High Speed Fail ($800 million dollars made the trains 10 mins faster)

[lib3rtarian]

http://connect.freedomworks.org/news/view/359818?destination=node%2F359818%3Fsource%3Dtwitte r


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBm0jg6QM90&feature=youtu.be

[Smart3]

The main problem is that the money isn't targeted spending. We need to spend the money wisely - creating a Chicago hub linking all the cities in the region at 200-220mph, or creating routes linking Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

The higher speed rail projects are pointless. Needs to be at least twice the speed cars can go.

[lib3rtarian]

The main problem is that the money isn't targeted spending. We need to spend the money wisely - creating a Chicago hub linking all the cities in the region at 200-220mph, or creating routes linking Houston, Dallas, Austin and San Antonio.

The higher speed rail projects are pointless. Needs to be at least twice the speed cars can go.

I would rather the govt. not do anything. Whenever they do, like in this case, it's just gravy train contracts for their chums. $800 million dollars in the hands of a private entrepreneur would have done wonders.

[acptulsa]

I would rather the govt. not do anything. Whenever they do, like in this case, it's just gravy train contracts for their chums. $800 million dollars in the hands of a private entrepreneur would have done wonders.

It would have. Eight hundred million dollars later, we have a top speed of seventy-nine miles per hour. Why 79 and not 80? Simple. 79 is the federally mandated speed limit for trains that lack Automatic Train Stop (ATS). Eight hundred million spent on this line and it still doesn't have automatic train stop, which some private railroad lines use on their freight trains? I guess the company that makes ATS didn't pay their brib--er, I mean make their campaign contributions...

Meanwhile, may I present a locomotive known to have hauled late trains at speeds up to one third faster than its railroad's nominal (read 'except when the train is late and the track is clear') speed limit of 90.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-yRnA66CMA

Obviously they don't work the old girl that hard any more. These days, she spends all her running time loafing along at mere Amtrak speeds. Like in this clip.

[Anti Federalist]

Full regulatory constipation and the shit is now piling up so fast you need wings to stay above it.

[Anti Federalist]

God damn the man the required them to drag Anthrax tonnage behind that fine machine.

At any rate, this thread is required reading for all things railroad related:

http://www.ronpaulforums.com/showthread.php?285290-Intercity-Passenger-Rail



It would have. Eight hundred million dollars later, we have a top speed of seventy-nine miles per hour. Why 79 and not 80? Simple. 79 is the federally mandated speed limit for trains that lack Automatic Train Stop (ATS). Eight hundred million spent on this line and it still doesn't have automatic train stop, which some private railroad lines use on their freight trains? I guess the company that makes ATS didn't pay their brib--er, I mean make their campaign contributions...

Meanwhile, may I present a locomotive known to have hauled late trains at speeds up to one third faster than its railroad's nominal (read 'except when the train is late and the track is clear') speed limit of 90.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-yRnA66CMA

[acptulsa]

Full regulatory constipation and the shit is now piling up so fast you need wings to stay above it.

What better way to get people to put up with their local TSA molestation station and back on Boeings?


God damn the man the required them to drag Anthrax tonnage behind that fine machine.

Well, you're right that those locomotives are being dragged by that steamer as tonnage. You can tell by listening. But the reason for it is that most passenger cars have been converted from steam-powered heat and air conditioning to electrical systems, and apparently old 3751 hasn't had that large a generator installed. And perhaps some now-mandated signalling equipment that Amtrak's trying to keep to itself to help it maintain its monopoly...

[gwax23]

The government destroyed the rail industry in the US. If we want to really have a true high speed rail network we need to get the government out of the way and let the private sector do its thing.

[Anti Federalist]

What better way to get people to put up with their local TSA molestation station and back on Boeings?
Or a God damned AirBus. :mad:


Well, you're right that those locomotives are being dragged by that steamer as tonnage. You can tell by listening. But the reason for it is that most passenger cars have been converted from steam-powered heat and air conditioning to electrical systems, and apparently old 3751 hasn't had that large a generator installed. And perhaps some now-mandated signalling equipment that Amtrak's trying to keep to itself to help it maintain its monopoly...

Ah, of course, hadn't considered that.

Did some of the southern lines actually use steam powered air conditioning?

Turbine/alternators?

Reciprocating steam driven compressors?

[acptulsa]

Reciprocating steam driven compressors?

Yes indeed, but this apparently didn't get very popular. Often compressors were mechanically driven off of car axles, or electrically driven by generators driven off of car axles. These were less of a service headache.

