New Amtrak electric locomotives entering revenue service

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New Amtrak electric locomotives entering revenue service

Cool! Uncle Joe in the cab! Its great to have new electric locomotives, but I liked the old AEM7 “Toasters” with their stainless steel fluted sides, the sides of the City Sprinter is too flat and bland! I would prefer a fully color locomotive like the Sprinters in Europe, maybe two shades of blue!

What kind more new equipment, Amtrak needs more viewliner car order and fresh order of New Superliner cars 500 New cars.

What’s wrong with the HHP-8? In a nutshell the locomotives have reliability issues that neither Bombardier or Amtrak were about to solve. The computer system and various internal componants keep failing. That’s what you get when Bombardier designs and builds a locomotive from the ground up and without much or any prior experience in locomotive designing. Same could be said for GE and it’s E60CP contribution to failed electric locomotive. The new Sprinter is like the AEM-7, an Americanized version of a existing European locomotive using proven technology.

Guse is apparently unaware that these locomotives were funded with private money.

Hey, Gusenut I guess a functioning brain let 's you out, doesn’t it? You are the biggest nitwit that posts here; if all people were like you there would be no public transport or investment in the American transportation infrastructure. As Bugs Bunny says you are a maroon. For those of you that consider the article to be good news, I was in the cab of one of these new engines in Oakland, CA and they are totally cool!!

Why is Amtrak a victim of underinvestment? Because it loses money for every ticket sold. Solution? Follow the private sector. Raise prices to what the market will bear. The proof of this is how Amtrak keeps making claims the trains are full. If Amtrak was charging too much per ticket, the trains would be only half full, or empty. This is a no brainer that anybody except a big government socialist can figure out. Time for government to turn over Amtrak to somebody with a functioning brain.

Amtrak is like the Post Office. The only debate is which one loses money faster. On the other hand, the Post Office is legal as it is in the Constitution. Amtrak, or any form of government transportation moving people other than the military from Point A to Point B, is not. Just read Article 1, Section 8.

The article says there is microprocessors in there, has anyone gave any thought about some knucklehead taking control (hacking) the loco? I would not like to see such a thing happening to Amtrak, or any other railroad for that matter.

Hey JG, what about your government provided huge (billions and billions) money loosing highways. Instead of slamming everything why don’t you give us a dissertation on why the government (taxpayers) are forced to subsidize bus and trucking companies. Oh, but that would be your entitlement so it is just fine!

and yet our bosses have not given us any information on these new engine in CETC for the Train Dispatchers and Power Directors in case of failures/breakdowns. Typical.

One or more of the AEM-7’s should be preserved. They stepped in to power the Metroliners with Amfleet equipment when the original train sets were no longer capable of doing that. They also powered the Norhteast Regionals for a long time. What’s wrong with the HHP-8’s that they will have to be replaced so soon?

Who is going to buy the used electric locomotives? Black Mesa and Lake Powell? Iowa Traction?

@GREG HINTON
Mr. Guse. you confirmed Amtraks right under the Constitution by Art. 1, Sec. 8… first sentence "provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States… The writers of the Constitution were not bound by mindless political dogma of distortion like the tea party.
Dude, WELFARE is FREE, Amtrak is NOT, it ONLY makes money on the EAST Coast… Its nice to see it improve, but its NOT welfare…

If I’m not mistaken, the HHP-8s sre to be the last to bel replaced.

Mr. Guse. you confirmed Amtraks right under the Constitution by Art. 1, Sec. 8… first sentence "provide for the common defence and general welfare of the United States… Amtrak easily falls under providing general welfare just like airports etc. they both would also come under “promote the the progress of science”. The writers of the Constitution were not bound by mindless political dogma of distortion like the tea party.

I love the fact we had to get our new electrics from Germany

Guse is is probably aware that passenger railroads did not exist at the time the US Constitution was drafted. But because he’s an ideological purist, he must omit this.

I agree with GARY CARAMELLA from CALIFORNIA, PAUL BOUZIDE from Illinois, and JOSEPH M TRUDO from Maine: The Guse is a Gusenut, quacking away with his nonsense!!!

Did EMD and GE not bid for these locomotives?
Even though Siemens won the contract they will be built in Sacamento.

Although we should buy American, locomotives from Germany are of superior quality compared to Alstom/Bombardier built junk like NJT Comet V coaches (red seats). Mr. Guse, for the fact, no passenger railroad system anywhere actually makes a satisfactory profit. They run out of public necessity.