Message just flashed across TV screen that Acela trains will not return to service until summer at earliest . I guess the problems have turned out to be far mor serious than first thought. Should Bombardier have some responsibility in this or is it all going to fall on the American Taxpayer?
Fro reading everything posted on the web it looks like it should be warrenty but how in the heck knows. The rotors were designed to last 1 million miles and only made it to less than 1/2 of that.
Thats a heckovalotta brake disks they have to replace !
…lucky if they get it done that quickly!
Thats a heckovalotta brake disks they have to replace! on every train!
…lucky if they get it done that quickly!
I understand the Acela Expresses are under warranty until next year (2006), so Bombardier has to repair them.
The Acela is basically a updated version of the TGV. The high point of French railway technology.
Dave H.
Look at the bright side, it will be fun to ride the AEM-7,s doing their best at high performance !! When I was in Europe I used to chase ((ride that is)) the Inter City trains when the HSR failed. I rode behind the German Class 103 when ICE was down, the Danish Mz Class((EMD)) when IC3 was down, the Swedish equiuvilant of the AEM7 ((85mph max)) when the X2000 was out, and British Rail Class 50 when the HS125 was dead. Some timings matched !!
And the best performance was the 103, man… riding the last car you could even see sparks in daylight when braking, and feel it!! , not to mention incredible times !!! They felt fast and looked fast on runbys !!! What a BEAST.
When I rode the Cardinal from Philly to DC behind an AEM-7, the train was often near 100mph and on one stretch ran 109 mph.
dd
Will see about that when the bill for the repairs comes due. I am sought of fearful that Bombardier will conger up lots of reason to make Uncle Sam pay. [:o)][:D][:p]
This kinda reminds me of when the GG1s took over the Metroliner service when the original MUs went back to GE for rebuilding. The usual consist was a G, a power car and 3 Amfleet. Later, after the Metroliner MUs came back and failed (and were demoted to the Harrisburg Line) and the AEM7s were purchased, the Metroliners were AEM7s and Amfleet (60 seat arragement). Over time, most grew to 6 cars and still managed 3 hours from Wa***o NYP.
Here’s one of the GG1 pinch-hits
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=88769
…and another
Cool, never seen those power cars before. Were they just an NEC peculiarity ? Were they heritage of a pre Amtrak railroad?
Must have been fun little trains to ride behind a GG1 !
The TGVs are quite reliable in France. But unlike the Acelas, they don’t tilt.
The German 103 was an outstanding engine. What a pity, they are retired now. They were designed for 125 mph with Co Co trucks.
The 103 was also used for high speed tests to help in the design for the first ICE’s, regeared the 103 hauled passenger coaches 275km/h on the then unopened HSR in Germany in the 1980’s. High speeds were also attained in the 1960’s. Best of all in regular service they were able to repeatedly average OVER 160km/h station to staion with distanes of only 30 km to get up to speed and stop again. Apparently some world reccord breaking runs for short distances, a rather unofficial catagory but realy high performance. I don’t know the weight of the coaches but trains were often14 cars long. ((The realy fast short runs would have as little as 6 cars)).
Apparently also they were rather hard on the track right from day one, with those 3 axle trucks.
There is nothing even remotely like in TGV in the Acela.
I have to admit, I am not a huge fan of electric–I am not really sure why. But I have to admit, there is something special about the GGI, especially in Pensy collors.
Great picture.
Gabe
Perhaps, it is for good reason most high-speed-locomotives have two-axle-trucks.
Top-speeds are more “sexy” from a marketing-point-of-view, but for the passenger, average-time is what matters. This makes the 103’s fast short-run-trips even more valuable.
Here’s a truckload of the culprits:
http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/amtk/amtk-acewhl-ajc.jpg
The Acela is nothing at all like the TGV. Not only does it tilt, it’s a lot heavier in order to meet FRA buffing strength requirements. They had to get special dispensations from FRA to test the European stuff over here, because none of it meets FRA standards.
A friend of mine was on the Amtrak design team that worked on the Acela program. He had to travel to Paris on alternate months to meet with the French. According to him, the base vehicle of the Acela was the TGV, a heavily modified version.
Dave H.
I don’t think those belong the the Acela. For starters - Acelas have three rotors per axle, but there are only two here. Also - Acela cars have outside hubs - while those are inside. And last thing - some of those have “scrap” written on them - when the culprit Acela wheelsets have perfectly good wheels.