The Santa Fe, Frisco, Milwaukee and others also used a 'steam ejector' system that used water as the refrigerant. Instead of compressing the refrigerant and letting it evaporate after driving it through an 'expansion valve' and an evaporator coil, these shot the steam through a venturi. There was a small tube attached to the venturi at the strategic spot where the vacuum was formed, and this vacuum created evaporation in a seperate water tank. And where there is evaporation, there is evaporative cooling, and the cooled water can then be circulated and absorb ambient heat. Apparently these venturi were efficient enough that the seperate water tanks developed such a complete vacuum that water would evaporate at an ambient temperature of 40F! The system worked well, as long as you drained the water in the winter so it didn't freeze and burst the pipes and tanks. This was sometimes a problem on the Texas Chief, which might leave freezing temperatures in Chicago and arrive the next day in Houston where temperatures could be over eighty outside.

Amtrak did use it on old Santa Fe routes and utilized Santa Fe hands to maintain it. But when it used this equipment elsewhere, Amtrak's own crews proved unable to maintain it properly.

[Anti Federalist]

Yes indeed, but this apparently didn't get very popular. Often compressors were mechanically driven off of car axles, or electrically driven by generators driven off of car axles. These were less of a service headache.

I can recall riding NJ Transit's old PRR rolling stock as a kid, and the battery/shaft generator system, how it cut in and out as the train sped up or slowed down.

[acptulsa]

The Santa Fe passenger equipment got electricity from steam-powered generators or dynamos driven by the diesels, depending on the era. So, the lights didn't go out during a station stop (not that many other roads' cars didn't have battery backup). The steam ejector air conditioning could be driven by stationary boilers at stations, so the air conditioning could keep working even during an engine change. It's amazing some of the things that railroad did to gain a competitive advantage in passenger service. And a damned shame that we don't get to enjoy the benefits of that competition any more.

[Anti Federalist]

The Santa Fe passenger equipment got electricity from steam-powered generators or dynamos driven by the diesels, depending on the era. So, the lights didn't go out during a station stop (not that many other roads' cars didn't have battery backup). The steam ejector air conditioning could be driven by stationary boilers at stations, so the air conditioning could keep working even during an engine change. It's amazing some of the things that railroad did to gain a competitive advantage in passenger service. And a damned shame that we don't get to enjoy the benefits of that competition any more.

Reading the history of ConRail right now...Thanks again Tricky Dick.

[Anti Federalist]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/de/Amtrak_Across_the_James.jpg/800px-Amtrak_Across_the_James.jpg

[Anti Federalist]

The cause of High Speed Fail in the Benighted States.


The Acela trainset is a unique train designed specifically to satisfy very specific U.S. governmental rolling stock requirements, including a requirement to be able to collide with a freight train at speed without collapsing, which in turn requires the passenger cars to be built with massive amounts of extra steel and weight. These requirements are significantly different from anywhere else in the world, including countries that have a highly functional high speed rail network that use modern signalling and computer controls to emphasize crash prevention. Most manufacturers who bid on the Acela were unable to meet these requirements, bringing up cost and complication for the manufacture of the trains, and requiring manufacturers to make significant engineering changes to its standard designs.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acela_Express

Pretty god damned sorry when Lithuania can run a better rail network than we can.

[Anti Federalist]

The Acela Express trainsets are capable of 165 mph (266 km/h) operation, but the FRA regulations do not permit any speeds above 150 mph (241 km/h) on tracks that are shared with freight and slower passenger trains...

[acptulsa]

Reading the history of ConRail right now...Thanks again Tricky Dick.

John Erlichman was such a sweetheart. He surely rivals Edward House as one of the Americans who most damaged his country. Indeed, he may rank House, as Harding and Coolidge soon undid much of House's damage. The 'gifts' Erlichman gave us keep right on screw--er, I mean giving to this day.

[jkr]

my boss has a better solution...i REALY wish i could show it to you guys first...

[acptulsa]

my boss has a better solution...i REALY wish i could show it to you guys first...

Tease.

Help me get a job there. Then I'll be sworn to secrecy...

[jkr]

patents are awarded
looking for money for proof of concept full size prototype $40m

Tmassie knows about it btw, he has a copy of the business plan.
so do several ohio business men & state reps.

would really like to show rand, be a gr8 way to stick it to the "progressives", but he is busy defending our basic rights...