Hi all, Steve here to issue a correction on one of the things I alluded too in the video. I discussed at one point rail maintenance crews setting switches on fire, and mentioned them as a way to prevent the rails from snapping in cold temperatures. While that is certainly a side effect of this process, it's not the main reason why it is done, as it, along with the set up of track heating devices on certain lines are primarily for melting ice and snow off the track, which is a pretty obvious safety risk that these techniques do a good job at countering. Most rail breaks are generally caused by fatigue cracks and not being replaced or attended to in time before they do. Sorry about that one. Edit: Another, arguable more significant error was that Safe Harbor is not the only power supply for the southern half of the NEC, there are actually seven of them across the length of the route. I honestly don't know how that was missed, and I largely got my sourcing from the Wikipedia (boo, hiss) article on Amtrak's 25 Hz power supply for the route (yes, it has it's own Wikipedia article), and it only mentions Safe Harbor on it's diagram. This mistake honestly bugs me, and when I (spoiler alert) launch my Discord server next week, I will have a section dedicated to research on the topics, as well as a place to call out errors in said research. I definitely want to improve on my research for future videos, as anyone should want to, so that will be one of the keys in to this channel going forward. Keep calling me out on my errors, since I want to learn from any potential errors and not be seen as someone who has all the answers. I do not demand glory, only results and knowledge.
Excellent video. I would like to make one comment - the heating of the rails in turnout areas, particularly in terminals, is done to prevent the seizing up of the switch points as a result of obstructions and/or compressions from the presence of snow or ice from frozen snow-melts. This is a localized issue - it reflects the fact that turnouts are amongst the major points of failure on a railway; in other words, they are the weakest link in the chain. As for the possibility of a "rail pull-apart", this is not limited to the turnout areas, as it is of concern across the whole of the line. There are engineering solutions to address the issue, such as using rail expansion frogs on approaches to bridges. This however is not a commonly used method, as jointed rails in a critical area are often seen as being more cost-effective. Thanks again for your excellent video. 2024/08/30. Ontario, Canada.
In January 1978, at Arlington VA, looking at Potomac freight yard from the Howard Johnson's airport hotel, I did see fires at freezing snowy track switches.
I think sometimes about how the NEC wasn't fully electrified from DC all the way to Boston until the late 90's and just truly recent that was on railroading timeframes. It's almost hard to imagine what the corridor would be like without full overhead electrification. And it's a reminder that electrifying further South down to Richmond isn't nearly as impossible as it seems, especially with how resource starved Amtrak was in the 90's and 2000's
@himbourbanist it's what can happen when your agency has ambition and the drive to do good with the resources it has. Amtrak definitely had that in the 90s, and I want to see more of that spirit back with the boom in ridership its been experiencing. I can see bits of it with the Airo order and the new Acelas to a lesser extent, but don't think it's quite at the level it needs to be to push these vital projects through. Yes, Amtrak has a lot on its plate already, but I'd love to see more since I don't think it's impossible.
And lawmakers that are willing to get the money and tell Class 1s to get the hell out of the way of we will take the route. @@SteveGettingAroundPhilly
The problem isn’t primarily capital; it’s operational efficiency. Right now, there is single location where trains swap diesel and electric locomotives: Washington. If they electrify down to Richmond, they need two locations where swapping happens: Richmond for trains that run through Richmond, and Washington for trains that do not run through Richmond. The proposal effectively doubled the amount of resources needed to make diesel-electric swaps into/out-of the NEC. If they only electrify to Richmond, they’re committing to major long term operational inefficiencies just to benefit a handful of trains. This the real reason why Amtrak will not pursue electrification to Richmond.
@@jonathanstensberg Amtrak is moving to dual-mode for all trains that continue south from WAS, starting in just a few years. They'll get rid of the engine switch long before there's any decision about more electrification.
15:00 The switch heaters in Chicago are NOT there to stop rails cracking as the cool. It's not even a likely side effect. They are used to stop water on the metal surfaces freezing and locking the points.
This is one aspect, as snow will melt when the temperature is near freezing and re-freeze back into ice which exerts a strong binding effect. However, at much colder temperature, the snow, i.e. water in one of its solid form, will fill the voids, particularly if wind-blown, and will cause the jamming of the switch machine as a result of its compressibility when it is compacted. 2024/10/24. Ontario, Canada.
Thanks for another awesome video man! As a Norwegian lucky enough to be working on the long term planning on our national rail network, I recognise many similar problems as you showcased in this vid. We have a very old rail network, and utilise a very old style of AC electrification, with a voltage and frequency of 15 kV and 16 2/3 Hz respectively. This power is fed mostly by motor generator sets placed in bunkers along the line. When our national railway NSB electrified in the 50's, they were smart enough to use self tensioning catenary wires, however, these wires were supported by a wooden poles, which means they tend to bend in moist weather, leading to the same issues described here. Sometimes they get attacked by rot and fall over too. Fortunately, the oldest sections are now replaced by modern metal poles and auto transformer systems, reducing voltage drops and efficiency losses. The more technical side of railway electrification is a very interesting topic often overlooked, especially because it tends to differ a lot between countries (and even within countries!) Thanks for covering a very impressive system I knew nothing about.
Great comment. It's nice to see an honest perspective from a foreigner instead of the usual, smug and condescending lecture on how our Railroads in America suck and why we're such awful people. This was nice.
My one issue with your comment is the “smart enough” part. It wasn’t an issue of being smart. That technology simply didn’t exist in the 1930’s, but did in the late 1950’s.
@@afcgeo882 I'm sorry, my comment wasn't intended to be deragatory. I assumed the PRR used the best technology that was available at the time. My comment was more related to the fact that our national rail network was built with old fashioned methods for quite a while, so using older style catenary systems would not have been unthinkable. We essensially built first generation railways all the way from the 1850's until the 1950's, while most other countries had long ago achieved higher speeds and capacity than us.
@@uncipaws7643 They are being replaced on the high speed, high traffic lines, mainly around Oslo. On the long-distance, lower traffic network, motor-generators will still be used, so they are being refurbished or replaced by higher performance, used sets from Germany. In those applications, MG sets work fine, and their long lifetime, overloading tolerance and ability to be transported by rail (they are mounted on railway cars) are nice advantages to have. :)
The Cable tension system with the counterweights is something I remember seeing in Germany's Catenary way back in the 70's! As soon as saw the NEC's issues, I was like the old Catenary not be able to tension the Catenary like they do in Europe is the problem
counterweighted catanary is the norm here in europe, yet our electric system doesnt break...even in italy it doesnt, and thats at least as hot as the NEC.
There are still very few variable tension systems in Europe, like in France between Bordeaux and Irùn. In Germany, constant tension catenary systems are used since 1925, with the current version using two wheels since the 1930s.
Old NEC catenary must be replaced with high-speed chain-type fully compensated catenary. Yes, Europe-type. See SiCat catenary from Siemens, for example.
Tensioning the catenary with weights is old hat for us in Europe. Even open-cast mining railways like in Germany, in the Cologne mining area or in Lusatia have something like that. Thank you for addressing this in a video about the NEC. With a modern catenary, even speeds of 400 km/h are no problem. If it is properly tensioned, the 2nd pantograph does not wobble either. In my case in Berlin, the Dresden Railway is currently being expanded. However, the catenary builders are not yet at work. As soon as they are there I will make a video of it. Greetings from Berlin/ Germany. Sven
The initial installation of over running 3rd rail by the PRR was at 600 VDC. The LIRR and the NYC subway system, at that time owned by separate companies, also used an over running 600 VDC 3rd rail. The LIRR started using 750 VDC around 1970 when the M1's arrived. The NYC subway continues to use 600 VDC as the cost of upgrading the plant and subway cars to 750 VDC would be prohibitive. Besides, the museum trains can't run on 750.
The Northeast Corridor makes me proud to live in the Northeast of the United States, I live in New Jersey. I’ve been riding it a lot to get to places anywhere I wanna go to, like New York City.
I love that the portal bridge is using the old style of catenary masts. Great video! I would love to see more electrification related videos from you. Thanks!
I was just about to say this. The Pennsys towering catenary masts are something I think should be eternal, so iconic and a severely under recognized characteristic of the Northeast. If I’m a NIMBY for anything, its those Pennsy style masts. Hopefully as the updates are made, Amtrak continues using those designs
As a NJ native i can argue the heat has not been kind to our electric locomotives we have had times when our alp46s locos pantographs have failed and collapsed due the heat ands the alp46s originally entered service in 2002! It's njt has not being looking for replacements due to the new multilevel III EMU comes soon to replace our 50 year old arrow III emu cars. the ALP46 has been the work horses for the njt electric sections for over 22 years now and we love them still and they are getting rebuild when they hit 24 years old. That being the original ALP46B. Our comets single level cars have been serving the new jersey state since the 70s! And I live on one of the most scenic njt lines that one being the NJCL. Thanks for the info about this! I'm also a kid who is 16 now and I have loved the njt trains since i was about 4 or 5. My station on NJCL with the problems and my station is Woodbridge the second station off the nec!
I can definitely see why. I point out the Arrow IIIs particularly since they've been some of the most spectacular examples that I've seen of the overarching problem, but the locomotive hauled trains are definitely not immune to it, and nor am I surprised that they are. Really hoping that this upgrade comes sooner rather than later, since this will keep happening with the old system in place, and everyone suffers for it, and I'm not surprised that the NJCL is affected by it too, since it has the same old system. I'd even say that this should come before any ideas to extend the electrification to Bay Head, if not doing it in conjunction with something like that (though I haven't heard too much about that idea, and that's more me wishcasting a bit)
@@SteveGettingAroundPhilly The problems on the NJCL should be confined to the area North of South Amboy. South of there was electrified by NJ Transit in the 1980s, and currently set for 25kV. Those wires SHOULD be constant tension. (looking around on Google Street view seems to indicate that they are)
Thank you for your excellent presentation about the North East Corridor railroad. I have traveled on this when visiting the USA and was bemused by the huge track electrification towers on the New Jersey and Southern sections. JNS Rugby, England.
I have ridden the entire line from DC to Boston. The section from New Haven to Boston has constant tension catenary and it looks and feels like a modern high speed railway line albeit with too many curves to allow for sustained high speeds. The rest of the line is indeed from a different era. As a regular rider from dc to New York, I have seen the catenary improvements between Trenton and Metro Park but I have always wondered why these couldn’t be extended all the way to Newark, NJ and beyond and between Baltimore and DC. Hopefully we will have the right leadership at Amtrak (and America) that considers the NEC as vital to the economy of the east coast. Thanks for the video.
GCT to New Haven is also constant tension. Look at the weight and pulley systems, mostly on the old masts and booms, sometimes on new masts and booms. It was upgraded by Connecticut DoT and the New York State's MTA between about 2000 and 2020. So, for NEC, constant tension begins at the interlocking of the Amtrak owned NY Connecting Railroad and the MTA owned New Haven Line in New Rochelle.
A couple of things I'll add about the video. Safe Harbor dam is not the only power source for the southern part of the NEC. Thanks to upgrades in electrical technology Amtrak has installed solid state frequency converters in several locations along the corridor. These converters step down frequency from 60Hz to 25Hz. On the south-end there's one located at Jericho Park which is about 15 miles north of Washington. This is located where a PEPCO high voltage line crosses over the corridor. I believe there's another converter at Metuchen and possibly one in the Philadelphia area. These converters allow Amtrak to draw power from the PJM grid and not just Safe Harbor. Upgrading the catenary to constant tension will not be an easy or quick job. Each track must be taken out of service for some time for the catenary to be reworked. This wasn't a major problem in New Jersey where the NEC is four tracks wide. However in Maryland and Delaware where the NEC is just two or three tracks wide this will cause a lot of delays. Yes this should be done but it will not be quick and painless. I figure Amtrak will do the straightest sections first where they can get the biggest bang for the mega bucks. In the meantime Amtrak has been installing additional "steady arms" in the catenary system to keep movement down to a minimum. The new ACELA Avelia trains will be able to operate with only one pantograph up which will reduce the standing wave problem. A 25Kv buss jumper running the length of the train will allow them to operate with only the rear pantograph raised. This buss jumper will send power through the train to the lead power unit. I'm not sure if there's enough room on top of an NJT multi-level EMU to do this. In the Philadelphia area SEPTA did cancel their order for bi-level coaches with CRRC. Maybe this is something they can look at for a future single level EMU order.
SEPTA used to have AC buses on top of the old Reading EMUs. They were removed in the 1980s. I suspect that this was due to issues in the Center City tunnel (Penn Center-Market East-Temple). The vertical and lateral curvature in that tunnel is INSANE. It really pushes things to the limit with standard-length rolling stock, which is why you get immense wheel squeal every time you go through.
To be fair, Metro-North's section of the NE Corridor from New Rochelle to New Haven is already constant tension and has been for as long as I’ve been riding it, at least 30 years.
@williammiller9584 this is also true, and I haven't heard any major issues with the wires there during these same heatwave. It's the half of the line south the NYC that's been having this problem. The northern half of the line has 99 problems, but the wires ain't one.
Not quite. 30 years ago, they were just beginning the upgrade. I clearly remember when I was younger, in the 1990s and early 2000s, seeing the distinctive catenary types that only the New Haven ever used. The triangular arrangement South of Stamford was the first to go (being the oldest), and the "floating" system between there and New Haven went in the 2010s, iirc. So, yes. It IS now constant tension, but it was most definitely NOT 30 years ago. Not at all.
