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MARC seeks funds for Siemens diesel locomotive purchase
Why would MARC not also purchase ACS-64? I don’t understand the switch to diesel; how could that be more reliable?
@NATHAN ANDERSON - Apparently they’ve had poor experiences of multiple types of electric locomotive lately.
Me, I’m wondering why they don’t use MUs (EMUs preferably, but DMUs if they really hate electric that much) like the rest of the world does for this type of passenger transportation. I find the American leariness of *MUs a little odd.
I would suppose that a small operation like MARC would not find it feasible to maintain two kinds of power. That limits electric locomotives to Amtrak, NJ Transit and Iowa Traction, unless SEPTA still has juice jacks. I believe Metro North and Long Island all have dual-power locomotives.
It is very interesting that Siemens, the maker of the ACS-64 and the Sprinter, is trying to sell diesels to MARC and not electrics. If Maryland buys ACS-64s they can continue the maintenance contract with Amtrak. But to buy diesels will mean setting up a shop tooled for a locomotive Amtrak does not stable. What is Siemens’ game?
Maybe they (a) don’t want to pay Amtrak for electric any more, and (b) want motive power that can be used on all of its divisions.
As for MUs, they probably don’t want to pay for the extra inspections (with each MU having to go through inspection as if it were a locomotive)
The Pennsylvania and The Reading used EMUs in their commuter services way back when before they went bust in their passenger operations. I think given the fact you would have to sideline the whole set like a locomotive for the level of inspections that a actual locomotive requires by law,you might as well just use locomotive-hauled trains so you aren’t sidelining a whole train set,just swap locomotives for the day.
They’re going with the diesels because they can operate on all three lines and because the piggyback with Illinois came at the right time. Bombardier will maintain them under their existing contract to maintain the current diesels. We on the riders council encouraged the MTA to at least look at the Sprinters as an option, especially with service expansion to Wilmington planned, but the current MARC Management has been burned by HHP-8s and AEMs breaking down so much that they are just gravitating to the diesels, which have proved reliable and, again, are service-worthy on all three MARC lines.
Uh is it not the Siemens Charger diesel-electric locomotive? Not the Sprinter, which is the ACS-64?
And MARC wants to be dependent upon Amtrak as little as possible.
If the current price for a freight locomotive is about 1.7m, that seems like a big discrepancy even when you account for HEP and smaller production runs. Does anyone know the reason for this?
@GORDON PENNISTON / @JACK STRYKER II - So the reason the US eschews MUs for passenger services is because of regulatory backwardness? We need the FRA seriously reformed, ASAP.
So disappointed. I thought MARC would follow SEPTA’s lead. I was looking forward to seeing an ACS-64 in MARC livery. They seem to be generalizing about diesel versus electric, when they should be looking at the specific model. I mean, OK, MARC can claim that diesel is in general more reliable, but, compared to a dud like the HHP-8, anything would look better. This model of Siemens diesel has not even been tested, much less run a single revenue mile, and is therefore a total unknown, whereas the ACS-64 has a year and a half of operational history.
Thank you for all opinions thus far. This novice has learned that my question was on point as it resulted in many responses, all of which were informational. My conclusion is that the MARC specifiers presumably knew what they’re asking for and had their reasons for doing it. One last question: what is the HP per passenger mile for electric vs diesel?
Diesel locomotives will be a step backwards. They will have poorer acceleration, potentially obstructing Amtrak trains and will increase local spot air pollution along the right of way.