How come the Amtrack train isn't using a cab car? It pulls into a terminus station at Boston with nothing on the back. Is this how it's run in real life? They swap the locos?
Traffic Manager of the year! Why not use 1 - 2 Locos as Buffer, im sure coupling is far quicker than driving that entire loop backwards. Well im sure there must be a reason for that.
Amtrak be like that. Over at dc union station, they do something similar when I was there. It also uses the help of a switcher. I don't know the exact process but it takes a really long time
Yea pretty sure irl they have a spotter back there. Unfortunately not simulated in game so you’ve got to go to the external camera and go slowwww. You should try it once though. I think the only slower area is sunnyside yard on NYT but it’s a shorter slow area than that loop.
This issue (in real life) might be solved pretty soon… the new Amtrak corridor train sets from Siemens come with a cab car .
Yes but not on the NEC. This cabcar is made to work with the Charger not the ACS 64 and the Metrolink cab car on only used on the Keystone service not the Northeast Regional
It's most likely these cars will debut when the duel mode ALC-42E Chargers are delivered, which IIRC, are supposed to replace the ACS-64s.
Apparently uncoupling and recoupling causes more problems. There’s no real rush to turn the trains because of the relatively low frequency of Amtrak services.
This press release concerning new "trains" plainly encompasses more than one variety of train, since the list includes both electric and diesel routes.
The plan that Amtrak has is wierd but interesting, as the duel mode locos are supposed to be supported by a special trailer car for Pantagraph or 3rd rail operation when necessary, which is supposed to remove the changeover from the ACS 64s to a Diesel electric loco.
ACS-64 is getting replaced by Charger based trainsets over the next few years. So NEC will all be these Charger/Venture trainsets (ALC-42), with dual power (overhead electric and diesel). Even though the ACS-64 isn’t that old Amtrak will be selling most of them off.
Oh yeah ! That mini-heart attack when you realize that the MBTA train is on the track without any auto-signals ! You can almost barge the Amcans into it if you're not paying attention...
Is this due to shortcomings in the signalling, or in the real world the engineer and person at the propelled end telling them when to proceed and stop would be in touch with the despatcher?
Not sure... ( Not from the freedomland ) Unless someone confirms otherwise, I feel like It's basically a yard, so there is some sort of coordination between the yardmaster & the engineers operating there ! And because TSW doesn't have that, we end up with those awkward situations !
When doing reverse moves, a crew member stands at the rear door and communicates with the engineer via radio.
Just wanted to say NEC Boston - Providence is quickly becoming one of my favourite routes, and is already my favourite US route. Scenery is great, and the amount of traffic at Boston South makes it feel alive.
Ditto. Boston since the signal updates is by far my fav US passenger route (the best one in my opinion) which I’m happy to repeat over and over whenever Brandon is around. The route was always fundamentally good but the signal fixes finally made it playable with safety systems and then the TOD4 was icing. (Hoping Trenton eventually gets the same redemption)
I'd honestly love more MBTA stuff, but even another NEC route from Providence to New Haven would be amazing.
Yeah those Cabcars are used for the Keystone Service (What used to be called the Keystone State Express). Though on Sunday’s, Amtrak Northeast Regional 121 (NYP-Washington DC) uses an 11 car trainset led by a Keystone cab-car. The train then turns for Amtrak 122 with the ACS leading (Washington D.C - NYP). After finishing and arriving at Sunnyside yard, the cab car + its 5 coaches are taken off/engine added so it can run an early Keystone Service on Monday. (The rest of that train gets configured for another Northeast Regional).
I'd rather the Metro-North New Haven Line from New Haven to GCT. Though, Shore Line East from New London to New Haven would be good too, just much less frequency.