Quote:
Originally Posted by redblock
While the GTWs were on order, DCTA went to the FRA and received alternative certification as shown here.
For a brief time DCTA operated some trains with leased RDCs and their new GTWs.
The FLIRT3 train had better be FRA certified now since Fort Worth's TEXRAIL will share 3 miles of Union Pacific mainline between downtown Fort Worth and north Fort Worth.
I like the SMART trains and the GTWs and the FLIRT3s. But I am so old I like the RDCs, too.
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I really didn't want to nitpick TexRail comments on a SMART thread, but......
DMUs on shorter trains are more efficient than coaches being push or pulled by heavy diesel locomotives. Just compare horsepowers to see that statistic generally.
F59PH (a common diesel locomotive in commuter service) has 3,200 hp (2.4 MW).
Stadler GTW 2/6 in use in the US has 630 hp (470 KW) Therefore 2 GTWs running together in a consist will have a total of 1260 hp.
Nippon Sharyo DMU in use in the US has 760 hp (567 kW). Therefore, 2 DMUs running together as a married pair will have a total of 1520 hp.
Then to complicate matters very much, the different type of cars hold a different number of passengers. But there are savings on fuel consumption for DMUs mainly because the engines used are smaller in size. It's hard to put on paper which DMU is more efficient. More seats doesn't mean more efficient if the seats are not full. But there is a point when too many DMUs are placed on a train where the total hp surpasses a single F59PH loco.
The TexRail train will usually not operate on UP and BNSF tracks or within their right-of-ways. Those 3 miles north of downtown Fort Worth will be on brand new tracks in a brand new corridor parallel to them, except where it will flyover a UP yard just north of the Purina plant. Where TexRail turns onto the ex-Cotton Belt line at Tower 60 (near the stockyards), it will remain on a brand new exclusive track within the DART owned corridor until after the FWWR owned Hodge Yard, east of the yard it will share tracks with everyone using the Cotton Belt track through Grapevine and then turn south to DFW Airport where it will again run over brand new tracks in a brand new corridor. Therefore, it will be sharing tracks with Amtrak and the TRE through downtown Fort Worth, and with everyone on the ex-Cotton Belt tracks east of Hodge Yard.
The FLIRT and GTW crash impact designs are similar, and it should easily qualify for the same alternate FRA certification standard. TexRail trains will not be operating overnight, when FWWR freight trains could run trains to local customers if temporal separation is required. There really aren't many freight customers east of Hodge Yard where an overnight train couldn't handle the work. The only trains they must run concurrently with will be Grapevine Vintage, Amtrak (Texas Eagle), and TRE passenger trains. The only time the Heartland Flyer will be sharing the same tracks with TexRail is on just the UT-OU weekend each year. I'm pretty sure the FLIRT trains will be able to get FRA certification to share tracks with passenger trains at least.