Now, that's a nice piece of informative doc you've got there. I'm from Europe and when you say that Amtrak hasn't yet generalized the usage of constant tension catenary, I really got mesmerized. Over here, on this side of the pond, it is something that is a standard since the 1950s, naybe with some minor oddballs, such as some lines in Spain, electrified very early and up until the late 1960s)early 1970s, wich curiously or not, had a similar problem in the early 80s, originating notorious incidents in such important connections, such as Madrid to Málaga or Seville (their interim solution was hauling their crack Talgo trains with Diesels. This was way before the existance of high speed lines). For me, it's really crazy to operate trains at such high speeds on catenary without any form of mechanical compensation (on non compensated cat, the top speed is limited to 75 Mph), and even with the trick of inclining the wires on curves, the situation cannot be solved. The price indicated by you, for the whole project seems just right. I would only add two things: galvanized steel poles, something that seems to be the norm on new Amtrak instalations (those completely new poles at Poles at Princeton Jct, at the Portal Bridge and from New Haven to Boston seem to be of that type), and buried signaling cables, wich would get better projected against adverse weather conditions. As for frequency of the AC system, that is not a problem. For the record, Switzerland, Germany and Austria, that have a general grid working at 50 Hz have their railways electrified at 15 Kv AC, working at a frequency of 16,7 Hz. The only minor issue is the need to add converter equipment to the substations. The PRR and this system are very similar and contemporary. As for rolling stock , in terms of internal equipment, there's no difference in terms of frequency. Your notes about Amtrak rolling stock being sble to switch between different frequencies are a good example. To your idea, however, I would add a little thing. It is a small step, not very expressive (so to speak), but would also make a big difference. It has to do with superelevation in curves. Amtrak should negotiate with FRA the possibility of using Europe's standards (I'm basing myself on the French standards). Presently Amtrak has to contend with a maximum of 155 mm of superelevation, and possibly a low value of non compensated acceleration thru curves, so speed is quite limited. But with European standards superelevation could be as high as 205 mm, and maximum non compensated acceleration thru a given curve could be as high as 0,7 m/S2. The result would be quite spectacular in terms of speed upgrades , and here's an example; the curve just after Newark,NJ, going South, presently limited to 55 Mph could have a limit of 65 to 70 Mph for conventional trains and 80 for Acelas. A very nice increase that would still keep passengers comfy (speed limits in curves are applied not only due to safety but also for Passenger comfort). On your doc, there's only one thing from wich I have some doubts; speed increases above 160 Mph. I do not know what's the space between tracks, but if its under 5 meters, more than that is a no go, and it can be quite dangerous. Even with it being permitted on the center tracks there's the possibility of suction while going thru stations. Also the line should be mandatory fenced, and besides energy costs might be prohibitive (this last reason is the factor that limits present top speed of TGVs to 200 Mph, since the trains can easily teach much more)
I wonder if the Pennsylvania Railroad knew that this would be a problem? They might have thought that with the frequency of the poles between the wires and the prevailing weather conditions in the Northeastern United States at the time, it never really got hotter than around 90 F or 34 C beyond the rare heatwave and the fact that their MU rolling stock was built to be slower than their GG1 locomotive led trains and those had a max of 100 MPH they might not have thought it needed upgrading, and by the time they had the Metroliners they were so badly in debt that they probably couldn't afford to fix it without the government's help. They went bankrupt not more than half a decade after they received the Metroliners from lack of revenue from freight due to the deindustrialization of the Northeast and the costs incurred from running all of their services and the deferred maintenance from how badly they abused their infrastructure during World War II to keep up with war time demand. Nixon created Amtrak in response to that bankruptcy to let passenger rail die slowly because he didn't realize how essential it was to that region and we we're at the height of automobile hype. So, yes it should have been corrected a long time ago, but the politics of how the railroads of the United States were constructed and then treated and how much politicians saw it as a zombie industry made that difficult if not impossible until relatively recently.
Ironically the problem here is that it’s a relic of a time when the US was actually ahead of the game on electrification. The variable tension setup was built between 1915 and 1937, and constant tension wasn’t standard yet. Aside from the part of the NEC from New Haven to Boston, *de*-electrification has been the name of the game on US railways since then, so there are few examples of constant tension catenary in use here.
Oh, believe me, we are well aware of the suction problem. When the Metroliner was being developed in the 1960s, the commuter EMU that formed the backbone of local services on the Corridor was the MP54, which was a mixture of new-build and steam coach conversions dating variously back to the early 1900s (they operated the first Pennsylvania Railroad AC electric services in 1915 out of Philadelphia). Although they had steel bodies, most of them still had wooden frames and sashes for their windows. When the high speed tests began, they had windows shattered and pulled out of their frames. Needless to say, massive restrictions had to be put in place to ensure that only the newest variants (such as the MP54E6) with aluminum sashes were allowed to be near Metroliners when they were going full tilt. One good thing about the Pennsylvania (and the US in general) is that the track spacing tends to be relatively high. The most notable exception is the section between New York and New Haven, which was the first mainline AC electrification ever (1905-1917). The tracks on that section are more closely spaced, and when that is combined with the curvature, speeds are generally restricted to 75 MPH (120 KPH) at most. Unfortunately, that are happens to consist of some of the priciest residential real estate in the WORLD, wetlands, small hills made of solid rock, a major highway, and some business districts. And that stretch is owned by the State of Connecticut, not Amtrak. So rebuilding it is going to be TOUGH-at last I heard, the maintenance backlog might take several more decades to rectify, due to the aging bridges and right of way. They DID replace pretty much all the wires, but many of the catenary portals are still original (though spot-repairs apparently allow them to remain for some time to come). So, that's New Haven-Boston brand new in general, New York-New Haven either recently rebuilt or soon to be (the Hutchinson River Bridge will be replaced and there are various projects through New York City itself), and New York-Newark generally getting rebuilt with Gateway (the tunnel, Portal Bridge, the Sawtooth Bridges, and DOCK bridge combined make up the bulk of the route, and the rest should be relatively easy to add on to those projects). That leaves Newark-New Brunswick to be rebuilt, followed by Hamilton-Philadelphia-Newark. The Susquehanna River Bridge and the Douglass tunnel should have enough ancillaries to cover a large portion of Maryland. But still, that's some pretty good progress on that front.
@@00Zy99 I'm aware of New Rochelle (CP215, actually) to New Haven being the weak link on the NEC, . It has been akways. Not being Amtrak owned makes things a little more difficult. Some limitations became even more apparentl when Amtrak was testing the Acela early this century a little before service launch. I think that up to this day trainsets still need to operate rhat section with the titling mechanism disabled. The best solution for that section is really a complete rebuilt, comprising everything from trackbed to catenary and structures, and even if that eventually gets done, geometry would prevent higher speeds. I only see 2 sections where proper speeds could be reached, and in some cases some minor geometry tweaks would be possible. From a point just after Hell Gate bridge to some 10 or 15 miles after New Rochelle, with reconfiguration of the junction at CP216, good for 100 or maybe 110 Mph, and just after Bridgeport all the way to New Haven: 125 Mph. As for the rest, and yet some singular points would remain, maybe 80 or 90/95 if tilting can be abled
NEC is finally getting funding. Combine this with hopefully next generation Acelas rolling out and this will have a huge impact. Currently Acela is fleet limited and new Acelas will be larger and more numerous which should significantly generate more NEC revenue for Amtrak
This was an absolutely fantastic video to watch and a very important one too! I'm a railfan on the Morris & Essex Line and during one of the really hot days (June 24th) , I witnessed a train, a set of General Electric Arrow III EMUs (which you brought up and the video of the ones without the NJ Transit logo on the front at 20:27 is actually quite rare), leave my local station, Short Hills, and then back up back into the station due to sagging wires just outside of Summit. I've got a video of it on my channel (uploaded on June 25th). The M&E is much newer than the NEC and it's starting to have problems which is very worrying. Also at 9:14, that locomotive in the picture, has one of the most badass sounding horns ever made. It's NJ Transit's last K5LLB and I have a video of that as well that I uploaded on August 17th. It's insanely loud and the sound it makes is fantastic.
@jonharris9259 honestly would've loved to have that! I know I'll be returning to this topic in future videos on the NEC, and I'd love to get info from those who know!
There are several old-school discussion forums that are still active and still frequented by Amtrak employees and retirees who know about the NEC and its electrification. You should be able to find a lot of information in those forums.
There are indeed comprehensive plans for the NEC; they can be found as the “Connect NEC” documents available on the NEC Commission’s website. Once the Arrow sets are all replaced in service it should theoretically be possible to convert the section from New York going south, potentially as far as Trenton, to 25kv, depending on where exactly the transformer zones are. This may allow cost savings by using more standard designs for the new electrical equipment, reducing energy losses and allowing more or faster trains (depending on other constraints), and it may reduce operational complexity by eliminating some power changeovers (particularly on the NJT system). Constant tension catenary and heavier wires would likely be part of that. If I remember correctly, part of why the catenary upgrade in New Jersey was so expensive and took so long was because of poor condition of existing masts, and difficulty replacing them because they also carry non-railway utility lines. I assume these issue would be present in many other locations on the corridor as well. As part of the Gateway project most or all of the catenary will be replaced between NY Penn and Newark NJ. That’s 10 miles off of the overall length needing work, at least.
I seem to recall that the Arrows are good for 25kv. I know that at least some of the Silverliner IVs are capable of switching on the fly, and the rest could do so at a station. The Arrow III is the slightly younger cousin. And they operate under 25kv on the ex-Lackawanna lines anyway! It seems to me, then, that the only question is whether or not they can switch on the fly.
...and I was answered in the film. Apparently the Arrows CAN'T actually switch on the fly. Huh?! That makes no sense, given that the Silverliner IVs were built with this ability.
NJ transit also supposedly got a shipment of 50/60 faulty pantographs. For an increased amount of fun, they don't know which pantographs they are or which locomotives have them. So behind the wire issues, the pantographs also fail from time to time. I have seen an increased amount of mechanical peeps keeping an eye on trains along the corridor, which I think is a good thing although I'm not sure how much it is truly helping.
Thanks for the good work you did for us. As a European I’d say, let’s address the Elefant in the room; you should try to change your system of funding. For example only one powerplant for a very long stretch of the route wouldn’t be the standard here. At least we would organise a backup system to get electricity from the grid at different points. Regardless of technical issues today we also have to have in mind to have a solution in the case of an attack.
What an informative video! I live near and railfan the NEC and this was extremely interesting! I did not know that the Conowingo Dam powers the whole thing. Plus great stuff about the catenary. I hear that creeking sound often and its creepy.
I lived on the Jersey Shore for 21 years until recently when I moved back to my home state. NJT has more issues than just bad wires. It was about 70 minutes to NYC Penn Station from where I lived on the Jersey Shore. They raised they eliminated weekend fares and started charging the full $40.00 daily round trip rate. When ever it snowed, "Choo Choo don't go." The trains always seemed to be delayed/stuck in snow. The tracks are so close to sea level and ini low lying areas, that when there was a heavy rain, again, "Choo Choo don't go." The expensive ticket for a pleasure trip caused me to stop riding the train completely.
I don't even live in the Northeast but, over the span of 40 years, I have used different segments of the NEC to travel between DC & Baltimore, DC & Philadelphia, and northern NJ (where the hotels are reasonably affordable) & NYC. It is a MUCH better option than driving around those regions (which I have also done). I enjoyed your video and have subbed.
What’s really absurd is that this years ‘heat wave’ wasn’t even THAT bad. The highs during it were barely hitting 100 whereas last year and the year before we had quite a few stretches of 100+ degree days. It’s really been an awful showing by Amtrak and I’m thankful I don’t rely on the train to get to work
Careful there. Someone might suggest you are climate change denier.... Not too long ago in the UK, they were calling 18 degrees celsius a heatwave.....
I was in San Antonio this year and I'll needlessly say that the weather is just constant heatwave 24/7 that it made me appreciate that I live in the Northeast (besides the NEC). But strangely SA did made me feel more tolerant to constant heatwave...
It’s not about the maximum temperatures reached, but about the overall heat through the summer. This summer has had higher average temps than summers for many, many years. That makes the wires stretch over time as metal is more pliable when heated. If you heat them hotter, but for only short stretches they don’t have time to stretch as much before cooling down.
@@afcgeo882 Wasn't there some controversy on how that's measured though? Where it used to be the average temperature throughout the day, and now it's just highest temperature of that day
The Safe Harbor dam is not the only source of NEC power. it is something like 80 MW of 150+ MW currently used by NEC. There are number of conversion stations along the line. Most are at former NEC power plant locations. NEC had multiple power plants along the rail line. All fossil fuel except the Safe Harbor Dam. Amtrak kept the Safe Harbor Dam and replaced the fossil fuel power plants with conversion stations. The station convert the regular grid power from 60 Hz power to 25 Hz power, also change the voltage. Some are sold state, others are analog(spinning motors/generators).
This was a pretty good and informative video. Another video could be done on the unique 11,000 volt 25Hz single phase electric system from NY to Washington. Also the rotary converters that created this current.
