Honestly the REAL secret to faster train? 1. Regear the traction motors properly 2. Add ATS and cab signals 3. and not be a COWARD at the throttle. 🤣 - ThreadSky

interurbanera.bsky.social • 23 days ago

Honestly the REAL secret to faster train?

1. Regear the traction motors properly

2. Add ATS and cab signals

3. and not be a COWARD at the throttle. 🤣

Reposted from Edward Russell

Better trains are about getting the basics right. High platforms with level boarding could save serious time on multi-stop lines, and electrification could really speed trains. Both are improvements easily achievable on existing track, @ndhapple.bsky.social found in his recent report, Momentum.

Comments

skyboss1996.bsky.social•23 days ago

Notch 8, don’t be late.

scandinavian101.bsky.social•23 days ago

On the point 3, thats imo a real thing. In all the railfanning videos the amtrak/or even commuter trains are coming into stations so slowly, leaving them like they dont want to go too. American pax ops need some training in aggressive driving lol

quintonmurdock.bsky.social•23 days ago

There have been times I havn’t even noticed we pulled out of the station because of how gently they accelerated and only noticed when outside was visibly moving

catransitnerd.bsky.social•23 days ago

Metrolink use to try and hit the end of platforms at 40mph and go very aggressive on the brakes.
Level boarding so station stops don't take years helps a lot

dilong.bsky.social•23 days ago

In fairness part of that is because diesel has abysmal starting acceleration. There's a Caltrain vid comparing their diesel to their electric stock and the diesel looks like it's stuck in mud lmao

scandinavian101.bsky.social•23 days ago

I can only compare it to what i know and idk if its the driver training, tracks around stations or the much higher weight of a typical passenger train in the us, but imo even diesels here are more lively then a typical P42 consist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrxL06rqfwc

felixonrails.ch•23 days ago

Diesel are weakass low acceleration compared to any modern emu or equivalent axle electric locomotive. It’s physics - in Poland, the US and anywhere else in the world

scandinavian101.bsky.social•23 days ago

Oh absolutely. What i however postulate is that US is afraid to give it the notch 8 treatment or the dynamic station arrival

reprapryn.bsky.social•23 days ago

This would imply getting the US to not want to roll like it's 1880 and using even circa 1930s tech like an overhead wire.

So many problems with rail in the US goes away if we were willing to not be cowards and electrify.

railfangxy.bsky.social•23 days ago

That also greatly depends on the type of diesel traction used (related to 1). Caltrain’s diesels were EMD/MPI units with DC traction. They’re quicker than lighter, more powerful, GE’s, but obviously they’d be sluggish against EMU’s with AC traction, and more powered axles
(1/2)

railfangxy.bsky.social•23 days ago

AC-driven pax diesels, whatever quirks they have, are often quickdraws. It’s the one consistent praise the PL42’s get, and MARC essentially replaced their AEM-7’s with SC-44’s. Even Metra’s MACH’s, retooled freight units, are closer to electric performance
(2/2)

dilong.bsky.social•23 days ago

For sure, it's an unfair comparison to go decades old loco-driven vs brand new electric! The new diesels available these days are big step forward. But it's hard to compete with something that doesn't have to carry its power generation with it

verbeana.bsky.social•21 days ago

I think thats mostly a diesel loco thing. A DMU won't be as good as an EMU but it's still better than loco hauled diesel. I think this video nicely demonstrates just how good DMUs can get

https://youtu.be/5M9sxmjZKB8

dilong.bsky.social•21 days ago

Yeah EMUs definitely have an advantage! I'd love to see more services run DMUs where electrification isn't available yet

railfangxy.bsky.social•23 days ago

Careful arrival might be a safety thing, but I think the departure GREATLY depends on the operator. I know where I live, engineers will start notching up almost in time with the brakes releasing

cutlever.bsky.social•23 days ago

If you can manage the wheelslip. PTC doesn't like it when the speedometer spikes, even for a brief second.

pdfguru.bsky.social•19 days ago

Item 3 is also called "nervous driving", meaning driving at the permitted speed, whenever possible; strong accelleration and decelleration.

On infrastructure side, improve switches, make them faster. (old motion tech rule: make the slow sections as fast and short as possible).

awjustus.bsky.social•23 days ago

4. More superelevation/higher cant deficiency tolerance

https://ngec.iengineering.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/305-PRIIA-Tilt-presentation.pdf

catransitnerd.bsky.social•23 days ago

So then FRA change the standard. It’s them who’s forced every train running over 3in unbalanced to require a waver.
4in for bi level and 5in for single is the standard although Amtrak wants the new LD bi levels to run at 5

Then we got agencies like Metrolink who are their own margin on top

awjustus.bsky.social•23 days ago

🎯

digitalhomer.bsky.social•23 days ago

4. Electrify main lines wherever possible. The world’s fastest trains are all electrified.

catransitnerd.bsky.social•23 days ago

I’m not sure how many options Siemens has but I’ve yet to see a charger listed with slower than 125 gearing, F125 come in 100 or 125

With PTC we don’t need ATS or cab signaling to run at 110mph

We should be trying to get 90mph more places as that’s the simplest change to make with class 5 track

acela2163.bsky.social•23 days ago

Last I knew neither I-ETMS nor ACSES fulfilled the cab signal. You need something else, like ATS or ATC.

catransitnerd.bsky.social•23 days ago

You have to use a special flavor of I-ETMS but thats what Brightline Florida is using. For the Lincoln its I-ETMS with ITCS talking to the crossings. Michgain of course is all ITCS

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply