Turboliners still for sale

[MrEd]

http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story...?storyID=816859

Rerouted to rail oblivion

Rohr Turboliners, once vital components of an upstate high-speed rail plan, are now forgotten

Once among America's speediest, high-powered traveling machines, seven Rohr Turboliners in various states of decay and refurbishment sit idle at rail yards in Glenville and in Delaware.

 

[had8ley]

If they have three sets "in house" why not send them down to NOL?~ we'll show 'em how to head east to Orlando and even Miami if they want to go that far. I'm sure New York State would love to unload them; just look at what it took to get Manhattan Island from the Indians!

 

[Bob Dylan]

Why not start the run in SAS to NOL instead of going to a stub version of the SSL!Could do Houston,

couple of big LA. stops,NOL and highball to Florida with stops along the way as needed!Coaches and Cafe

cars will hurt the folks in the West and Texas who want and need to go to NOL and points East!

 

[AlanB]

I wouldn't want to do an overnight run in one of these trains. These are essentially fancy commuter trains.

Maybe with new seats it might not be so bad, but even then I'm still not sure that I'd want to do an overnight in a Turboliner.

 

[Guest]

I dont think anyone would Alan but A train is better than No train and AMTRAK is using the

no equipment/3 years to train crew smoke and mirrors excuse for no train from NOL to Fla.!

On third thought perhaps the CONO should continue on to Florida after getting to NOL so as to give

the Midwest market another option besides the Cardinal or CL to WAS to connect for Fla?

 

[Cho Cho Charlie]

 

[Upstate]

I want a day train from Atlanta to NC

 

[MattW]

I'd go for ATL-JAX (or ORL and/or MIA) The equipment's there and not too "unworking." Now's the time for the state of Georgia to seize the moment and take advantage of what's right out there in front of them!

 

[printman2000]

I guess "direct drive" means they are not like diesel-electrics where the diesel engine powers electric motors?

 

[had8ley]

I wouldn't want to do an overnight run in one of these trains. These are essentially fancy commuter trains.
Maybe with new seats it might not be so bad, but even then I'm still not sure that I'd want to do an overnight in a Turboliner.

Well Alan you would have loved SP train #39 (I believe that was it.) It was a mail train that ran from LAX up the Rock to Chicago with one heavyweight, dingy coach and about 30 mail and express cars. The Cuban cigar smoking conductor told me he had an hour or better switching to do at El Paso so I went to the depot (which is still in existence and quite a sight.) When I came out about 20 minutes after we arrived my coach (and train) was no where to be seen. Turns out the trainmaster told him to set out the head 12 cars and leave town. Well, here was a 13 year old heading from Scottsdale to a boarding school in Massachusetts totally by train. I managed to ride the Sunset to NOL and I think the Pelican to New York, the NYC to Chatham and the B&A to Pittsfield and the New Haven to Lenox, MA. I think I left on Saturday and arrived Friday evening. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[DowneasterPassenger]

Since we're dreaming, I'd like to put in my pitch here for two more daily San Joaquin line runs. One earlier in the morning, and one later at night. Make the San Joaquin line as usable as the Capitol Corridor!

Not that California has the money to buy them, of course....

 

[wrjensen]

Who would buy these (other then everyone on this board)?

Would it not make more sense for Amtrak to use them on a corridor service? If you put them in Chicago 2 of the seven could be used on the current Hiawatha service and 4 for MI service and the last would be a spare. All maintenance would be done in one place. This would open up 6 train service to expand other trains (IA service, more IL or MO service) or somewhere else in the country.

They would come home to where they started.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Scrap the damn things and end everybody's misery.

 

[Green Maned Lion]

Who would buy these (other then everyone on this board)?
Would it not make more sense for Amtrak to use them on a corridor service? If you put them in Chicago 2 of the seven could be used on the current Hiawatha service and 4 for MI service and the last would be a spare. All maintenance would be done in one place. This would open up 6 train service to expand other trains (IA service, more IL or MO service) or somewhere else in the country.

They would come home to where they started.

No. I don't want them, and I wanna live in a train. They are poorly made, horribly rebuilt, and consume fuel the way a alcoholic does last call on saturday night.

 

[amtrakwolverine]

so take the turbo engines out and put regular diesels engines in it.

 

[Upstate]

so take the turbo engines out and put regular diesels engines in it.

the problem is they are direct drive so you would have to put traction motors in as well. that is basically fully hand building a locomotive so you might as well just buy a one new.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

so take the turbo engines out and put regular diesels engines in it.

the problem is they are direct drive so you would have to put traction motors in as well. that is basically fully hand building a locomotive so you might as well just buy a one new.

Not to mention half the motor unit is revenue coach seating.

 

[volkris]

so take the turbo engines out and put regular diesels engines in it.