I'd always believed that the chief technical issues with the NEC involved track geometry. I'm reminded by your expository that improvements in the catenary wiring are of relatively equal value. Thank you for sharing your insights
I really enjoyed this video. I have ridden Amtrak from Boston all the way to Tampa Florida including the Auto Train. I want to see the NEC be as efficient as possible. Really looking forward to the new Aceola's coming out. Just one question, who or what is Wendover?
Pantograph "Bounce" and Catenary Wave Propagation was a highly researched Subject when developing High Speed Trains. Japan's Shinkansen uses very short Pantographs, and only a few per Train. The French chose to run a Power Bus across the Roof of the TGV to power both Power Cars from one Pantograph. The British chose an interesting, yet in its way prescient, Solution: Put the Power Cars of the Prototype "Advanced Passenger Train" (APT) in the Center of the Train, connecting them with Jumpers if working in Multiple. Part of what came out of their Research was that high speed operation of "Push-Pull" sets was practical, and now common around the World.
German Intercity Express (ICE): ICE1 1st generation (1990) has two power cars with separate HV supply from 2 pantographs ICE2 (a short version, can be used in pairs, 1996) has only one power car ICE3 (1999) 4 out of 8 cars are power cars, all electrical and traction systems underfloor, all European electrical systems from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC supported, one pantograph ICE4 (2017) 3 to 7 power cars out of 7 to 13 cars, one pantograph
One thing that I have to think about with these technical problems and major infrastructure rebuilds that are taking place now and that will come in the future, is the problem that the NEC doesn't have any back-up route, and if it goes down, it does so completely. Here in Germany, we're seeing several major infrastructure works this year with several main lines being closed, one even for half a year. Our luck is that we have route alternatives, meaning although it will take longer, many trains can still run between the same city pairs, even if the most direct routes are out of use. I think that a similar course of action should be taken where possible for the NEC, and the prime candidate for first implementation is Newark, NJ-Philadelphia. Whilst it would be ridiculous to build major infrastructure only for diversions, this region has the potential to provide a diversionary route during emergencies and regular regional/commuter rail during normal periods. Basically, I'm proposing the creation of an electrified NJ Transit regional rail line from Newark along the existing Raritan Valley Line to Bridgewater and then onto the Trenton Sub to West Trenton, where it would meet the existing electrified Septa line. In the Philly area a choice would have to be made, whether to let the diversion route simply follow the West Trenton Line or whether to electrify and upgrade the Trenton Sub tracks between Neshaminy Falls and Cheltenham and then use the Fox Chase Line's trackage. Finally, a new connecting curve would need to be built at North Philly to allow trains to access 30th Street on the NEC level. To allow for at least somewhat speedy journeys, any straight and gently curved sections of track on this diversionary route should be upgraded to 100mph running. I believe regulation in the US allows such speeds with level crossings, and indeed, grade separation isn't strictly necessary for such a route. What is necessary is the installation of proper safe crossing gates. This means quad gates with hanging guards that prevent people from sneaking underneath barriers. We use them in Germany and they work very well. Emergency bays in the fencing could be provided around crossings for people who for whatever reason got stuck between the gates to seek protection in. I think at first glance at least such a route would make sense, as it can serve both an everyday and an extraordinary function. A backbone for a megaregion the size of many countries should not be as vulnerable as it currently is.
As someone who lives in NJ and regularly takes the NEC to DC, this video was incredibly enlightening. There isn't a soul in NJ that will claim NJ Transit brings joy into their lives, but videos like this help explain why so many problems exist and what can be done about them instead of just complaining about them.
I was an Amtrak OBS cafe attendant during the '80s and '90s. I remember not only the AEM7s but the E60s. I was involved in more than one train that pulled the wires down, especially in very hot or very cold weather. A lesser known issue with voltage back then was the difference during that period in the voltage between the PRR part of the NEC and New Haven part. When I first hired on not every electric motor could travel the entire distance from DC to NH due to the voltage difference (I do not know the exact voltages involved back then). Anyway, there were notes on which motors were qualified to go beyond NYP, and trains doing so were supposed to get one of those units. I was working the northbound Montrealer one night and someone didn't catch the fact that our motor (it might have been an E60, which #60/61 often got since the consist had Heritage baggage cars and coaches and couldn't go over 110 mph anyway, so a 90 mph E60 was a better use of power) was not so equipped. We got to the voltage change on MetroNorth and it zapped our motor's HEP circuit and we ran without hotel power the rest of the way to New Haven. I'm sure that's not the first or only time that ever happened.
To be clear, it was the poorly designed HEP circuits in the E60 that were incapable. The locomotive itself was fine. This tracks well with the use of GG1s for through trains up to New Haven, and my picture of a New Haven EP-3 under wires at PSNY (and the fact that the same class of locomotive was borrowed by the Pennsylvania for testing and the development of the GG1). The GG1 (and EP-3) had steam heat, which meant that they needed generator cars when they hauled Amfleets.
That's interesting, i didn't go through the many changes of changes between HEP. My generation was on the changeouts from F40 to AEM7 in New Haven and then in 2001 there was no longer any changeouts.
@@pashon4percushon E60s had an alternate way of generating HEP, rather than just through transformers, called Motor Alternator (MA). There was a motor that took whatever the input voltage was and mechanically drove an alternator that put out 480V three phase power for the cars. I know that many of the E60s had that, I don't know how many. I'm guessing that was the original way they produced HEP when they were delivered.
@@paulw.woodring7304 oh ok, I heard through a video documentary the E60s couldn't be MU'd and if there were two used a second engineer was needed. Some people have been judgmental when i mention this but I saw a pic of an F40 hauling three E60s and the F40 lost its brakes.
Prior to the upgrades in 2000, I believe a portion of the line immediately north of New York Penn Station was electrified at 12kV 60Hz, and in that area a lot of the EMUs were not capable of handling that frequency.
NJT problems have been so bad this summer that Governor Murphy has announced a transit fare holiday for all NJ TRANSIT customers from August 26th through September 2nd, 2024. During this period, fares will be waived for all modes of transportation.
Fun fact about the PRR GG1's: they remained in operation on the NEC until 1980, and on NJT's North Jersey Coastline route until 1983. I don't think any other locomotive of 1930s vintage can claim to have remained in regular service into the age of home video game consoles. Imagine being a kid in North Philly circa 1979, playing the Atari 2600 in your parents' living room while just a few miles away, Amtrak's Silver Star is arriving at 30th St. Station with a pair of black GG1's on the point. It's kind of surreal to think such an ocurrence probably took place on a regular basis at one time.
It almost like the quiet catenary improvements the MTA and CDOT did to metro north was very much worth it. Also successfully converting from 25hz to 60hz so normal grid power could be used.
Yep, though most modern EMUs trainsets don't use a catenary pantograph, every car or other car. And considering they're there for commuter and regional rail traffic, they don't need to be adjustable by one or two cars to fit demand, so they probably should be no smaller than three cars per set with the ability to run them in multiple.
32:06 the reason why the frequency is a non-issue is because modern locomotives use *variable* frequency AC motors, produced by a controller that is essentially fed DC voltage, which is rectified AC from the overhead catenary.
But the low frequency make you have to use a larger and heavier transformer on the train. Running 25kV 60Hz fed from the grid is the most efficient way to power the line.
@@sjokomelk Correct until the 1980s. Since then new locomotives don't use transformers at the line frequency anymore, at least in developed countries outside the US. The input voltage is rectified to DC and converted to the needed motor voltage and frequency. The first generation still used thyristors, since >20 years IGBTs. - Even the Acela 1st generation uses the electrical system of the French TGV, which has no mains transformer.
@@Henning_Rech Ahhh. I was under the impression that even modern Traxx and similar used a transformer from 15/25kV AC to 1500V AC before rectifying and inverting it to motor voltage. And also using a transformer for the head-end power, since wagons use 1000V 16,7Hz or 1500V 50Hz in Europe.
@@sjokomelkIt appears that Amtrak won't convert the southern NEC to 60 Hz because it would be costly as it is unnecessary. Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland also haven't indicated a desire to convert their 16 2/3 Hz tractive power to 50 Hz. Besides, much modern rolling stock uses 3-phase AC traction motors, so unless the tractive power is DC, the AC will be rectified and then inverted to variable-frequency variable voltage (VVVF) for the AC traction motors.
Looking forward to your video on Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore. It has been a lively topic of discussion in Baltimore, and there have been some changes to using more blasting and less TBM which has some neighbors uncomfortable. I know this isn’t an Amtrak specific video, but Baltimore Penn Station has seen so many improvements of its physical plant. Plus Amtrak owns a lot of adjacent land around the station that is suitable for development. Part of making Amtrak NEC more successful is using all of its real estate to generate revenue where possible, not having to depend primarily on the fickle whims of Congress or digging into rider pockets yet further.
It’s astonishing for me as a European to see these problems your railways are dealing with… Don’t the catenaries have counter weights to keep the tension in variable temperatures ? The coupling of the multiple units have no electrical connectivity and need their pantographs ?
The new catenaries are constant tension, the older catenaries aren't. They're probably going to be replaced in the near future with the Gateway program
It's standard here to have electric power connections between cars for "hotel power", powering heating, lighting, air conditioning, etc., but that's tremendously lower power than the traction power.
Well, the Arrows (and most North American MUs) are 1-2 car sets instead of the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 car sets common in Europe. While the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin electric railroad did use inter-car jumpers for traction, that was only for 600VDC third rail to avoid being ‘gapped’. Some higher-voltage MUs (the Lackawanna 3KVDC and Reading units) had high-voltage rubbing-plates at roof height also, but still only ran at 80-90 MPH at most.
Interesting and Informative Video. One key factor to mention for the $3+ Billion dollar replacement of Northeast Corridor catenary is safety. Constant tension catenary is mounted on breakaway catenary poles secured on top of concrete pedestals with shear bolts which safely breakaway if hit by a derailing train. As was shown with the wreck of Amtrak 188 in Philadelphia in May 2015, the consequences of a derailing train hitting the massive, immovable Pennsylvania Railroad catenary poles that are imbedded in concrete is horrific.
Excellent Video! A lot of this information is stuff I didn’t know myself about the corridor! We need to move the process forward with high speed rail in this country and we need to do it fast! We need to keep America’s Passenger Rail Line and grow it!
Nicely done. I take the NEC every week from NYC (home) to Wash (office). Along with the Gateway construction, I am seeing new cat towers going up both north and south off NYC. Whatever the costs, the improvements will be worth it. These trains are always packed and railroads still are the best method of intercity transit from NYC.
It’s an interesting production. Some years ago (1994) I did travel from Boston to Washington along that route (with a few days in NY), and didn’t know anything about the set up of the overhead line electrification (OLE), although I noticed via signage etc that it operated at reduced frequency, not your standard 60 Hz. As a (now retired) engineer in the UK, the financial problems to with the upgrade is quite familiar. While I was a railway signalling engineer, I was familiar with a lot of electrification and permanent way issues that my colleagues dealt with in detail. A project that ended up with financial difficulties recently was the Great Western Main Line one, which got out of jail on account of many of the new trains being dual mode, made by Hitachi, so instead of electrifying the whole route, it ended part way. There are services between London & Cardiff that carry a fair bit of unused diesel generators and fuel etc that are not used en route, unfortunately. At present it is electrified from London Paddington to Cardiff, and to Newbury and Chippenham only, at 25 kV on the contact wires with 50 kV transmission most of the way from grid connections via autotransformers set up to -25/0/+25 roughly every 10 km or so. Part of the problem can be unbalanced loads with grid connections. Sometimes being a relatively small customer at the point of delivery can be tolerable, sometimes not. There are some locations elsewhere at which modern “static frequency converters” (SFC) which actually rectify the incoming 3 phase, and generate the output required for the contact wiring. A bit like frequency changing, I suppose, and no doubt with some thermal waste as well. Constant tension has long been the norm on 25 kV OLE in the UK, much of it using weight loads, but the latest sections use spring tension. There are some stretches that use overhead contact rail where there is not enough clearance otherwise - typically old tunnels that are too tight otherwise.
I ride once a week from Philly to NYC. It’s been fun watching the Portal construction. Didn’t realize it isn’t going to be live until 2027! Seems like they are farther along than that. Thanks for that information. Great piece.
32:06 That is not my problem with the 25Hz of the line. The benefit in switching to 60Hz is that you connect it to the national grid, which makes load distribution and power management a whole lot easier. Not to mention, it lets you run more trains on the line without requiring additional power systems dedicated for 25Hz. You can simply pull the extra from the grid and it's surplus capacity.
The portal bridge is bad for the specific reason is that when the old bridge realigns for use, the four rails rarely match up. So now there are multiple people manning that bridge. There is the person operating it, and two other Amtrak workers at each end of the bridge to confirm the rails are aligned with the static rails. Amtrak is desperate to replace this bridge as the manpower to run it is more costly than ever to ensure the bridge is safe to use. This has been reported by the local news multiple times the last few years because the bridge is so bad.
Great Stuff! I am a Amtrak locomotive and you hit it dead on. The Catenary needs to be replaced, there is no way around it. Granted it will take some years but it needs to happen. Along with power and signal upgrades. The Acelas can make the trip from NYC to DC in less than 2 hours and 20mins if given the chance. The Arrow 3s are limited to 80mph. The Silverliner 4s are good for 100mph.
