This journey sounds worse than the one David had recently
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All of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".
Every Michigan train uses Chargers unless enough aren't available to cover them all.MiddleMI wrote: ↑Mon Oct 10, 2022 11:10 pmBefore some of the more recent corridor improvements, this was much more common. But experiencing even one of these will scare off a new rider. My mom has vowed never to take the train to Chicago, again, after here last experience with an interminable delay some years back.
BTW, how many locomotives does Amtramk run on the combined Michigan Services, and how many of them are running the Siemens Chargers?
Went searching online for photos.
Thanks.ConrailDetroit wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:18 amAll of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".
Does "This" refer to mechanical issues? Seems more common now with the new equipment.
In the past the delays seemed be more frequently caused from the faulty signal system that would drop signals to red after a rainstorm and the 30 mph slow orders by NS due to their unwillingness to maintain, before the state government purchased the track.
Nice
Agreed. With PSR and fewer freights now, less delays from freights. Except when there is a derailment which seems more frequent now.MiddleMI wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:16 pmThanks.ConrailDetroit wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 7:18 amAll of the trains use the Chargers now. Unless a rare day and a P42 becomes the new "heritage unit".
Does "This" refer to mechanical issues? Seems more common now with the new equipment.
In the past the delays seemed be more frequently caused from the faulty signal system that would drop signals to red after a rainstorm and the 30 mph slow orders by NS due to their unwillingness to maintain, before the state government purchased the track.
No, "this" meant delays, in general. Most delays I remember were freight train related (i.e. waiting for trains to pass/clear, etc).
But, yes, what I was asking about the locomotives was really just ruminating of why these new ones seem have problems this significant this early into their usage.
I don't think fall color tours have a ton to do with it. What likely has more to do with it is a trickle down from something else. High School sports. A lot of school districts are running very short on bus drivers. As a result, instead of having school buses transport teams to away events, schools are having to rent charter busses to transport athletes.coasterrider wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 4:52 pmbusstitution was attempted but there were none available that day. Probably due to the fall color tours going on now.
Indeed. I noticed last Saturday several high school groups arrived at the Grandville Marching band competition by chartered bus not school bus. And they weren't coming from great distances. Places like Holland and Muskegon way.chapmaja wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 8:01 amI don't think fall color tours have a ton to do with it. What likely has more to do with it is a trickle down from something else. High School sports. A lot of school districts are running very short on bus drivers. As a result, instead of having school buses transport teams to away events, schools are having to rent charter busses to transport athletes.coasterrider wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 4:52 pmbusstitution was attempted but there were none available that day. Probably due to the fall color tours going on now.
With that said, given this was a Friday incident with Amtrak, it is very possible additional charter trips may have also impacted the situation.
Also, the charter bus companies are not exactly teeming with additional drivers either, so it is a combination of a multitude of different issues.
At least their schools ponied up for a charter bus. Ours told us at the beginning of the season that no bus drivers were available, so all parents need to arrange car pool to get the kids to and from the cross country meets to various cities. Most of the other schools attending the meets had busses.
Yesterday I pulled in to officiate HS Volleyball. They had MS football going on at the same facility. In the parking lot were three charter busses. Two were for the football teams (I assume 1 7th grade, 1 8th grade), and another school brought one for their volleyball teams (Frosh, JV, Varsity). The school for volleyball aways used to use school bussing, but the football school has been using charter busses for years to transport teams.~Z~ wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 10:13 amAt least their schools ponied up for a charter bus. Ours told us at the beginning of the season that no bus drivers were available, so all parents need to arrange car pool to get the kids to and from the cross country meets to various cities. Most of the other schools attending the meets had busses.
How can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.David Collins wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:31 pmI've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP
The employee I spoke to didn't go into specifics, maybe it powers electronics in the engine, not positive, just a guess.Steve B wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:11 pmHow can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.David Collins wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:31 pmI've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP
Traction power and the power for control functions have long come from different alternators. I would take "to dependent on HEP" to mean there was a failure in the system providing the non-traction power rendering the locomotive unable to control its internal functions (and not move) or supply HEP.Steve B wrote: ↑Wed Oct 12, 2022 12:11 pmHow can the engines be too reliant on HEP? HEP is specifically for passenger car electricity. It either works or it doesn't. Are you saying that some of the HEP can be diverted to use as pulling power? That doesn't make any sense.David Collins wrote: ↑Tue Oct 11, 2022 2:31 pmI've been told by an engineer (I believe it was edited out name) that said these engines are too reliant on the HEP