Federal Regulators Will Let U.S. Railroads Run Faster, More Efficient Trains - Polidicks

[QUOTE]Why are American trains so expensive and yet so slow? One factor that rail advocates often point to is the Federal Railroad Administration and its rail safety regulations — rules that are finally on the verge of changing. Antiquated regulations that date all the way back to the late 1800s (they were updated in the 1930s) compel American passenger rail operators to use trains designed like “high-velocity bank vaults,” as former Amtrak CEO David Gunn once put it. While European and Asian railcars became lighter and sleeker in recent decades without compromising safety records, FRA rules continued to insist on heavy, slow, outdated, and expensive equipment. That finally appears set to change with the FRA’s release of new draft safety rules for traincars. The FRA expects the new rules will enable railroads to use trains that are safer, more energy efficient, and cheaper to operate. The rules will allow American passenger train operators to purchase rolling stock designed to European safety standards (but not Japanese standards), without going through an expensive waiver process. “It was an obstacle for all foreign railway manufacturers to bring any state-of-the-art trains into the country,” said Alois Starlinger, a board member for the Swiss train maker Stadler Rail. Building trains to unusual U.S. safety standards for the small American passenger rail market made rolling stock purchases needlessly expensive. Opening the door to standardized European train specifications will significantly lower prices.[/QUOTE] [url]http://usa.streetsblog.org/2016/11/30/federal-regulators-will-let-u-s-railroads-run-faster-more-efficient-trains/[/url]

Is this the beginning of the end for our very uniquely American huge ass locomotives?

[QUOTE]Up until now, American safety standards were focused almost entirely on how trains hold up in the event of a collision. But in Europe and Asia, rail regulators and train makers have adopted a different approach to safety over time, putting a higher value on crash avoidance.[/QUOTE] This is neat, I didn't know about this aspect of safety regulation. Feels like a strength vs dexterity comparison found in games.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;51462601]Is this the beginning of the end for our very uniquely American huge ass locomotives?[/QUOTE] Nah, diesel engines won't be getting any smaller anytime soon. Those are big for a reason; they have to have a huge ass engine inside to pull freight, and also having more momentum makes it easier to coast on a track and thereby use less fuel.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;51462601]Is this the beginning of the end for our very uniquely American huge ass locomotives?[/QUOTE] No, in a word, because passenger rail is such a minute fraction of the buying market for motive power. The vaaaaaast majority of buyers are looking for high power, high tractive effort diesels to strap to mile long intermodal trains. Passenger rail is, itself, only barely clinging to life. Three quick sucker punches(Steam replaced with diesel, the interstate system, commuter flights) all but killed it. At one point every Class I railroad had several passenger routes and you could go coast to coast by rail alone...nowadays Amtrak and steam excursion trains(Such as UP 844) are your only bets and coverage is terrible. FWIW Our locomotives will not shrink and it being easier to pull and to purchase a passenger consist may very well mean longer trains as well. And maybe it will increase ridership by virtue of there being new coaches?

How long will it take to transition, though? As of today, all trains in the US are they "bank vault" type. I can't imagine that changing quickly.

[QUOTE=mcgrath618;51462587]Antiquated regulations that date all the way back to the late 1800s (they were updated in the 1930s) [/QUOTE] I sometimes don't understand how USA as a country even works. How can you have such outdated laws hundred of years old ? Even that famous Kinder Surprise ban is based on something from 1930s.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;51462714]I sometimes don't understand how USA as a country even works. How can you have such outdated laws hundred of years old ? Even that famous Kinder Surprise ban is based on something from 1930s.[/QUOTE] I have a feeling it has to do with the fact that there have not been many new railroad lines formed in the last 20 years, and that the majority of the lines used are at least 50+ years old. It doesn't have to be this way. The PRR mainline, made first in the mid 1800s, is fine at handling 100 MPH+ speeds.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;51462714]I sometimes don't understand how USA as a country even works. How can you have such outdated laws hundred of years old ? Even that famous Kinder Surprise ban is based on something from 1930s.[/QUOTE] Every country has these. You'd be foolish to think even your own country is 100% up to date. Also, old laws don't mean bad laws. They just need to be looked at again to see if they still do what they're supposed to - if not, then replace them, which they're finally doing now after all these years of bureaucracy.