I live in Southwest Connecticut, Fairfield County and recently they've upgraded all the overhead wires here to a style like to have over in Europe, where you have approximately 2000 foot wire that's anchored at one end and has counterweights at the other end. It lets The Wire expand and contract and still stay nice and taught. And drastically reduces any sagging in those wires, which is typically where you find the problems with the overhead lines getting caught and coming down. Since it is the Northeast corridor I assumed they were doing similar work up-and-down the 400 miles. But just from the video I see in the first few minutes. It looks like in New Jersey. They still have the old style of wires which are clamped and welded directly to support which go to another wire, which are then directly hung from The gantries. In a style that gives no ability to expand and contract without sagging. When trains are doing less than 50 miles an hour. This is not a problem, but when trains are doing over a 100. This is a very big problem. The sheer dynamic energy transmitted to those wires moves that extra slack around far beyond what the pantographs can absorb.
The NEC is amazing but I wish the entire corridor could run trains at 220mph. I don’t know if that’s possible with the current track geometry or rolling stock though
Definitely not with the tight curves found on the section New Rochelle - New Haven. Hilarious just thinking about at a train attempting 220mph thru Jenkins Curve (Bridgeport, CT)!
YOOO, I didn’t know safe harbor supplies energy to the NEC I thought it was just power for homes, I used to fish off of safe harbor, Best catfishing I’ve ever done. Very good video and a great explanation on the problem 😁
16.7Hz is very common for mainline rail in central Europe, including high speed lines. Sure if built from scratch it would be grid frequency but it's not bad enough to justify the effort it would take to change it now.
Originally, the choice of low frequency a.c. was done to permit the use of a.c. traction motors (mainly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland) . The alternative was d.c. overhead at either 1500 or 3000 V. Industrial frequency 25 kV became practical when it became possible to make high current rectifiers fitted to rolling stock, so that they had d.c. traction motors, which came to life when parts of the SNCF were being updated after world war 2. Of course, power electronics has moved on and these days variable frequency motors are common, so in effect, low frequency supplies are out of date - as long as all the old trains are not required.
As a pro. driver out of Chicago, the east coast from the Bay Bridge in Maryland to at least Boston needs as much help as it can get to move people. Other than that, it already takes as much as an hour just to cross the George Washington bridge.
The NJT double-decker EMU's look like the current loco-hauled stock. Thus wouldn't it make sense to have them be able to work with the diesel engines on the NJCL south of Long Branch and service to Hackettstown (Montclair-Boonton should be electrified to Dover because Morris & Essex) so we can technically get duel-mode service without having to get dedicated battery-electrics/duel-mode locomotives or MU's- even if priority is to replace the Arrow III's outside the Dinky (which SEPTA could always use temporarily and send their locomotive-hauled sets to MARC's corridor services in hopes of moving some Penn Line equipment to the other 2 lines-likely the Camden line as I feel there's no excuse that it should have a similar amount of MARC trains to Baltimore as the Penn Line)
It surprised me to hear that variable tension wires were used for this electrification anyway. Even at the maximum speed of 100mph in the old times this may not have been very stable. It explains why the pantograph shoes are so wide. In the video tele shots you see how far the wires sag, and this sagging gives room for horizontal standing waves behind the pantograph throwing the wire from side to side. Here in Europe I don't know better as long as I live that all main line electrification uses constant tension, as I noticed these tensioning weights everywhere on electric railways. Constant tension was used in general already from when countries like Switzerland, Germany and Norway started electrification around 1900. catenary that uses variable tension I do know is mostly on streetcars and low speed sidings and branch lines where speeds do not exceed 60km/h or 40mph. Rebuilding the system to constant tension is very well possible without having to replace everything. it can be done when the contact wires need replacement, something that needs to be done every 20-30 years anyway on such well used infrastructure. It's normally the contact wire only that is tensioned but on high speed lines where the speed is above 100mph also the supportive wire is tensioned to get the smallest amount of sag possible. One section between tensioners is approximately 1 mile.
Minor correction: Safe Harbor Dam CAN supply power to the entire corridor but my understanding is that it actually doesn’t do so consistently. Safe Harbor, PA, Lamokin, PA and Jericho Park, MD all have 25Hz generators that supply power to the southern portion of the Northeast Corridor, between Philadelphia and D.C., as well as the Keystone route to Harrisburg. Port Richmond, PA, Metuchen, NJ and Sunnyside, NY are the locations of the other three sets of 25Hz generators and they supply power to the northern portion of the corridor between Philadelphia and New York. There are circuit breakers and section switches in substations located at Perryville, MD and Philadelphia that allow the 138kV lines to be sectioned and switched as needed. My understanding is that both of them are currently configured in such a way that the two sides of the Corridor can be electrically separated and operate as two separate ‘grids’. I have read many discussion threads from Amtrak employees who have discussed the original PRR electrical design and the subsequent changes as the 25Hz electrification has changed since the creation of Conrail, and they have all spoken at length about the things I’ve mentioned here. I also have some dead-tree books on the PRR electrification that have talked about the original design and some of the reasons why Perryville and Philadelphia have these circuit breakers.
I use to watch Amtrak and MBTA F40PH runbys (along with P&W) were i grew up on the NHSLE in the 80s. One of my favorites was witnessing the changeouts from F40s and AEM7s. I have alot of memories, but one weird memory was in 2001 after NHSLE was electrified, i looked at the schedule from Bos to DC and saw it had been shortened by 15 minutes. This meant that New Haven was no longer a HEP changeout. So i took the train to New York, and when we pulled into New Haven, we didn't do the typical 10min slow crawl through the switches, we flew into the station and took off, I was like Wow that was weird.
Makes it all the better, since the current tracks between Manhattan and Newark are firmly at capacity. Four tunnel tubes and four tracks over the bridge will really help clear things up, and with Portal North looking like it will open in a reasonable time frame, seems like that will happen sooner versus later.
I think that what a lot of Americans aren't aware of is that 20% of the GDP in the United States is generated within the Boston - Washington megalopolis. If the NEC is not maintained into the future, it could have significant though indirect economic consequences for the rest of the country
I'm currently seeing the electrification of 1966 between Bruck an der Mur and Graz being replaced. That was fully tensioned from the beginning (though with a common counterweight for the carrying wire and the contact wire). With time, wires wear out, and here they are actually replacing the whole system including masts, which leads to some sections of the line being temporarily operated as single-track line while working on the other track. On the Northeast corridor they will have to replace the wire after so many decades anyway, and I'm truly baffled that the non-tensioned system has held up so long. On a four-track line it should be possible to upgrade the system without too much interruption.
So basically all we need to do is upgrade the catenary to modern standards between DC and NYC then build a bypass line in LI and upgrade the greenport line it was supposed to be part of the OG NEC time to finish
This is what happens when you hire airline executives to run a railroad. I’ve worked for Amtrak for 32 years. It’s so sad to see the lack of standards allowed. I’m actually embarrassed to say I work there.
Your comment sounds very much like what I see at Via Rail (Canada) where knowledge of railroading is far less important than being bilingual! 2024/10/24. Ontario, Canada.
Your thumbnail depicts ‘Northend Electrification’ (North of New Haven, CT) and trackage which is actually the most effective part of the NEC. The problem lies under the ‘Southend Electrification’ wires (South of New Haven, CT). Amtrak is responsible for all operations and maintenance of the NEC and its catenary but does NOT own the whole route. Only the infrastructure South of New Haven is “Insanely old” the oldest infrastructure North of that point are station buildings and certain alignments in CT. This video really only applies to CT,NY,NJ,DE,PA,MD and DC. Otherwise I have enjoyed this well made video.
Not true for New Rochelle (Mount Vernon), NY to New Haven-State Street, CT. There the line is owned by the NY MTA in New York, and by Connecticut DOT in Connecticut (they do capital projects and the MTA does the day-to-day maintenance). And they have upgraded the catenary to the constant tension system the last 30 years, finishing up in 2018. So electric catenary sytem on the NEC uses constant tension from Boston to New Rochelle NY. And that section had none of the problems that the New Jersey section had, even when the MTA also uses electric train sets with a pantograph every two cars.
No mention of the New Haven Line? Conn. DoT and the MTA upgraded its century old catenary to constant tension reusing most the the century old support structures. It took about 20 years, but Metro-North's M8 cars, similar to NJT's Arrow car, with multiple pantographs, no longer get tangled and trains can run on schedule even in summer heat waves.
@PeterBlack-nl5hy This is true. Learned of this after I finished recording the script, and I'll definitely talk about this in the future, since I am bound to talk about the New Haven line as I discuss the NEC. The CTC they got there is a good start, but that route has a lot of issues in its own right.
Question: Can the older Pennsy catenary not be sectionalized physically--modified--into constant-tensioned catenary and distance between supports (every 250-300 feet, I think) whilst retaining the original Pennsy inclined catenary without having to replace it and add additional closely-spaced catenary supports? I believe that Amtrak refurbished its Metuchen, NJ, rotary frequency converter because the older rotary frequency changers handle transient and fault currents better than the electronic frequency convertors. Thus, it seems that in addition to the Safe Harbour dam isn't the only source for 25 Hz traction power, what with 60 Hz to 25 Hz frequency convertors in NJ.
That's pretty much what they did when they upgraded the Jersey Racetrack, so it is most certainly possible. Also, about the power sources stuff, you are right, that was a mistake in my research, and one that does definitely bugs me that I was able to miss. Apparently there are seven power sources for the southern half of the NEC, and while Safe Harbor is still a significant one, it's not the only one. Definitely working to make sure that doesn't happen again.
A great video Steve, on par with Thom's 'Trains are Awesome'. It's a pity you can't just wave a magic wand and convert the NEC to 25kV 50Hz AC power supply throughout the entire length of the service from Boston to Washington, DC. It would solve many problems and remove the unsightly current arrangement of pylons and catenary. This would be the starting point of the wand-waving exercise. While at it, you could install the wires in a zigzag configuration as we have in Europe, so that a deep groove in the pantograph is avoided. Looking further afield outside the NEC, kick out the freight companies (and indeed Amtrak) ownership of all railway lines and have the entire US railway infrastructure placed under an independent but a government controlled, at arms' length company. Examples in Europe are ProRail (NL), Network Rail (UK), ADIF, (ES) and DB InfraGO (DE) etc. This system works and ensures equitable use of networks by freight companies and passenger trains. This is some long magic wand required isn't it? In the meantime, you're at the beck and call of politicians and their control over federal and state finances and in the meantime the rail network suffers under the strain of its antiquated infrastructure. Best of luck!
Great video. Good luck with the upgrades. It's great to see support for the best ever mode of transport. One issue that you did not address is why is your catenary and home designed trains so damn ugly?
Hi all, Steve here to issue a correction on one of the things I alluded too in the video. I discussed at one point rail maintenance crews setting switches on fire, and mentioned them as a way to prevent the rails from snapping in cold temperatures. While that is certainly a side effect of this process, it's not the main reason why it is done, as it, along with the set up of track heating devices on certain lines are primarily for melting ice and snow off the track, which is a pretty obvious safety risk that these techniques do a good job at countering. Most rail breaks are generally caused by fatigue cracks and not being replaced or attended to in time before they do. Sorry about that one.
Edit: Another, arguable more significant error was that Safe Harbor is not the only power supply for the southern half of the NEC, there are actually seven of them across the length of the route. I honestly don't know how that was missed, and I largely got my sourcing from the Wikipedia (boo, hiss) article on Amtrak's 25 Hz power supply for the route (yes, it has it's own Wikipedia article), and it only mentions Safe Harbor on it's diagram. This mistake honestly bugs me, and when I (spoiler alert) launch my Discord server next week, I will have a section dedicated to research on the topics, as well as a place to call out errors in said research.
I definitely want to improve on my research for future videos, as anyone should want to, so that will be one of the keys in to this channel going forward. Keep calling me out on my errors, since I want to learn from any potential errors and not be seen as someone who has all the answers. I do not demand glory, only results and knowledge.
Excellent video. I would like to make one comment - the heating of the rails in turnout areas, particularly in terminals, is done to prevent the seizing up of the switch points as a result of obstructions and/or compressions from the presence of snow or ice from frozen snow-melts. This is a localized issue - it reflects the fact that turnouts are amongst the major points of failure on a railway; in other words, they are the weakest link in the chain. As for the possibility of a "rail pull-apart", this is not limited to the turnout areas, as it is of concern across the whole of the line. There are engineering solutions to address the issue, such as using rail expansion frogs on approaches to bridges. This however is not a commonly used method, as jointed rails in a critical area are often seen as being more cost-effective. Thanks again for your excellent video. 2024/08/30. Ontario, Canada.
In January 1978, at Arlington VA, looking at Potomac freight yard from the Howard Johnson's airport hotel, I did see fires at freezing snowy track switches.
Also, the 60Hz upgrade isn't as expensive as everyone has been saying, and it's more about versatility and reliability than anything else
I think sometimes about how the NEC wasn't fully electrified from DC all the way to Boston until the late 90's and just truly recent that was on railroading timeframes. It's almost hard to imagine what the corridor would be like without full overhead electrification. And it's a reminder that electrifying further South down to Richmond isn't nearly as impossible as it seems, especially with how resource starved Amtrak was in the 90's and 2000's
@himbourbanist it's what can happen when your agency has ambition and the drive to do good with the resources it has. Amtrak definitely had that in the 90s, and I want to see more of that spirit back with the boom in ridership its been experiencing. I can see bits of it with the Airo order and the new Acelas to a lesser extent, but don't think it's quite at the level it needs to be to push these vital projects through. Yes, Amtrak has a lot on its plate already, but I'd love to see more since I don't think it's impossible.
