Posted on 08/12/2010 6:52:11 AM PDT by Willie Green
The federal government has the chance to rebuild the nation's passenger rail service by upgrading Amtrak's aging fleet of locomotives. We must seize that opportunity.
The idea is for Amtrak to secure loan guarantees under the Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing program to revitalize its fleet with higher-speed, diesel-electric locomotives that would reach speeds between 110 and 124 mph. Up to $35 billion is available under the program, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation's website.
If it happens, GE Transportation, as the top locomotive manufacturer in the United States, would be poised perfectly to compete for the Amtrak contract.
The idea is good for Amtrak, good for GE Transportation, good for GE's 4,000 Erie employees, good for its 700 Grove City employees, good for GE's 250 suppliers in Pennsylvania alone and, most of all, this is a great idea for America's traveling public.
In recent days, the Erie Regional Chamber and Growth Partnership has led support of the plan, and they deserve credit for doing so. First Erie City Council stepped forward in support, followed by Erie County Executive Barry Grossman, County Council and Mayor Joe Sinnott.
The plan would give Amtrak's fleet better fuel efficiency, lower emissions and higher speed. GE Transportation has said the new locomotives would deliver an estimated fuel savings of 15 percent "and an emission reduction of approximately 60 percent" compared to the older locomotives still in service.
(Excerpt) Read more at goerie.com ...
It's certainly understandable why the Erie Times-News would be supportive of a proposal that would so favorably impact their local economy. Amtrak certainly has a need to upgrade its aging fleet, and there's no doubt that General Electric manufactures a high quality product that could possibly fill those needs.
However, GE's Locomotive products all appear to be traditional train engines that can be used for either passenger or freight... all the power is in the single engine which can pull dozens of attached cars behind it.
The disadvantage to this approach, especially with "short" trains, is that you waste fuel by having an overpowered engine pulling a much lighter load than what it's designed for.
For passenger service, a much more efficient design is the diesel multiple unit or DMU.
While DMUs are also capable of towing a couple of trailer cars, their engines are downized in power for greater fuel efficiency, and the engine unit itself is designed to also carry passengers.
To illustrate the difference, here is a YouTube showing operation of US Railcar DMU
IMHO, traditional Amtrak trains with GE engines are suitable for pulling long distance trains with many cars.
DMUs are more suitable for much more frequent and shorter, regional commuter service.
And really, really crappy for American taxpayers. But I see GE's Democratic grift campaign contributions are paying off.
So Willie, you are now reduced to being a lousy pimp for a corrupt corporation like GE. Your absurd choo-choo pimping has made you into a corporate shill.
Too funny.
The recipient of a thieves largess are almost always grateful. The victims of the thieves, not so much.
If they do it with their own money, I’ll light a sparkler and celebrate with them.
Other than that, it’s just more welfare.
How about we build a, say thirty mile, circular track.
Then they can run their empty trains at whatever speed they want without screwing up the rest of us.
True, we’d have to pay for it in taxes, but we’d be forced to do so anyway, and they’d at least be out of sight and mine.
Typical RAT project: it doesn’t work, nobody wants it, and they demand more of it.
GE has such a mouthfull of obama, they feel like they’re taking a crap.
Atlas Cried...................
Wow, just wow! How much $$ has drained into the Amtrak money pit and now this! If Amtrak was capable of running an economically viable company they could have already done what the article talked about. Yet we continue to subsidize incompetence and mismanagement.
I would rather see the revival of the old steam locomotives like the 4-8-4 Baldwins, the 4-6-6-4 Challengers.
Of course with a modern day powerplant in the drive gearing, but they would externally have the appearance of a steam engine, complete with some steam special effects.
I am of course a very avid fan of the Golden Years of steam and to some extent diesel, to me rail travel is the only way to get across country, you can meet other people, you don’t have to be in your seat for hours with a seatbelt on and I doubt you will have flight attendants going postal, which I support in that situation.
Air travel is gone with me, I have not flown out of Alaska since 2004 because its just too scary and intrusive.
The problem with Amtrak, which I have ridden fairly extensively, is not its locomotives.
The problem is track condition, which higher speeds does not help, and on-time rates, which are atrocious. I’m not sure how shiny new locomotives will help with either of these.
Daily Willie Green Choo-Choo thread.
Promoting 19th Century technology for the 21st Century.
Willie has become something of a pleasure to debate a bygone idea with. Discussing passenger trains is akin to discussing the best buffalo gun makers.
Was the Sharps really the best?
Can passenger trains compete?
GE units are crap. GE never has made a good, reliable, easy to fix in the field, smooth riding locomotive. Since GE and the democrats are joined at the hip they will get the contract.
A new lease on life for older locomotives It’s more than an upgrade. It’s an extreme makeover for older locomotives. Modernization revitalizes aging locomotives while delivering better performance, higher reliability and lower operating expenses—all at a fraction of the cost of new power. In the most comprehensive modernizations, everything from behind the operator’s cab to the end of the chassis is removed, and a new modernization kit is dropped into place and integrated into the old locomotive platform. Packages are available for locomotives from GE, Lugansk and EMD*.
Who's going to finance this? Wall Street?
Why continue to use Diesel fuel? Shirley there is a sustainable green way to run 200 yr old technology these days, or do your 0bama masters keep you slaving away on the old technology?.
Horrible train wreck sends most passengers to hospital 24 hours after federal train inspection.
Who knew passenger train travel was a growth industry? Shoosh, our financial worries are over. Yeah!!!
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