all over. :p
 
Only today's pre-teeners might see superliners on the NEC. That of course if SL-5s have a high level boarding area at one end, east river tunnels 5 &6 built, Harold underpass built to SL clearances, Penn south built, Gateway tunnels & other projects to Newark Penn, Newark Penn clearances fixed, 30 St clearances fixed, BAL clearances and B&P tunnels built and any other clearances, WASH US clearances.. Also probably 60 Hz CAT. Not much ? Final kicker -- the present North river tunnels can never be used for SLs

Easier will be lengthening trains first. The present layout of BOS will not allow the present 9 car length to expand beyond 11 cars so that will be a limit. As well winter servicing bays for that length will need to find a spot to be built. But NYP - WASH can get longer lengths without much work. ( relative ) to meet an 18 car goal ( ACS-64s planned capacity ). That car need of course will require many V-2 or V-3 coaches to be built to meet capacity needs.
 
Superliners, huh? BTW, NY isn't financing the paint job on all of the P32s at one time. It will take a few years. That being said:

stay_on_topic_stay_on_topic_The_off_topic_topic_post-s599x450-147644-410.jpg
 
Regarding the topic of ACS-64s (Wait, that's not the guy that kept saying, "Stay on target. Stay on target." ;) )

Anyway, this video from February 4 by YouTube user The [Transport Net] shows AMTK 661 leading a test train in Old Greenwich, Connecticut.

 
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