I've started doing the Boston route but it confuses the hell out of me. I get services where I have to push the wagons in front of me. First of all: how do they do that in real life? You can't see the front of the train from the cockpit. I put my camera in the front but it looks like cheating. The signalling I don't get as well. Lots of locations that I have to go to or have to stop I get a red light on the hud that should be located a few metres before I reach the location. Sometimes the mission is completed when you stop a few metres before the red light and sometimes there is no red light to be found where the hud says it should be. I've wasted so much time waiting in front of red lights that I shouldn't have been waiting for and crossed red lights that made me fail the mission. I even rammed another train whilst I had the green light. Now I'm waiting in front of a red light for while already. If I contact the signaller doesn't even respond. Is there something wrong with the signals on the Boston route or is this all normal?
I don’t really understand German railways so I’ve no chance on American ones which is why UK routes are my thing. Much easier to understand.
There's a second person standing in the rear coach. This person is in contact with the engineer in the cab via radio. Lots of railroads around the world use this method to reverse long consists - especially for switching.
Don't seem to have any problems with the German railways. German trains are fast and swift and easy to drive. I haven't done Bakerloo yet but I'll probably get familiar with UK railways as of next week. Scottish railways is fun but It only has one train so it's probably not representative for the entire UK railways.
Actually, you'd be surprised at how similar trains are to each other in the UK. We do have 2 types of electric power (3rd rail and overhead power) which run on different voltages and then of course there's the diesels which can run anywhere. They might look different but the layout for the controls doesn't vary that much. Most modern passenger trains use combined throttle and braking but some older ones do have separate levers for each one. Our safety systems are universal across all our trains and our signalling system is quite easy to pick up on.
This is a peculiarity of the Amtrak train in Boston. It doesn't have a cab car, because it actually travels much further than Providence in reality. Many Amtrak trains have locos at both ends. This one doesn't. But you're not cheating by using the camera in place of a pilot engineer. Yes, the signaling on this route is still a work in progress along with the timetable.
To be fair it was only with the introduction of HST's in the late 70's that we finally improved on speeds and journey times that essentially hadn't changed since the 20's in mainland UK. We still suffer with what's essentially upgraded Victorian infrastructure at best and the original old skool 1830's infrastructure at worst ( whilst also being some of the best journeys) and the limitations that brings today. Trying pitching Settle to Carlisle today- You'd lose your mates, most from death by laughing and your family would be concerned for you sanity. In the immediate post WW2 Europe and the Far East, countries such as France, Germany and Japan were able to start afresh because their rail infrastructure was literally non existent. Therefore their starting point is 1946 onwards and so we see higher speeds and 20th century infrastructure. We on the other hand in the UK had most of our approx 20,000 miles intact (within a 95,000 sq mile landmass) as I strongly suspect so did the US who's infrastructure is similarly old old skool. For US readers, think Alaskas landmass as they are approx similar area. Coupled with cheap, home grown coal the railways soldier on as they had before the war. Plus everyone aspired to their own personal vehicles. Cars were seen as the future, trains somewhat yesterdays glory and our government invested in roads to the detriment of investment in the railways and when we were forced to face the music it was always done on a bodge it and fix it approach. Locos built to specs that were sub par and flawed (Did give us some absolute gems though- Deltics 2 WW2 boat engines essentially, Western and warships Maybach engines- Maybach best known until then as powering Tiger and King Tiger tanks). We ultimately were victims of our own success and I suspect so is the US.
Which Amtrak trains with run with power at both ends? All long distance trains only run with power on the head end, and Amtraks commuter and regional trains run with Cab Cars with the exception of most NEC trains. The Acela trainset is the only one I can think of that has power on both ends.
On a US signal, a red aspect doesn't mean stop; it means contact the dispatcher. Red with other color aspects also doesn't mean stop. That is the key to understanding US signaling.
I sorry that made me laugh so it's so American! Apologies to any offense taken now. Elsewhere else. Green=Go, Amber=Warning, Red=Stop American. Green=Go Hard, Amber=Go not as hard, Red= Don't forget call mom while your going!
Last time I was a passenger on the Hiawatha the consist had a Siemens Charger on one end and an F40PH that had been gutted and converted to a cab/baggage car “cabbage”. These look like locomotives but have no power, they are just a cab control car that was built from a retired locomotive.
That's correct, currently, but the train sets are supposed to be fitted with genuine cab cars shortly. It's Amtrak's shortest route, so push pull makes sense. Also, after checking, it seems the Downeaster also uses an NPCU currently. So I guess my original post was incorrect. Apologies.