[QUOTE=AntonioR;51462714]I sometimes don't understand how USA as a country even works. How can you have such outdated laws hundred of years old ? Even that famous Kinder Surprise ban is based on something from 1930s.[/QUOTE] The Kinder Egg ban is just a casualty of the "No non-food items in food" ban, which sounds completely reasonable since hiding a prize in cake could easily turn into someone fighting for their life.

the death of passenger rail is largely the fault of amtrak and their TERRIBLE business practices

trump will make the trains run on time

The only worry I have with faster trains is that the rail systems here in the US aren't maintained very well in certain regions. Of course this is according to people who worked for the railroad, so could be wrong, but the things they have to say about it don't bode well for faster trains. That, and lighter trains would be totally at the mercy of the winds here. Trains still occasionally blow over around here, despite their weight.

[QUOTE=Zero-Point;51463782]The only worry I have with faster trains is that the rail systems here in the US aren't maintained very well in certain regions. Of course this is according to people who worked for the railroad, so could be wrong, but the things they have to say about it don't bode well for faster trains. That, and lighter trains would be totally at the mercy of the winds here. Trains still occasionally blow over around here, despite their weight.[/QUOTE] It's true, there is a few areas in the United States with badly maintained track, but they're usually not operated by the major railroads, but by short lines who don't have the money or resources to do maintenance. [video=youtube;JuP2ZDMh9I8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuP2ZDMh9I8[/video] It also doesn't help that some states have politicians that are pushing to have tracks ripped up so they can use the road bed for hiking trails regardless if they're being used or not, mainly going after heritage railways and short lines. Who even produces passenger cars in the U.S nowadays? I know Pullman used to be the really big one, but they went out in the 1970s-80s. But I doubt this will do anything to help passenger train services in the U.S, automobiles are just too well entrenched in American culture now and Amtrak is complete shit.

[QUOTE=mcgrath618;51462622]Nah, diesel engines won't be getting any smaller anytime soon. Those are big for a reason; they have to have a huge ass engine inside to pull freight, and also having more momentum makes it easier to coast on a track and thereby use less fuel.[/QUOTE] The weight has nothing to do with coasting. It's all about having enough traction.

[QUOTE=tehMuffinMan;51463635]trump will make the trains run on time[/QUOTE] [img]http://i.imgur.com/b4kqCiB.jpg[/img]

[QUOTE=Bbarnes005;51465306]It's true, there is a few areas in the United States with badly maintained track, but they're usually not operated by the major railroads, but by short lines who don't have the money or resources to do maintenance. [/QUOTE] Folks who've worked for BNSF (the big railway around these parts) say they get all sorts of subsidies for maintenance of the rail systems, including the short-lines, mostly because short-lines are probably used more than the major ones around here for various reasons. And like I said, even if the tracks [I]were[/I] properly maintained, the winds in this region have been known to knock them clean off the track.

[QUOTE=RIPBILLYMAYS;51462610]This is neat, I didn't know about this aspect of safety regulation. Feels like a strength vs dexterity comparison found in games.[/QUOTE] It's probably a horrible idea to focus on dexterity checks while you're only proficient at constitution, though. In other words: The European system requires a whole lot of additional technology for the tracks and [I]all[/I] trains that use those to really run safely. Not having that and running high-speed trains is a recipe for disaster, unfortunately.

[QUOTE=Grenadiac;51462601]Is this the beginning of the end for our very uniquely American huge ass locomotives?[/QUOTE] probably not since that huge ass locomotive is like 85% engine by volume [editline]3rd December 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Bbarnes005;51465306]It's true, there is a few areas in the United States with badly maintained track, but they're usually not operated by the major railroads, but by short lines who don't have the money or resources to do maintenance. [video=youtube;JuP2ZDMh9I8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuP2ZDMh9I8[/video] It also doesn't help that some states have politicians that are pushing to have tracks ripped up so they can use the road bed for hiking trails regardless if they're being used or not, mainly going after heritage railways and short lines. Who even produces passenger cars in the U.S nowadays? I know Pullman used to be the really big one, but they went out in the 1970s-80s. But I doubt this will do anything to help passenger train services in the U.S, automobiles are just too well entrenched in American culture now and Amtrak is complete shit.[/QUOTE] tldr, theres thousands of miles of abandoned rail lines, usually those are the ones being ripped up since nobody owns them or operates them anymore