Thank you for this well explained video.
And lawmakers that are willing to get the money and tell Class 1s to get the hell out of the way of we will take the route. @@SteveGettingAroundPhilly
The problem isn’t primarily capital; it’s operational efficiency. Right now, there is single location where trains swap diesel and electric locomotives: Washington. If they electrify down to Richmond, they need two locations where swapping happens: Richmond for trains that run through Richmond, and Washington for trains that do not run through Richmond. The proposal effectively doubled the amount of resources needed to make diesel-electric swaps into/out-of the NEC. If they only electrify to Richmond, they’re committing to major long term operational inefficiencies just to benefit a handful of trains. This the real reason why Amtrak will not pursue electrification to Richmond.
@@jonathanstensberg Amtrak is moving to dual-mode for all trains that continue south from WAS, starting in just a few years. They'll get rid of the engine switch long before there's any decision about more electrification.
15:00 The switch heaters in Chicago are NOT there to stop rails cracking as the cool. It's not even a likely side effect. They are used to stop water on the metal surfaces freezing and locking the points.
This is one aspect, as snow will melt when the temperature is near freezing and re-freeze back into ice which exerts a strong binding effect. However, at much colder temperature, the snow, i.e. water in one of its solid form, will fill the voids, particularly if wind-blown, and will cause the jamming of the switch machine as a result of its compressibility when it is compacted. 2024/10/24. Ontario, Canada.
Thanks for another awesome video man!
As a Norwegian lucky enough to be working on the long term planning on our national rail network, I recognise many similar problems as you showcased in this vid. We have a very old rail network, and utilise a very old style of AC electrification, with a voltage and frequency of 15 kV and 16 2/3 Hz respectively. This power is fed mostly by motor generator sets placed in bunkers along the line.
When our national railway NSB electrified in the 50's, they were smart enough to use self tensioning catenary wires, however, these wires were supported by a wooden poles, which means they tend to bend in moist weather, leading to the same issues described here. Sometimes they get attacked by rot and fall over too. Fortunately, the oldest sections are now replaced by modern metal poles and auto transformer systems, reducing voltage drops and efficiency losses. The more technical side of railway electrification is a very interesting topic often overlooked, especially because it tends to differ a lot between countries (and even within countries!) Thanks for covering a very impressive system I knew nothing about.
Great comment. It's nice to see an honest perspective from a foreigner instead of the usual, smug and condescending lecture on how our Railroads in America suck and why we're such awful people. This was nice.
My one issue with your comment is the “smart enough” part. It wasn’t an issue of being smart. That technology simply didn’t exist in the 1930’s, but did in the late 1950’s.
@@afcgeo882 I'm sorry, my comment wasn't intended to be deragatory. I assumed the PRR used the best technology that was available at the time. My comment was more related to the fact that our national rail network was built with old fashioned methods for quite a while, so using older style catenary systems would not have been unthinkable. We essensially built first generation railways all the way from the 1850's until the 1950's, while most other countries had long ago achieved higher speeds and capacity than us.
Are the rotating motor-generator sets being replaced by static inverters?
@@uncipaws7643 They are being replaced on the high speed, high traffic lines, mainly around Oslo. On the long-distance, lower traffic network, motor-generators will still be used, so they are being refurbished or replaced by higher performance, used sets from Germany. In those applications, MG sets work fine, and their long lifetime, overloading tolerance and ability to be transported by rail (they are mounted on railway cars) are nice advantages to have. :)
The Cable tension system with the counterweights is something I remember seeing in Germany's Catenary way back in the 70's! As soon as saw the NEC's issues, I was like the old Catenary not be able to tension the Catenary like they do in Europe is the problem
The counterweight system is commonplace here in Europe,
counterweighted catanary is the norm here in europe, yet our electric system doesnt break...even in italy it doesnt, and thats at least as hot as the NEC.
There are still very few variable tension systems in Europe, like in France between Bordeaux and Irùn. In Germany, constant tension catenary systems are used since 1925, with the current version using two wheels since the 1930s.
Old NEC catenary must be replaced with high-speed chain-type fully compensated catenary. Yes, Europe-type. See SiCat catenary from Siemens, for example.
Tensioning the catenary with weights is old hat for us in Europe. Even open-cast mining railways like in Germany, in the Cologne mining area or in Lusatia have something like that. Thank you for addressing this in a video about the NEC. With a modern catenary, even speeds of 400 km/h are no problem. If it is properly tensioned, the 2nd pantograph does not wobble either. In my case in Berlin, the Dresden Railway is currently being expanded. However, the catenary builders are not yet at work. As soon as they are there I will make a video of it. Greetings from Berlin/ Germany. Sven
Hey! Good to see you here! I always love watching your Dresdnerbahn videos. Thanks for reminding me to go back and check.
Dude the Portal North Bridge is a really good project - it's such a huge step forward
The initial installation of over running 3rd rail by the PRR was at 600 VDC. The LIRR and the NYC subway system, at that time owned by separate companies, also used an over running 600 VDC 3rd rail. The LIRR started using 750 VDC around 1970 when the M1's arrived. The NYC subway continues to use 600 VDC as the cost of upgrading the plant and subway cars to 750 VDC would be prohibitive. Besides, the museum trains can't run on 750.
The Northeast Corridor makes me proud to live in the Northeast of the United States, I live in New Jersey. I’ve been riding it a lot to get to places anywhere I wanna go to, like New York City.
NJ on top!
I love that the portal bridge is using the old style of catenary masts. Great video! I would love to see more electrification related videos from you. Thanks!
I was just about to say this. The Pennsys towering catenary masts are something I think should be eternal, so iconic and a severely under recognized characteristic of the Northeast. If I’m a NIMBY for anything, its those Pennsy style masts. Hopefully as the updates are made, Amtrak continues using those designs
As a NJ native i can argue the heat has not been kind to our electric locomotives we have had times when our alp46s locos pantographs have failed and collapsed due the heat ands the alp46s originally entered service in 2002! It's njt has not being looking for replacements due to the new multilevel III EMU comes soon to replace our 50 year old arrow III emu cars. the ALP46 has been the work horses for the njt electric sections for over 22 years now and we love them still and they are getting rebuild when they hit 24 years old. That being the original ALP46B. Our comets single level cars have been serving the new jersey state since the 70s! And I live on one of the most scenic njt lines that one being the NJCL. Thanks for the info about this! I'm also a kid who is 16 now and I have loved the njt trains since i was about 4 or 5. My station on NJCL with the problems and my station is Woodbridge the second station off the nec!
I can definitely see why. I point out the Arrow IIIs particularly since they've been some of the most spectacular examples that I've seen of the overarching problem, but the locomotive hauled trains are definitely not immune to it, and nor am I surprised that they are. Really hoping that this upgrade comes sooner rather than later, since this will keep happening with the old system in place, and everyone suffers for it, and I'm not surprised that the NJCL is affected by it too, since it has the same old system. I'd even say that this should come before any ideas to extend the electrification to Bay Head, if not doing it in conjunction with something like that (though I haven't heard too much about that idea, and that's more me wishcasting a bit)
22 years is not old for an electric locomotive, 50+ is.
@@SteveGettingAroundPhilly The problems on the NJCL should be confined to the area North of South Amboy. South of there was electrified by NJ Transit in the 1980s, and currently set for 25kV. Those wires SHOULD be constant tension. (looking around on Google Street view seems to indicate that they are)
Thank you for your excellent presentation about the North East Corridor railroad. I have traveled on this when visiting the USA and was bemused by the huge track electrification towers on the New Jersey and Southern sections. JNS Rugby, England.
I have ridden the entire line from DC to Boston. The section from New Haven to Boston has constant tension catenary and it looks and feels like a modern high speed railway line albeit with too many curves to allow for sustained high speeds. The rest of the line is indeed from a different era. As a regular rider from dc to New York, I have seen the catenary improvements between Trenton and Metro Park but I have always wondered why these couldn’t be extended all the way to Newark, NJ and beyond and between Baltimore and DC. Hopefully we will have the right leadership at Amtrak (and America) that considers the NEC as vital to the economy of the east coast. Thanks for the video.
GCT to New Haven is also constant tension. Look at the weight and pulley systems, mostly on the old masts and booms, sometimes on new masts and booms. It was upgraded by Connecticut DoT and the New York State's MTA between about 2000 and 2020. So, for NEC, constant tension begins at the interlocking of the Amtrak owned NY Connecting Railroad and the MTA owned New Haven Line in New Rochelle.
A couple of things I'll add about the video.
Safe Harbor dam is not the only power source for the southern part of the NEC. Thanks to upgrades in electrical technology Amtrak has installed solid state frequency converters in several locations along the corridor. These converters step down frequency from 60Hz to 25Hz. On the south-end there's one located at Jericho Park which is about 15 miles north of Washington. This is located where a PEPCO high voltage line crosses over the corridor. I believe there's another converter at Metuchen and possibly one in the Philadelphia area. These converters allow Amtrak to draw power from the PJM grid and not just Safe Harbor.
Upgrading the catenary to constant tension will not be an easy or quick job. Each track must be taken out of service for some time for the catenary to be reworked. This wasn't a major problem in New Jersey where the NEC is four tracks wide. However in Maryland and Delaware where the NEC is just two or three tracks wide this will cause a lot of delays. Yes this should be done but it will not be quick and painless. I figure Amtrak will do the straightest sections first where they can get the biggest bang for the mega bucks. In the meantime Amtrak has been installing additional "steady arms" in the catenary system to keep movement down to a minimum.
The new ACELA Avelia trains will be able to operate with only one pantograph up which will reduce the standing wave problem. A 25Kv buss jumper running the length of the train will allow them to operate with only the rear pantograph raised. This buss jumper will send power through the train to the lead power unit. I'm not sure if there's enough room on top of an NJT multi-level EMU to do this. In the Philadelphia area SEPTA did cancel their order for bi-level coaches with CRRC. Maybe this is something they can look at for a future single level EMU order.
SEPTA used to have AC buses on top of the old Reading EMUs. They were removed in the 1980s. I suspect that this was due to issues in the Center City tunnel (Penn Center-Market East-Temple). The vertical and lateral curvature in that tunnel is INSANE. It really pushes things to the limit with standard-length rolling stock, which is why you get immense wheel squeal every time you go through.
To be fair, Metro-North's section of the NE Corridor from New Rochelle to New Haven is already constant tension and has been for as long as I’ve been riding it, at least 30 years.
@williammiller9584 this is also true, and I haven't heard any major issues with the wires there during these same heatwave. It's the half of the line south the NYC that's been having this problem. The northern half of the line has 99 problems, but the wires ain't one.
Not quite. 30 years ago, they were just beginning the upgrade. I clearly remember when I was younger, in the 1990s and early 2000s, seeing the distinctive catenary types that only the New Haven ever used. The triangular arrangement South of Stamford was the first to go (being the oldest), and the "floating" system between there and New Haven went in the 2010s, iirc.
So, yes. It IS now constant tension, but it was most definitely NOT 30 years ago. Not at all.
Now, that's a nice piece of informative doc you've got there. I'm from Europe and when you say that Amtrak hasn't yet generalized the usage of constant tension catenary, I really got mesmerized. Over here, on this side of the pond, it is something that is a standard since the 1950s, naybe with some minor oddballs, such as some lines in Spain, electrified very early and up until the late 1960s)early 1970s, wich curiously or not, had a similar problem in the early 80s, originating notorious incidents in such important connections, such as Madrid to Málaga or Seville (their interim solution was hauling their crack Talgo trains with Diesels. This was way before the existance of high speed lines). For me, it's really crazy to operate trains at such high speeds on catenary without any form of mechanical compensation (on non compensated cat, the top speed is limited to 75 Mph), and even with the trick of inclining the wires on curves, the situation cannot be solved. The price indicated by you, for the whole project seems just right. I would only add two things: galvanized steel poles, something that seems to be the norm on new Amtrak instalations (those completely new poles at Poles at Princeton Jct, at the Portal Bridge and from New Haven to Boston seem to be of that type), and buried signaling cables, wich would get better projected against adverse weather conditions.
As for frequency of the AC system, that is not a problem. For the record, Switzerland, Germany and Austria, that have a general grid working at 50 Hz have their railways electrified at 15 Kv AC, working at a frequency of 16,7 Hz. The only minor issue is the need to add converter equipment to the substations. The PRR and this system are very similar and contemporary. As for rolling stock , in terms of internal equipment, there's no difference in terms of frequency. Your notes about Amtrak rolling stock being sble to switch between different frequencies are a good example.
