From: jis@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (jishnu.mukerji)
Subject: Re: X2000 in Corridor service - February
Organization: AT&T
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:54:43 GMT
Keywords: tilt train

In article <1993Jan9.205745.13049@Princeton.EDU> jsm@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (John Scott McCauley Jr.) writes:
>
>I saw something I've never seen before zooming past Trenton Station
>going northbound earlier today.  It was blue and white (or silver)
>and sort of looked like the Adirondack trains. It might have been a
>deadhead run of MARC cars, as most trains stop at Trenton, but I'm pretty
>sure it was the X2000.

According to WCBS NewsRadio 88 in New York, the X2000 achieved a speed
of 151mph near Princeton Jct. yesterday, on one of its test runs.
Earlier in the day it achieved 155mph somewhere in Pennsylvania.

>An AMTRAK agent said that they will be told on a daily basis if the X2000
>is running the Metroliner. He also said that they have two unresolved issues
>that might cancel the whole deal:
>
>1) Power cars are made of fiberglass bodies. The NEC has a lot more debris
>   than Swedish railroads. Trash, rocks, coins placed on tracks and so
>   forth can really do a number on the power cars.
>
>2) The train can't be decoupled easily outside a shop. If a car has
>   a flat spot on a wheel, for example, the whole train has to be
>   'shopped' -- they can't just drop the problem car off on a siding.

This feature is unlikely to change, because non-articulated trains are
much harder to stablize at high speeds. The Germans initally had
decided to make the ICE non-articulated but as a result of experience
gained through tests it has evolved to what could rightfully be called
articulated, although it is probably less articulated than the TGV.

In any event even if the tests succeed, Amtrak is not going to
directly place orders for these trains. According to statements made
by Amtrak spokespeople at various NARP region meetings last year.
Amtrak will use the results of these experiments to draw up
specification for the Amtrak High Speed Train. Then it will send out
RFP for manufacturing trains to those specification, and with an
American content requirement, as is usual in these bids. From the
response to the RFP's Amtrak will select one or more companies to
place the orders with. Naturally, in writing up the specifications
Amtrak will require whatever strengthening is needed for operation on
the corridor.

>I'd guess that the debris problem might be solved by using Aluminum or
>composite bodies (Kevlar?). The NEC could be cleaned up, but people still
>could drop rocks from bridges.
>
>The servicing problem sounds harder. I think most of the current designs
>(TGV, ICE, Bullet, X2000) are all unit trains. The Adirondack cars can be
>uncoupled -- I saw one on the NEC once that was being towed behind a Clocker:
>|E60| - |normal cars| - | rear Ad. car><Front Ad.|-|other Ad. cars|

If the French, Germans, Japanese and the Swedes can overcome these so
called operational problems with articulated trains I don't see why
Amtrak with all the American ingenuity cannot come up with some solution
in short order. Besides aren't these trains equipped with very
sophisticated ABS systems. If the ABS systems work they should get
flats only on extremely rare occasions. Techonolgy-wise Amtrak's NEC
Metroliner operations at present are in the stone ages compared to
these hign speed trains.

>So you might want to get a ride on one before they disappear...

That is a good idea, because even if Amtrak does acquire high-speed
trainsets they will be several years in the coming. Earliest possible
dates are 1996 and that is probably optimistic.

Jishnu Mukerji
jis@usl.com