[QUOTE=Bbarnes005;51465306]It also doesn't help that some states have politicians that are pushing to have tracks ripped up so they can use the road bed for hiking trails regardless if they're being used or not, mainly going after heritage railways and short lines.[/QUOTE] We've got that problem in Victoria aswell, a lot of the track was built wayback when it wasn't needed and now that's its needed it's been pulled up or being pulled up for walking tracks and such.

[QUOTE=Sims_doc;51467499]We've got that problem in Victoria aswell, a lot of the track was built wayback when it wasn't needed and now that's its needed it's been pulled up or being pulled up for walking tracks and such.[/QUOTE] the difference is that in the US we built track like everywhere and there is a considerable amount of track that is abandoned and even buried in some cases thats not even owned by anyone. I know out in the country by me there's a line they just basically put asphalt over and forgot about since its not connected to anything anymore and the bridges that it used to connect to are all condemned or torn down

[QUOTE=Map in a box;51463629]the death of passenger rail is largely the fault of amtrak and their TERRIBLE business practices[/QUOTE] Uh no? The death of Passenger rail travel is almost entirely the fault of the interstate system and affordable flight. Quite a large number of people still use Amtrak to get around the country because it is fairly inexpensive and generally easier and more Scenic than flying and a lot less stressful than driving. The current difficulties it faces right now are mostly do to the fact the Amtrak by virtue of how it is a government subsidized company does not own the majority of the tracks it operates on so it must abide by rules and laws of the companies that own the track and give way to larger slower freight trains. Watch this: [url]https://youtu.be/mbEfzuCLoAQ[/url] [editline]4th December 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=Sableye;51471631]the difference is that in the US we built track like everywhere and there is a considerable amount of track that is abandoned and even buried in some cases thats not even owned by anyone. I know out in the country by me there's a line they just basically put asphalt over and forgot about since its not connected to anything anymore and the bridges that it used to connect to are all condemned or torn down[/QUOTE] I remember growing up there used to be a shitload abandoned track in Florida all over the place. A lot of it got torn up and replaced with bicycle paths. Honestly I think that was incredibly stupid because the way most of the track was laid out they could have just refurbished it, built from station platforms, and have the infrastructure ready for inter and intra City Light Rail. A lot of the train track even ran down into Disney. But instead they tore it all up and made fancy bike path that no one fucking uses and now that SunRail is trying to make a commuter rail system they basically have to start from the ground up and are hemorrhaging money.

[QUOTE=Snoberry Tea;51472662]Uh no? The death of Passenger rail travel is almost entirely the fault of the interstate system and affordable flight. Quite a large number of people still use Amtrak to get around the country because it is fairly inexpensive and generally easier and more Scenic than flying and a lot less stressful than driving. The current difficulties it faces right now are mostly do to the fact the Amtrak by virtue of how it is a government subsidized company does not own the majority of the tracks it operates on so it must abide by rules and laws of the companies that own the track and give way to larger slower freight trains. Watch this: [url]https://youtu.be/mbEfzuCLoAQ[/url] [editline]4th December 2016[/editline] I remember growing up there used to be a shitload abandoned track in Florida all over the place. A lot of it got torn up and replaced with bicycle paths. Honestly I think that was incredibly stupid because the way most of the track was laid out they could have just refurbished it, built from station platforms, and have the infrastructure ready for inter and intra City Light Rail. A lot of the train track even ran down into Disney. But instead they tore it all up and made fancy bike path that no one fucking uses and now that SunRail is trying to make a commuter rail system they basically have to start from the ground up and are hemorrhaging money.[/QUOTE] the process of refurbishing rail lines is pretty much entirely rebuilding the line, the ties and rails would have been torn up and the bed relayed which pretty much meant that it would have been torn up to begin with. Plus most commuter trains are electric driven which means added transmission lines and their associated safeties