To your idea, however, I would add a little thing. It is a small step, not very expressive (so to speak), but would also make a big difference. It has to do with superelevation in curves. Amtrak should negotiate with FRA the possibility of using Europe's standards (I'm basing myself on the French standards). Presently Amtrak has to contend with a maximum of 155 mm of superelevation, and possibly a low value of non compensated acceleration thru curves, so speed is quite limited. But with European standards superelevation could be as high as 205 mm, and maximum non compensated acceleration thru a given curve could be as high as 0,7 m/S2. The result would be quite spectacular in terms of speed upgrades , and here's an example; the curve just after Newark,NJ, going South, presently limited to 55 Mph could have a limit of 65 to 70 Mph for conventional trains and 80 for Acelas. A very nice increase that would still keep passengers comfy (speed limits in curves are applied not only due to safety but also for Passenger comfort).
On your doc, there's only one thing from wich I have some doubts; speed increases above 160 Mph. I do not know what's the space between tracks, but if its under 5 meters, more than that is a no go, and it can be quite dangerous. Even with it being permitted on the center tracks there's the possibility of suction while going thru stations. Also the line should be mandatory fenced, and besides energy costs might be prohibitive (this last reason is the factor that limits present top speed of TGVs to 200 Mph, since the trains can easily teach much more)
I wonder if the Pennsylvania Railroad knew that this would be a problem? They might have thought that with the frequency of the poles between the wires and the prevailing weather conditions in the Northeastern United States at the time, it never really got hotter than around 90 F or 34 C beyond the rare heatwave and the fact that their MU rolling stock was built to be slower than their GG1 locomotive led trains and those had a max of 100 MPH they might not have thought it needed upgrading, and by the time they had the Metroliners they were so badly in debt that they probably couldn't afford to fix it without the government's help. They went bankrupt not more than half a decade after they received the Metroliners from lack of revenue from freight due to the deindustrialization of the Northeast and the costs incurred from running all of their services and the deferred maintenance from how badly they abused their infrastructure during World War II to keep up with war time demand. Nixon created Amtrak in response to that bankruptcy to let passenger rail die slowly because he didn't realize how essential it was to that region and we we're at the height of automobile hype. So, yes it should have been corrected a long time ago, but the politics of how the railroads of the United States were constructed and then treated and how much politicians saw it as a zombie industry made that difficult if not impossible until relatively recently.
Ironically the problem here is that it’s a relic of a time when the US was actually ahead of the game on electrification. The variable tension setup was built between 1915 and 1937, and constant tension wasn’t standard yet. Aside from the part of the NEC from New Haven to Boston, *de*-electrification has been the name of the game on US railways since then, so there are few examples of constant tension catenary in use here.
Here in Switzerland, SBB even owns a few power plants that directly generate power in 16.7hz, eliminating the need for converters
Oh, believe me, we are well aware of the suction problem. When the Metroliner was being developed in the 1960s, the commuter EMU that formed the backbone of local services on the Corridor was the MP54, which was a mixture of new-build and steam coach conversions dating variously back to the early 1900s (they operated the first Pennsylvania Railroad AC electric services in 1915 out of Philadelphia). Although they had steel bodies, most of them still had wooden frames and sashes for their windows. When the high speed tests began, they had windows shattered and pulled out of their frames. Needless to say, massive restrictions had to be put in place to ensure that only the newest variants (such as the MP54E6) with aluminum sashes were allowed to be near Metroliners when they were going full tilt.
One good thing about the Pennsylvania (and the US in general) is that the track spacing tends to be relatively high. The most notable exception is the section between New York and New Haven, which was the first mainline AC electrification ever (1905-1917). The tracks on that section are more closely spaced, and when that is combined with the curvature, speeds are generally restricted to 75 MPH (120 KPH) at most. Unfortunately, that are happens to consist of some of the priciest residential real estate in the WORLD, wetlands, small hills made of solid rock, a major highway, and some business districts. And that stretch is owned by the State of Connecticut, not Amtrak. So rebuilding it is going to be TOUGH-at last I heard, the maintenance backlog might take several more decades to rectify, due to the aging bridges and right of way. They DID replace pretty much all the wires, but many of the catenary portals are still original (though spot-repairs apparently allow them to remain for some time to come).
So, that's New Haven-Boston brand new in general, New York-New Haven either recently rebuilt or soon to be (the Hutchinson River Bridge will be replaced and there are various projects through New York City itself), and New York-Newark generally getting rebuilt with Gateway (the tunnel, Portal Bridge, the Sawtooth Bridges, and DOCK bridge combined make up the bulk of the route, and the rest should be relatively easy to add on to those projects). That leaves Newark-New Brunswick to be rebuilt, followed by Hamilton-Philadelphia-Newark. The Susquehanna River Bridge and the Douglass tunnel should have enough ancillaries to cover a large portion of Maryland. But still, that's some pretty good progress on that front.
@@00Zy99 I'm aware of New Rochelle (CP215, actually) to New Haven being the weak link on the NEC, . It has been akways. Not being Amtrak owned makes things a little more difficult. Some limitations became even more apparentl when Amtrak was testing the Acela early this century a little before service launch. I think that up to this day trainsets still need to operate rhat section with the titling mechanism disabled. The best solution for that section is really a complete rebuilt, comprising everything from trackbed to catenary and structures, and even if that eventually gets done, geometry would prevent higher speeds. I only see 2 sections where proper speeds could be reached, and in some cases some minor geometry tweaks would be possible. From a point just after Hell Gate bridge to some 10 or 15 miles after New Rochelle, with reconfiguration of the junction at CP216, good for 100 or maybe 110 Mph, and just after Bridgeport all the way to New Haven: 125 Mph. As for the rest, and yet some singular points would remain, maybe 80 or 90/95 if tilting can be abled
NEC is finally getting funding. Combine this with hopefully next generation Acelas rolling out and this will have a huge impact. Currently Acela is fleet limited and new Acelas will be larger and more numerous which should significantly generate more NEC revenue for Amtrak
March 26
Keep in mind the only way it continues to get significant funding is for Democrats to control the House, Senate, and Presidency after this election.
This was an absolutely fantastic video to watch and a very important one too!
I'm a railfan on the Morris & Essex Line and during one of the really hot days (June 24th) , I witnessed a train, a set of General Electric Arrow III EMUs (which you brought up and the video of the ones without the NJ Transit logo on the front at 20:27 is actually quite rare), leave my local station, Short Hills, and then back up back into the station due to sagging wires just outside of Summit. I've got a video of it on my channel (uploaded on June 25th). The M&E is much newer than the NEC and it's starting to have problems which is very worrying. Also at 9:14, that locomotive in the picture, has one of the most badass sounding horns ever made. It's NJ Transit's last K5LLB and I have a video of that as well that I uploaded on August 17th. It's insanely loud and the sound it makes is fantastic.
Very interesting!
As a former Catenary Lineman, I wish I could have helped you with your report !
@jonharris9259 honestly would've loved to have that! I know I'll be returning to this topic in future videos on the NEC, and I'd love to get info from those who know!
There are several old-school discussion forums that are still active and still frequented by Amtrak employees and retirees who know about the NEC and its electrification. You should be able to find a lot of information in those forums.
great explaination!
quick note, @ 10:38 it should be voltage not current :D
There are indeed comprehensive plans for the NEC; they can be found as the “Connect NEC” documents available on the NEC Commission’s website.
Once the Arrow sets are all replaced in service it should theoretically be possible to convert the section from New York going south, potentially as far as Trenton, to 25kv, depending on where exactly the transformer zones are. This may allow cost savings by using more standard designs for the new electrical equipment, reducing energy losses and allowing more or faster trains (depending on other constraints), and it may reduce operational complexity by eliminating some power changeovers (particularly on the NJT system). Constant tension catenary and heavier wires would likely be part of that.
If I remember correctly, part of why the catenary upgrade in New Jersey was so expensive and took so long was because of poor condition of existing masts, and difficulty replacing them because they also carry non-railway utility lines. I assume these issue would be present in many other locations on the corridor as well.
As part of the Gateway project most or all of the catenary will be replaced between NY Penn and Newark NJ. That’s 10 miles off of the overall length needing work, at least.
I seem to recall that the Arrows are good for 25kv. I know that at least some of the Silverliner IVs are capable of switching on the fly, and the rest could do so at a station. The Arrow III is the slightly younger cousin.
And they operate under 25kv on the ex-Lackawanna lines anyway! It seems to me, then, that the only question is whether or not they can switch on the fly.
...and I was answered in the film. Apparently the Arrows CAN'T actually switch on the fly. Huh?! That makes no sense, given that the Silverliner IVs were built with this ability.
@@00Zy99 I assume some part has to be manually switched out or something like that. Whatever it is can't be done while in service
@@andrewreynolds4949 Keep watching the video-it says as much. A switch has to be manually flipped on the outside of the car.
Very very informative, I like this, the entire Northeast Corridor and Keystone Corridor lines should be constant tension catenary!!!
For future reference, the town of Kearney, NJ is pronounced like "carny".
Was wondering about that, since I've heard both. Thanks!
@@SteveGettingAroundPhillyNothing in NJ or Mass is pronounced the way it’s written.
@@afcgeo882and Long Island
@@afcgeo882 Yup like Spuyten Duyvil!
@@intrepidfox37 That’s actually pronounced EXACTLY like it’s written.
NJ transit also supposedly got a shipment of 50/60 faulty pantographs. For an increased amount of fun, they don't know which pantographs they are or which locomotives have them. So behind the wire issues, the pantographs also fail from time to time.
I have seen an increased amount of mechanical peeps keeping an eye on trains along the corridor, which I think is a good thing although I'm not sure how much it is truly helping.
Thanks for the good work you did for us. As a European I’d say, let’s address the Elefant in the room; you should try to change your system of funding. For example only one powerplant for a very long stretch of the route wouldn’t be the standard here. At least we would organise a backup system to get electricity from the grid at different points. Regardless of technical issues today we also have to have in mind to have a solution in the case of an attack.
10:47 that “here” and my subsequent “🧐 wait a minute” hit hard as an Enola Low Grade fan
Finally someone who knows what they're talking about! thank the heavens!
Please make more videos!
What an informative video! I live near and railfan the NEC and this was extremely interesting! I did not know that the Conowingo Dam powers the whole thing. Plus great stuff about the catenary. I hear that creeking sound often and its creepy.
Almost all supervised fires on tracks are set to melt ice off switch points. You deliver an excellent presentation..
I lived on the Jersey Shore for 21 years until recently when I moved back to my home state. NJT has more issues than just bad wires. It was about 70 minutes to NYC Penn Station from where I lived on the Jersey Shore. They raised they eliminated weekend fares and started charging the full $40.00 daily round trip rate. When ever it snowed, "Choo Choo don't go." The trains always seemed to be delayed/stuck in snow. The tracks are so close to sea level and ini low lying areas, that when there was a heavy rain, again, "Choo Choo don't go."
The expensive ticket for a pleasure trip caused me to stop riding the train completely.
Fantastic job!!! I learned so much. Thank You
Unexpectedly good video, keep it up 👍
The new portal bridge, they are finally getting new Hudson River tunnels, the future is looking bright for the NEC.
Wonderful documentary on the NEC.... Thanks for sharing your research with us...
I don't even live in the Northeast but, over the span of 40 years, I have used different segments of the NEC to travel between DC & Baltimore, DC & Philadelphia, and northern NJ (where the hotels are reasonably affordable) & NYC. It is a MUCH better option than driving around those regions (which I have also done). I enjoyed your video and have subbed.
What’s really absurd is that this years ‘heat wave’ wasn’t even THAT bad. The highs during it were barely hitting 100 whereas last year and the year before we had quite a few stretches of 100+ degree days. It’s really been an awful showing by Amtrak and I’m thankful I don’t rely on the train to get to work
Careful there. Someone might suggest you are climate change denier....
Not too long ago in the UK, they were calling 18 degrees celsius a heatwave.....
Seem's this summer hotter. Last year not asbad in Buck's Co. Every year is different.
I was in San Antonio this year and I'll needlessly say that the weather is just constant heatwave 24/7 that it made me appreciate that I live in the Northeast (besides the NEC). But strangely SA did made me feel more tolerant to constant heatwave...
It’s not about the maximum temperatures reached, but about the overall heat through the summer. This summer has had higher average temps than summers for many, many years. That makes the wires stretch over time as metal is more pliable when heated. If you heat them hotter, but for only short stretches they don’t have time to stretch as much before cooling down.
@@afcgeo882 Wasn't there some controversy on how that's measured though? Where it used to be the average temperature throughout the day, and now it's just highest temperature of that day
The Safe Harbor dam is not the only source of NEC power. it is something like 80 MW of 150+ MW currently used by NEC. There are number of conversion stations along the line. Most are at former NEC power plant locations. NEC had multiple power plants along the rail line. All fossil fuel except the Safe Harbor Dam. Amtrak kept the Safe Harbor Dam and replaced the fossil fuel power plants with conversion stations. The station convert the regular grid power from 60 Hz power to 25 Hz power, also change the voltage. Some are sold state, others are analog(spinning motors/generators).
To this day, the rotary (analog) frequency converters handle transient and fault currents better than electronic converters.
This was a pretty good and informative video. Another video could be done on the unique 11,000 volt 25Hz single phase electric system from NY to Washington. Also the rotary converters that created this current.
Fantastic video!! So well researched and presented. I’m new to your channel and just subscribed! 🎉
I'd always believed that the chief technical issues with the NEC involved track geometry. I'm reminded by your expository that improvements in the catenary wiring are of relatively equal value. Thank you for sharing your insights
I really enjoyed this video. I have ridden Amtrak from Boston all the way to Tampa Florida including the Auto Train. I want to see the NEC be as efficient as possible. Really looking forward to the new Aceola's coming out. Just one question, who or what is Wendover?
