From: dave@convex.csd.uwm.edu (David A Rasmussen)
Newsgroups: rec.railroad
Subject: TrailBlazer Technologies DMT Trainsets
Date: 4 Jan 1993 17:20:46 GMT
Organization: UW-Milwaukee Computing Services Division
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 129.89.7.30
Originator: dave@convex.csd.uwm.edu

I was writing this up for a Milwaukee Narp chapter newsletter, and thought
I'd post a draft here in this group to help me correct any mistaken
assumptions I've made in the "reporting" process.

I'd also like to hear from others who know more about the Trailblazer
people and their plans.

---

On December 29, 1992, Tim Jorgenson of North Star Management
Associates, formerly President of the CSS&SB, invited Chris Walker,
WisDOT, and myself for a lunch meeting with John S. Gallagher Jr,
Marketing Consultant for Trailblazer Technologies Inc, to find out
about the company's FASTRACKER (tm) DMT Trainsets. Mr Gallagher was to
meet with WisDOT in Madison on January 4th and may also meet with
ProRail members.

Trailblazer Technologies was founded in the 1950's by Alan Cripe, who
then was a design engineer for the New York Central Railroad. Over the
years, Cripe and Gallagher influenced the design of various equipment.
One of the earlier contributions was the idea of interchangable modules
in the Budd RDC cars, allowing failed modules to be swapped in and out
quickly, and repairing the module instead of the entire unit. In 1956
they worked on New York Central's TrainX, and later on a similarly designed
Turbo that ran on the CN until 1982. Between TrainX and the Turbo, Cripe
was involved in the RoadRailer Project for the Norfolk Southern. When
Thrall Railcar took over the RoadRailer, they threw out Cripe's designs.
However his current generation designs are licensed to be built by Rader
Railcar, Inc, and Alumatech, Inc.

DMT Trainsets, which Mr Gallagher talked to us about, at first glance
appear similar to the Rohr Turbo's that used to run between Milwaukee
and Chicago. They have a power unit on both ends, have passenger space
in the power units, and are articulated with other cars, eliminating
much of the dead space taken up by car ends in regular rail equipment.
Experience in Europe has shown that self propelled trains have an
operating cost of about half those of a locomotive drawn train of
similar passenger capacity.  Though articulated, the cars can be
uncoupled, and recoupling automatically links air and electric
connections. The weight reductions by articulation and streamlining, in
comparison to a locomotive hauled train of equal capacity, require 40%
of the power,  50% of the fuel consumption and generate 20% of the
pollution.

The standard trainset can operate up to 125 mph with a sustained
cruising speed of 80mph using 2 650hp Cummins underfloor diesel
engines. The turbo version has a top speed of 170mph and a sustained
cruising speed of 150.  The cars themselves are based on high strength
aluminum monocoque structures that slide together in a patented joint
requiring no rivetting or welding while providing beam-like cross
sectional strength.  The Cummins engines directly drive Voith turbo
transmissions, similar to the way a car works instead of driving
electric generators as standard diesel/electric locomotives operate.
These engines can be changed out without an engine pit, as can other
components such as transmissions, air conditioning units, etc. A
wheel/truck assembly swap can be done trackside in as little as half an
hour. The trainsets also employ a passive pneumatic tilt mechanism that
relies on no mechanical parts.  Mr Gallagher said that in comparison,
the Swedish X2000 trainset uses a mechanical, active tilt system, that
unfortunately requires high maintenance  and is prone to problems.

What can you expect to pay for the first production run of the standard DMT
trainset? Mr Gallagher says a dual unit train with two additional coaches
runs about 5 million dollars.

-- 
Dave Rasmussen - SysAdm/Hacker/Consulting Manager, UWM Computing Svcs Div.
Internet:dave@uwm.edu, Uucp:uwm!dave, Bitnet:dave%uwm.edu@INTERBIT
AT&T:414-229-5133 USmail:Box 413 EMS380,Milwaukee,WI 53201  HAM: N9REJ