The problem isn't turbo engines, the problem is THOSE turbo engines.

Turbine technology has advanced quite a bit since the turbo trains were built; it's not really correct to assume all turbo engines would work as inefficiently as those.

Well, that's the problem as far as the engine itself is concerned... plenty of other problems with the Turboliners, I gather.

 

[Dutchrailnut]

so take the turbo engines out and put regular diesels engines in it.

Can't be done (weight wise) a diesel weigh's about 15 times that of comparable Gas turbine plant.

Add to that the limited seating for a 5 car train and massive mistakes made in AC and Ductwork sizing. basicly uncorrectable without another massive rebuilt.

 

[Tony]

Are there any rails in the US, where these could run long distances non-stop at 125MPH?

I guess one would need both "good" rails, and very little other traffic. I don't think that even the NE rails that Acela uses, would be good enough. So, new and exclusive rails would be needed.

Maybe Amtrak is offering these for sale again, in the hopes that some unsuspecting identity, armed with HSR federal bucks, would buy them.

 

[jis]

Are there any rails in the US, where these could run long distances non-stop at 125MPH?

No

Maybe Amtrak is offering these for sale again, in the hopes that some unsuspecting identity, armed with HSR federal bucks, would buy them.

Amtrak is required to get rid of them for whatever they can get as part of the deal that was struck with NYSDOT to bring this sordid chapter to a close once and for all.

 

[Bob Dylan]

Are there any rails in the US, where these could run long distances non-stop at 125MPH?

No

Maybe Amtrak is offering these for sale again, in the hopes that some unsuspecting identity, armed with HSR federal bucks, would buy them.

Amtrak is required to get rid of them for whatever they can get as part of the deal that was struck with NYSDOT to bring this sordid chapter to a close once and for all.

Lets see, if we all pool our $$$ we can perhaps purchase ONE :lol: ,have our own unit for rides up and

down the NEC for perhaps a few trips until it breaks down and then it will sit forever in some yard

due to lack of funds!(Oh, thats Cal/NYS etc. etc.!) :lol: Where are all the billionaire hobbyists that could

buy these antiques for a tax write off and donate them to a worthy organization or group

such as AU or AMTRAK for NE route where they would work well?Well probably see them end up in a third

world transportation system in Latin America like so many other of our heritage transportation systems

have(trains.planes and automobiles!) Wheres the Robber Barons when you really need them? :lol:

 

[VentureForth]

Repeating what jis said, Amtrak can't use them anywhere else unless they want to pay back millions to NY for their losses in what they spend on them. Frankly, I was thinking that the Keystone would be the stretch best suited for them. But they're electric, too, eh? The only other place with "high speed" >79 MPH non-electrified running is on the SWC in the Southwest. And they're only rated to 90 MPH and the P42s handle that fine.

 

[ALC Rail Writer]

Are there any rails in the US, where these could run long distances non-stop at 125MPH?

No

Maybe Amtrak is offering these for sale again, in the hopes that some unsuspecting identity, armed with HSR federal bucks, would buy them.

Amtrak is required to get rid of them for whatever they can get as part of the deal that was struck with NYSDOT to bring this sordid chapter to a close once and for all.

Lets see, if we all pool our $$$ we can perhaps purchase ONE :lol: ,have our own unit for rides up and

down the NEC for perhaps a few trips until it breaks down and then it will sit forever in some yard

due to lack of funds!(Oh, thats Cal/NYS etc. etc.!) :lol: Where are all the billionaire hobbyists that could

buy these antiques for a tax write off and donate them to a worthy organization or group

such as AU or AMTRAK for NE route where they would work well?Well probably see them end up in a third

world transportation system in Latin America like so many other of our heritage transportation systems

have(trains.planes and automobiles!) Wheres the Robber Barons when you really need them? :lol:

Then we need to pull our monies to hire mechanics who know the Turboliners, we need to train special crew and have special facilities to repair them. That's where Amtrak killed them, it made no sense to invest all that cash into these fuel guzzling firebugs.

 

[George Harris]

Are there any rails in the US, where these could run long distances non-stop at 125MPH?

No

Maybe Amtrak is offering these for sale again, in the hopes that some unsuspecting identity, armed with HSR federal bucks, would buy them.

Amtrak is required to get rid of them for whatever they can get as part of the deal that was struck with NYSDOT to bring this sordid chapter to a close once and for all.

Scrap thes white elephants and put them out of everybody's misery. Their initial purpose was to help politicians look like they were doing something to modernize rail travel, nothing more. That is, they were a political machine from the beginning. Notice that the originals had a very short life in France where the whole infrastructure was much better suited to their use. These trains were little more than a knock-off of the original French design regardless of how their introduction was promoted and dressed.