Wendover Productions
Pantograph "Bounce" and Catenary Wave Propagation was a highly researched Subject when developing High Speed Trains.
Japan's Shinkansen uses very short Pantographs, and only a few per Train.
The French chose to run a Power Bus across the Roof of the TGV to power both Power Cars from one Pantograph.
The British chose an interesting, yet in its way prescient, Solution: Put the Power Cars of the Prototype "Advanced Passenger Train" (APT) in the Center of the Train, connecting them with Jumpers if working in Multiple. Part of what came out of their Research was that high speed operation of "Push-Pull" sets was practical, and now common around the World.
German Intercity Express (ICE):
ICE1 1st generation (1990) has two power cars with separate HV supply from 2 pantographs
ICE2 (a short version, can be used in pairs, 1996) has only one power car
ICE3 (1999) 4 out of 8 cars are power cars, all electrical and traction systems underfloor, all European electrical systems from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC supported, one pantograph
ICE4 (2017) 3 to 7 power cars out of 7 to 13 cars, one pantograph
One thing that I have to think about with these technical problems and major infrastructure rebuilds that are taking place now and that will come in the future, is the problem that the NEC doesn't have any back-up route, and if it goes down, it does so completely.
Here in Germany, we're seeing several major infrastructure works this year with several main lines being closed, one even for half a year. Our luck is that we have route alternatives, meaning although it will take longer, many trains can still run between the same city pairs, even if the most direct routes are out of use.
I think that a similar course of action should be taken where possible for the NEC, and the prime candidate for first implementation is Newark, NJ-Philadelphia. Whilst it would be ridiculous to build major infrastructure only for diversions, this region has the potential to provide a diversionary route during emergencies and regular regional/commuter rail during normal periods. Basically, I'm proposing the creation of an electrified NJ Transit regional rail line from Newark along the existing Raritan Valley Line to Bridgewater and then onto the Trenton Sub to West Trenton, where it would meet the existing electrified Septa line.
In the Philly area a choice would have to be made, whether to let the diversion route simply follow the West Trenton Line or whether to electrify and upgrade the Trenton Sub tracks between Neshaminy Falls and Cheltenham and then use the Fox Chase Line's trackage. Finally, a new connecting curve would need to be built at North Philly to allow trains to access 30th Street on the NEC level.
To allow for at least somewhat speedy journeys, any straight and gently curved sections of track on this diversionary route should be upgraded to 100mph running. I believe regulation in the US allows such speeds with level crossings, and indeed, grade separation isn't strictly necessary for such a route. What is necessary is the installation of proper safe crossing gates. This means quad gates with hanging guards that prevent people from sneaking underneath barriers. We use them in Germany and they work very well. Emergency bays in the fencing could be provided around crossings for people who for whatever reason got stuck between the gates to seek protection in.
I think at first glance at least such a route would make sense, as it can serve both an everyday and an extraordinary function. A backbone for a megaregion the size of many countries should not be as vulnerable as it currently is.
As someone who lives in NJ and regularly takes the NEC to DC, this video was incredibly enlightening. There isn't a soul in NJ that will claim NJ Transit brings joy into their lives, but videos like this help explain why so many problems exist and what can be done about them instead of just complaining about them.
I was an Amtrak OBS cafe attendant during the '80s and '90s. I remember not only the AEM7s but the E60s. I was involved in more than one train that pulled the wires down, especially in very hot or very cold weather. A lesser known issue with voltage back then was the difference during that period in the voltage between the PRR part of the NEC and New Haven part. When I first hired on not every electric motor could travel the entire distance from DC to NH due to the voltage difference (I do not know the exact voltages involved back then). Anyway, there were notes on which motors were qualified to go beyond NYP, and trains doing so were supposed to get one of those units. I was working the northbound Montrealer one night and someone didn't catch the fact that our motor (it might have been an E60, which #60/61 often got since the consist had Heritage baggage cars and coaches and couldn't go over 110 mph anyway, so a 90 mph E60 was a better use of power) was not so equipped. We got to the voltage change on MetroNorth and it zapped our motor's HEP circuit and we ran without hotel power the rest of the way to New Haven. I'm sure that's not the first or only time that ever happened.
To be clear, it was the poorly designed HEP circuits in the E60 that were incapable. The locomotive itself was fine. This tracks well with the use of GG1s for through trains up to New Haven, and my picture of a New Haven EP-3 under wires at PSNY (and the fact that the same class of locomotive was borrowed by the Pennsylvania for testing and the development of the GG1). The GG1 (and EP-3) had steam heat, which meant that they needed generator cars when they hauled Amfleets.
That's interesting, i didn't go through the many changes of changes between HEP. My generation was on the changeouts from F40 to AEM7 in New Haven and then in 2001 there was no longer any changeouts.
@@pashon4percushon E60s had an alternate way of generating HEP, rather than just through transformers, called Motor Alternator (MA). There was a motor that took whatever the input voltage was and mechanically drove an alternator that put out 480V three phase power for the cars. I know that many of the E60s had that, I don't know how many. I'm guessing that was the original way they produced HEP when they were delivered.
@@paulw.woodring7304 oh ok, I heard through a video documentary the E60s couldn't be MU'd and if there were two used a second engineer was needed. Some people have been judgmental when i mention this but I saw a pic of an F40 hauling three E60s and the F40 lost its brakes.
Prior to the upgrades in 2000, I believe a portion of the line immediately north of New York Penn Station was electrified at 12kV 60Hz, and in that area a lot of the EMUs were not capable of handling that frequency.
NJT problems have been so bad this summer that Governor Murphy has announced a transit fare holiday for all NJ TRANSIT customers from August 26th through September 2nd, 2024. During this period, fares will be waived for all modes of transportation.
Be interesting to see how this affects non-train travel during that window.
Fun fact about the PRR GG1's: they remained in operation on the NEC until 1980, and on NJT's North Jersey Coastline route until 1983. I don't think any other locomotive of 1930s vintage can claim to have remained in regular service into the age of home video game consoles. Imagine being a kid in North Philly circa 1979, playing the Atari 2600 in your parents' living room while just a few miles away, Amtrak's Silver Star is arriving at 30th St. Station with a pair of black GG1's on the point. It's kind of surreal to think such an ocurrence probably took place on a regular basis at one time.
Great insight. I live near and watch trains on the NEC often. I never knew that the catenary was problematic in that manner.😮
It almost like the quiet catenary improvements the MTA and CDOT did to metro north was very much worth it. Also successfully converting from 25hz to 60hz so normal grid power could be used.
Sure the EMUs don’t help with the wires, but so many other places run EMUs under wires with no problem. Fix the damn wires
Yep, though most modern EMUs trainsets don't use a catenary pantograph, every car or other car. And considering they're there for commuter and regional rail traffic, they don't need to be adjustable by one or two cars to fit demand, so they probably should be no smaller than three cars per set with the ability to run them in multiple.
@@timothystamm3200f
32:06 the reason why the frequency is a non-issue is because modern locomotives use *variable* frequency AC motors, produced by a controller that is essentially fed DC voltage, which is rectified AC from the overhead catenary.
But the low frequency make you have to use a larger and heavier transformer on the train. Running 25kV 60Hz fed from the grid is the most efficient way to power the line.
I always got a kick out of German 16 2/3 Hz train power frequency.
@@sjokomelk Correct until the 1980s. Since then new locomotives don't use transformers at the line frequency anymore, at least in developed countries outside the US. The input voltage is rectified to DC and converted to the needed motor voltage and frequency. The first generation still used thyristors, since >20 years IGBTs. - Even the Acela 1st generation uses the electrical system of the French TGV, which has no mains transformer.
@@Henning_Rech Ahhh. I was under the impression that even modern Traxx and similar used a transformer from 15/25kV AC to 1500V AC before rectifying and inverting it to motor voltage. And also using a transformer for the head-end power, since wagons use 1000V 16,7Hz or 1500V 50Hz in Europe.
@@sjokomelkIt appears that Amtrak won't convert the southern NEC to 60 Hz because it would be costly as it is unnecessary. Norway, Sweden, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland also haven't indicated a desire to convert their 16 2/3 Hz tractive power to 50 Hz.
Besides, much modern rolling stock uses 3-phase AC traction motors, so unless the tractive power is DC, the AC will be rectified and then inverted to variable-frequency variable voltage (VVVF) for the AC traction motors.
Looking forward to your video on Frederick Douglass Tunnel in Baltimore. It has been a lively topic of discussion in Baltimore, and there have been some changes to using more blasting and less TBM which has some neighbors uncomfortable.
I know this isn’t an Amtrak specific video, but Baltimore Penn Station has seen so many improvements of its physical plant. Plus Amtrak owns a lot of adjacent land around the station that is suitable for development. Part of making Amtrak NEC more successful is using all of its real estate to generate revenue where possible, not having to depend primarily on the fickle whims of Congress or digging into rider pockets yet further.
It’s astonishing for me as a European to see these problems your railways are dealing with…
Don’t the catenaries have counter weights to keep the tension in variable temperatures ?
The coupling of the multiple units have no electrical connectivity and need their pantographs ?
The new catenaries are constant tension, the older catenaries aren't. They're probably going to be replaced in the near future with the Gateway program
It's standard here to have electric power connections between cars for "hotel power", powering heating, lighting, air conditioning, etc., but that's tremendously lower power than the traction power.
@@charliesullivan4304
I know…but the European Scharfenberg- coupling can do that…
Well, the Arrows (and most North American MUs) are 1-2 car sets instead of the 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 car sets common in Europe. While the Chicago, Aurora and Elgin electric railroad did use inter-car jumpers for traction, that was only for 600VDC third rail to avoid being ‘gapped’. Some higher-voltage MUs (the Lackawanna 3KVDC and Reading units) had high-voltage rubbing-plates at roof height also, but still only ran at 80-90 MPH at most.
Why not watch the video?
Interesting and Informative Video. One key factor to mention for the $3+ Billion dollar replacement of Northeast Corridor catenary is safety. Constant tension catenary is mounted on breakaway catenary poles secured on top of concrete pedestals with shear bolts which safely breakaway if hit by a derailing train. As was shown with the wreck of Amtrak 188 in Philadelphia in May 2015, the consequences of a derailing train hitting the massive, immovable Pennsylvania Railroad catenary poles that are imbedded in concrete is horrific.
Fantastic work!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
NJT is running on 50 year technology. It was 75f and they were complaining about heat. It's 2024 it's time to not have these problems.
Thanks for a well researched video with excellent visuals!
Excellent Video! A lot of this information is stuff I didn’t know myself about the corridor! We need to move the process forward with high speed rail in this country and we need to do it fast! We need to keep America’s Passenger Rail Line and grow it!
Nicely done. I take the NEC every week from NYC (home) to Wash (office). Along with the Gateway construction, I am seeing new cat towers going up both north and south off NYC. Whatever the costs, the improvements will be worth it. These trains are always packed and railroads still are the best method of intercity transit from NYC.
What high quality and well researched content!
Nice video! BTW - The Town of Kearny, Hudson County, New Jersey is pronounced CARN-E. 👌
It’s an interesting production. Some years ago (1994) I did travel from Boston to Washington along that route (with a few days in NY), and didn’t know anything about the set up of the overhead line electrification (OLE), although I noticed via signage etc that it operated at reduced frequency, not your standard 60 Hz.
As a (now retired) engineer in the UK, the financial problems to with the upgrade is quite familiar. While I was a railway signalling engineer, I was familiar with a lot of electrification and permanent way issues that my colleagues dealt with in detail.
A project that ended up with financial difficulties recently was the Great Western Main Line one, which got out of jail on account of many of the new trains being dual mode, made by Hitachi, so instead of electrifying the whole route, it ended part way. There are services between London & Cardiff that carry a fair bit of unused diesel generators and fuel etc that are not used en route, unfortunately.
At present it is electrified from London Paddington to Cardiff, and to Newbury and Chippenham only, at 25 kV on the contact wires with 50 kV transmission most of the way from grid connections via autotransformers set up to -25/0/+25 roughly every 10 km or so. Part of the problem can be unbalanced loads with grid connections. Sometimes being a relatively small customer at the point of delivery can be tolerable, sometimes not. There are some locations elsewhere at which modern “static frequency converters” (SFC) which actually rectify the incoming 3 phase, and generate the output required for the contact wiring. A bit like frequency changing, I suppose, and no doubt with some thermal waste as well.
Constant tension has long been the norm on 25 kV OLE in the UK, much of it using weight loads, but the latest sections use spring tension. There are some stretches that use overhead contact rail where there is not enough clearance otherwise - typically old tunnels that are too tight otherwise.
I ride once a week from Philly to NYC. It’s been fun watching the Portal construction. Didn’t realize it isn’t going to be live until 2027! Seems like they are farther along than that. Thanks for that information. Great piece.
32:06 That is not my problem with the 25Hz of the line. The benefit in switching to 60Hz is that you connect it to the national grid, which makes load distribution and power management a whole lot easier. Not to mention, it lets you run more trains on the line without requiring additional power systems dedicated for 25Hz. You can simply pull the extra from the grid and it's surplus capacity.
