I’ve noticed the Lakeshore Limited is now running with one locomotive. While it makes for a clean appearance to the train, I can’t help but wonder how Amtrak deals with potential breakdowns as well as maintaining track speed with a train that has normally had two locomotives. Does anyone know what considerations Amtrak makes when assigning locomotives to trains?
Many Amtrak trains operate with a single unit. It depends on the number of cars and the grades to be encountered. The Texas Eagle routinely runs with one unit.
How many cars does the LSL usually have? Fewer now? Maybe a newer, more powerful locomotive now?
Assuming a single unit can provide the necessary HP, the point is and always has been: What if it fails?
Covering that remote possibility is a poor excuse for running fuel through a redundant unit day after day. We never heard of it in steam days.
Lack of operative locos most likely. It is getting bad for Amtrak and lack of operative locos. sn
Its wasn’t uncommon to see one locomotive and e or f hauling a newly budd built streamliner of 6 or 7 cars.
Loss of propulsion is minor compared to the threat of losing operable HEP.
Well, the new baggage cars are definitely lighter and the brakes do not stick…lol.
Double units will probably return with through operation of the Boston section.
It certainly appears lack of operatable locos is causing this. Yesterday’s Starlight had one 500 series loco out of Seattle.
But in steam days, weren’t there service facilities and helpers to be found every hundred or so miles?
Insufficient “available” locomotives sounds like a maintenace problem.
Or it may be that Amtrak maintenance has improved to the point where reliability is sufficient to avoid wasting fuel.
Lots of early streamliners had only one unit up front, or being an articlyated train, were permanently attached ot only one.
Exactly what I said Dave, no need for two units if they are reliable. The early streamliners were delivered to be operated with a single unit, and this is when diesel fuel was cheap.
Of course it could be that locomotive maintenance and thus reliabilty have suddenly improved, but we still hear plenty of anecdotes here of major delays because of locomotive failures. Perhaps someone can check Amtrak stats?
But let’s not forget that lots of early streamliners had chain falls over the engines and riding maintainers who could and did, for example, change out power assemblies on the road, sometimes with the train moving at speed. Preston Cook has some fascinating stories about this, and I’m sure there are still others around who can tell many a tale about how much, and how often, the magic had to be wielded.
If we had this level … or let’s settle for Metroliner level, for an earlier Amtrak experience … it might be possible to relieve some of the engine failures. We need to be very careful to differentiate ‘failures’ of propulsion from failures of HEP, too, as even the early streamliners with trainlined power used dedicated generation, not a tap from the traction alternator…
But remember Dave, an E unit had two prime movers and PRR’s also had two steam generators so they could limp along if one died.
When locomotives fail - it is not always the prime mover that gives up the ghost - electrical issues do in more locomotives than mechanical issues - from my 26 years of observation as a Chief Dispatcher.
Don’t charge your cell phone, you’re making the train late lol. Wonder how late that Coast Starlight with one engine was into LA.
Of courfse, your points are valid. And I do remember the Southerner or the Tennesian coming into Charlottesseville Unions Station with a Green and Goldl Pacific ahead of the E-6. Not rouotine by any means, but it did occur. Some statistics would help. How did the Rock fair with itws single TA’s?