The portal bridge is bad for the specific reason is that when the old bridge realigns for use, the four rails rarely match up. So now there are multiple people manning that bridge. There is the person operating it, and two other Amtrak workers at each end of the bridge to confirm the rails are aligned with the static rails. Amtrak is desperate to replace this bridge as the manpower to run it is more costly than ever to ensure the bridge is safe to use. This has been reported by the local news multiple times the last few years because the bridge is so bad.
Love your channel! Keep it coming. Any paid services so I can support?
I'm considering that! I'll be making some firm decisions on that this coming week!
Will you make a vid about VIA rail in the "Quebec-Windsor corridor" in Canada? There are some plans for high frequency/speed rail you could talk about
Outstanding report!
Great Stuff! I am a Amtrak locomotive and you hit it dead on. The Catenary needs to be replaced, there is no way around it. Granted it will take some years but it needs to happen. Along with power and signal upgrades. The Acelas can make the trip from NYC to DC in less than 2 hours and 20mins if given the chance.
The Arrow 3s are limited to 80mph. The Silverliner 4s are good for 100mph.
You a Zone 2 guy? fancy...lol
@@michlo3393 Yup, We all have a need for speed. 😅
@@thetrainguy1 Yeah, the rest of us have our faces pressed against the glass watching you guys and thinking "so this is where all the funding goes". 😎
I live in Southwest Connecticut, Fairfield County and recently they've upgraded all the overhead wires here to a style like to have over in Europe, where you have approximately 2000 foot wire that's anchored at one end and has counterweights at the other end. It lets The Wire expand and contract and still stay nice and taught. And drastically reduces any sagging in those wires, which is typically where you find the problems with the overhead lines getting caught and coming down.
Since it is the Northeast corridor I assumed they were doing similar work up-and-down the 400 miles. But just from the video I see in the first few minutes. It looks like in New Jersey. They still have the old style of wires which are clamped and welded directly to support which go to another wire, which are then directly hung from The gantries. In a style that gives no ability to expand and contract without sagging. When trains are doing less than 50 miles an hour. This is not a problem, but when trains are doing over a 100. This is a very big problem. The sheer dynamic energy transmitted to those wires moves that extra slack around far beyond what the pantographs can absorb.
Can you cover the Keystone Corridor repairs between Lancaster and Harrisburg?
Very well done and accurate!
The NEC is amazing but I wish the entire corridor could run trains at 220mph. I don’t know if that’s possible with the current track geometry or rolling stock though
Simple answer, not possible with the current track geometry. The trainset is said to be 220mph capable, though.
Definitely not with the tight curves found on the section New Rochelle - New Haven. Hilarious just thinking about at a train attempting 220mph thru Jenkins Curve (Bridgeport, CT)!
@@onetwothreeabcthe acela is just a french tgv but changed, it can go fast.
@@SimonBauer7 The train can go fast. But the tracks aren't capable of 220mph.
You car can drive 85mph. Can you drive that fast on a 25mph road?
The NEC should be extended to Chicago and Miami and called the East Corridor.
Excellent. Well researched and informative.
It was good that you made mention of the Baltimore to Newark, Delaware section of the line.
YOOO, I didn’t know safe harbor supplies energy to the NEC I thought it was just power for homes, I used to fish off of safe harbor, Best catfishing I’ve ever done. Very good video and a great explanation on the problem 😁
16.7Hz is very common for mainline rail in central Europe, including high speed lines. Sure if built from scratch it would be grid frequency but it's not bad enough to justify the effort it would take to change it now.
Originally, the choice of low frequency a.c. was done to permit the use of a.c. traction motors (mainly in Germany, Austria, Switzerland) . The alternative was d.c. overhead at either 1500 or 3000 V. Industrial frequency 25 kV became practical when it became possible to make high current rectifiers fitted to rolling stock, so that they had d.c. traction motors, which came to life when parts of the SNCF were being updated after world war 2.
Of course, power electronics has moved on and these days variable frequency motors are common, so in effect, low frequency supplies are out of date - as long as all the old trains are not required.
FYI, the new catenary for the Portal North Bridge project is NOT constant tension, it is the older design fixed variable-tension.
As a pro. driver out of Chicago, the east coast from the Bay Bridge in Maryland to at least Boston needs as much help as it can get to move people. Other than that, it already takes as much as an hour just to cross the George Washington bridge.
Excellent video my friends 😊😮like 👍🏻 and Greeting 🙋 😊
The NJT double-decker EMU's look like the current loco-hauled stock. Thus wouldn't it make sense to have them be able to work with the diesel engines on the NJCL south of Long Branch and service to Hackettstown (Montclair-Boonton should be electrified to Dover because Morris & Essex) so we can technically get duel-mode service without having to get dedicated battery-electrics/duel-mode locomotives or MU's- even if priority is to replace the Arrow III's outside the Dinky (which SEPTA could always use temporarily and send their locomotive-hauled sets to MARC's corridor services in hopes of moving some Penn Line equipment to the other 2 lines-likely the Camden line as I feel there's no excuse that it should have a similar amount of MARC trains to Baltimore as the Penn Line)
It surprised me to hear that variable tension wires were used for this electrification anyway. Even at the maximum speed of 100mph in the old times this may not have been very stable. It explains why the pantograph shoes are so wide. In the video tele shots you see how far the wires sag, and this sagging gives room for horizontal standing waves behind the pantograph throwing the wire from side to side.
Here in Europe I don't know better as long as I live that all main line electrification uses constant tension, as I noticed these tensioning weights everywhere on electric railways. Constant tension was used in general already from when countries like Switzerland, Germany and Norway started electrification around 1900. catenary that uses variable tension I do know is mostly on streetcars and low speed sidings and branch lines where speeds do not exceed 60km/h or 40mph.
Rebuilding the system to constant tension is very well possible without having to replace everything. it can be done when the contact wires need replacement, something that needs to be done every 20-30 years anyway on such well used infrastructure. It's normally the contact wire only that is tensioned but on high speed lines where the speed is above 100mph also the supportive wire is tensioned to get the smallest amount of sag possible. One section between tensioners is approximately 1 mile.
24:09 RTD mentioned!
Great Video, that's for including India 😊, Love From India (Subscribed)
Minor correction: Safe Harbor Dam CAN supply power to the entire corridor but my understanding is that it actually doesn’t do so consistently.
Safe Harbor, PA, Lamokin, PA and Jericho Park, MD all have 25Hz generators that supply power to the southern portion of the Northeast Corridor, between Philadelphia and D.C., as well as the Keystone route to Harrisburg. Port Richmond, PA, Metuchen, NJ and Sunnyside, NY are the locations of the other three sets of 25Hz generators and they supply power to the northern portion of the corridor between Philadelphia and New York.
There are circuit breakers and section switches in substations located at Perryville, MD and Philadelphia that allow the 138kV lines to be sectioned and switched as needed. My understanding is that both of them are currently configured in such a way that the two sides of the Corridor can be electrically separated and operate as two separate ‘grids’.
I have read many discussion threads from Amtrak employees who have discussed the original PRR electrical design and the subsequent changes as the 25Hz electrification has changed since the creation of Conrail, and they have all spoken at length about the things I’ve mentioned here. I also have some dead-tree books on the PRR electrification that have talked about the original design and some of the reasons why Perryville and Philadelphia have these circuit breakers.
I use to watch Amtrak and MBTA F40PH runbys (along with P&W) were i grew up on the NHSLE in the 80s. One of my favorites was witnessing the changeouts from F40s and AEM7s. I have alot of memories, but one weird memory was in 2001 after NHSLE was electrified, i looked at the schedule from Bos to DC and saw it had been shortened by 15 minutes. This meant that New Haven was no longer a HEP changeout. So i took the train to New York, and when we pulled into New Haven, we didn't do the typical 10min slow crawl through the switches, we flew into the station and took off, I was like Wow that was weird.
I gather Portal North will carry only two tracks. Is a portal south planned for two more?
yes, after portal north is complete they'll tear down the old portal bridge and build a new one in its place.
Makes it all the better, since the current tracks between Manhattan and Newark are firmly at capacity. Four tunnel tubes and four tracks over the bridge will really help clear things up, and with Portal North looking like it will open in a reasonable time frame, seems like that will happen sooner versus later.
I think that what a lot of Americans aren't aware of is that 20% of the GDP in the United States is generated within the Boston - Washington megalopolis. If the NEC is not maintained into the future, it could have significant though indirect economic consequences for the rest of the country
I'm currently seeing the electrification of 1966 between Bruck an der Mur and Graz being replaced. That was fully tensioned from the beginning (though with a common counterweight for the carrying wire and the contact wire). With time, wires wear out, and here they are actually replacing the whole system including masts, which leads to some sections of the line being temporarily operated as single-track line while working on the other track.
On the Northeast corridor they will have to replace the wire after so many decades anyway, and I'm truly baffled that the non-tensioned system has held up so long. On a four-track line it should be possible to upgrade the system without too much interruption.
So basically all we need to do is upgrade the catenary to modern standards between DC and NYC then build a bypass line in LI and upgrade the greenport line it was supposed to be part of the OG NEC time to finish
And replace a ton of bridges between NY and NH and expand Hells Gate and expand Penn Station NY.
@@afcgeo882CT is a lost cause
How great is that. The whole corridor powered by water. Amazing
This is what happens when you hire airline executives to run a railroad. I’ve worked for Amtrak for 32 years. It’s so sad to see the lack of standards allowed. I’m actually embarrassed to say I work there.
Your comment sounds very much like what I see at Via Rail (Canada) where knowledge of railroading is far less important than being bilingual! 2024/10/24. Ontario, Canada.
Your thumbnail depicts ‘Northend Electrification’ (North of New Haven, CT) and trackage which is actually the most effective part of the NEC. The problem lies under the ‘Southend Electrification’ wires (South of New Haven, CT). Amtrak is responsible for all operations and maintenance of the NEC and its catenary but does NOT own the whole route. Only the infrastructure South of New Haven is “Insanely old” the oldest infrastructure North of that point are station buildings and certain alignments in CT. This video really only applies to CT,NY,NJ,DE,PA,MD and DC. Otherwise I have enjoyed this well made video.
Not true for New Rochelle (Mount Vernon), NY to New Haven-State Street, CT. There the line is owned by the NY MTA in New York, and by Connecticut DOT in Connecticut (they do capital projects and the MTA does the day-to-day maintenance). And they have upgraded the catenary to the constant tension system the last 30 years, finishing up in 2018.
So electric catenary sytem on the NEC uses constant tension from Boston to New Rochelle NY. And that section had none of the problems that the New Jersey section had, even when the MTA also uses electric train sets with a pantograph every two cars.
I cant wait to watch this while riding the NEC
The Nalaxone ads on the sides of the train are a great look for Amtrak.
No mention of the New Haven Line? Conn. DoT and the MTA upgraded its century old catenary to constant tension reusing most the the century old support structures. It took about 20 years, but Metro-North's M8 cars, similar to NJT's Arrow car, with multiple pantographs, no longer get tangled and trains can run on schedule even in summer heat waves.
@PeterBlack-nl5hy This is true. Learned of this after I finished recording the script, and I'll definitely talk about this in the future, since I am bound to talk about the New Haven line as I discuss the NEC. The CTC they got there is a good start, but that route has a lot of issues in its own right.
Question: Can the older Pennsy catenary not be sectionalized physically--modified--into constant-tensioned catenary and distance between supports (every 250-300 feet, I think) whilst retaining the original Pennsy inclined catenary without having to replace it and add additional closely-spaced catenary supports?
I believe that Amtrak refurbished its Metuchen, NJ, rotary frequency converter because the older rotary frequency changers handle transient and fault currents better than the electronic frequency convertors.
Thus, it seems that in addition to the Safe Harbour dam isn't the only source for 25 Hz traction power, what with 60 Hz to 25 Hz frequency convertors in NJ.
That's pretty much what they did when they upgraded the Jersey Racetrack, so it is most certainly possible.
Also, about the power sources stuff, you are right, that was a mistake in my research, and one that does definitely bugs me that I was able to miss. Apparently there are seven power sources for the southern half of the NEC, and while Safe Harbor is still a significant one, it's not the only one. Definitely working to make sure that doesn't happen again.
A great video Steve, on par with Thom's 'Trains are Awesome'. It's a pity you can't just wave a magic wand and convert the NEC to 25kV 50Hz AC power supply throughout the entire length of the service from Boston to Washington, DC. It would solve many problems and remove the unsightly current arrangement of pylons and catenary. This would be the starting point of the wand-waving exercise. While at it, you could install the wires in a zigzag configuration as we have in Europe, so that a deep groove in the pantograph is avoided.
Looking further afield outside the NEC, kick out the freight companies (and indeed Amtrak) ownership of all railway lines and have the entire US railway infrastructure placed under an independent but a government controlled, at arms' length company. Examples in Europe are ProRail (NL), Network Rail (UK), ADIF, (ES) and DB InfraGO (DE) etc. This system works and ensures equitable use of networks by freight companies and passenger trains.
This is some long magic wand required isn't it? In the meantime, you're at the beck and call of politicians and their control over federal and state finances and in the meantime the rail network suffers under the strain of its antiquated infrastructure.
Best of luck!
Great video. Good luck with the upgrades. It's great to see support for the best ever mode of transport. One issue that you did not address is why is your catenary and home designed trains so damn ugly?