Turboliner

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article is about the ANF and Rohr Turbotrains used in the United States.
For the United Aircraft Corporation TurboTrain, a train used in Canada and the
United States, see UAC TurboTrain. For the French Turbotrains, see Turbotrain.

Amtrak RTG Turboliner at Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1975

Amtrak's RTG (above) and RTL (below) Turboliner trainsets

Amtrak RTL Turboliner at East Rochester, New York in 1983

The Turboliners were a family of gas turbine trainsets built for Amtrak in the
1970s. They were among the first new equipment purchased by Amtrak and
represented an attempt to update its fleet with faster, more modern trains.
The first batch, known as RTG, were built by the French firm ANF and entered
service on multiple routes in the Midwestern United States in 1973. The new
trains led to ridership increases wherever they were used; the fixed consist
proved a detriment as demand outstripped supply. The high cost of operating
the trains led to their withdrawal from the Midwest in 1981.

The second batch, known as RTL, were of a similar design but manufactured
by Rohr Industries, an American company. These entered service on the
Empire Corridor in the State of New York in 1976. The RTLs remained in
service there through the 1990s, supplemented by several rebuilt RTGs. In
the late 1990s and early 2000s New York and Amtrak partnered to rebuild the
RTLs for high-speed service; this project failed and the last RTL trainsets left
revenue service in 2003. After the settlement of legal issues New York sold
the remaining trainsets for scrap in 2012.

Contents [hide]

1 Background

2 RTG

2.1 Design

2.2 Service

2.2.1 St. Louis

2.2.2 Detroit
2.2.3 Milwaukee

3 RTL

3.1 RTL-II

3.2 RTL-III

4 See also

5 Notes

6 References

7 Further reading

8 External links

Background[edit]

Amtrak assumed control of almost all private sector intercity passenger rail
service in the United States on May 1, 1971, with a mandate to reverse
decades of decline. Amtrak retained approximately 184 of the 440 trains
which had run the day before.[1] To operate these trains, Amtrak inherited a
fleet of 300 locomotives (electric and diesel) and 1190 passenger cars, most
of which dated from the 1940s1950s.[2]

Amtrak acquired the Turboliners with multiple goals in mind. The Turboliners
were expected to cost less to operate than a comparable diesel locomotive
with conventional cars while having a higher operating speed, though this
would be constrained by track conditions. Amtrak also hoped that introducing
new equipment would generate favorable publicity. Two years into its
existence, Amtrak was fighting the perception that it was making "cosmetic
changes to hand-me-down equipment". New gas turbine trainsets could
change that perception.[3]

The late 1960s and early 1970s saw several countries experimenting with gas
turbine trains. The UAC TurboTrain had been in revenue service in the United
States and Canada since 1968, with mixed results.[4] British Rail began
testing the APT-E in 1972; for a variety of reasons British Rail did not pursue
gas turbine propulsion.[5]

RTG[edit]
RTG Turboliner

An RTG Turboliner at Union Station in St. Louis, Missouri in 1974

An RTG Turboliner at Union Station in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1974

A conductor collects tickets aboard a Midwestern Turboliner in 1974

A conductor collects tickets aboard a Midwestern Turboliner in 1974

In service 19731994

Manufacturer ANF

Constructed 19731975

Number built 6 trainsets

Formation Five cars

Fleet numbers 5869

Capacity 296 passengers

Operator(s) Amtrak

Specifications

Car length 86 ft 1 in (26.2 m)

Width 9 ft 5 12 in (2.9 m)[6]

Maximum speed 125 mph (201.2 km/h)

Engine type Turboshaft

Power output

2,280 hp (1,700.2 kW) (RTG)

3,000 hp (2,237.1 kW) (RTG-II)

AAR wheel arrangement B-2

Bogies Creusot-Loire

Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)

Notes

[7]
Design[edit]

The RTG (abbreviated from the French Rame Turbine Gaz, or gas turbine
train)[8] model was an Americanized version of the French ANF T 2000 RTG
Turbotrain (related to the prototype precursor to the very first TGV trainset,
the TGV 001). The RTGs used European-style couplers (buffers and
turnbuckles) between their cars, due to having been built in France by ANF
for use on French railways.[9] Another change was the installation of top-
mounted Nathan P1234A5 horns, a variation of the standard Nathan P5
horns.[10] Amtrak obtained a permanent waiver from the Federal Railroad
Administration which exempted the RTGs from the buff strength requirement
of 800,000 pounds (362,873.9 kg).[11] The RTGs met a lower standard set by
the International Union of Railways.[12]

Each trainset consisted of two power cars (which included seating), two
coaches and a bar/grill. The trains were powered by a pair of 1,140
horsepower (850 kW) Turbomeca turbines.[8] The cars rode on Creusot-Loire
trucks.[13] The bar/grill, located at the center of the trainset, had table
seating for 24.[14] The vestibules between the cars were sectioned off by a
series of sliding doors: one at each end of the car, and a double set between
the cars themselves. A passenger moving between cars thus had to pull open
three sets of doors. The trains were not intended for use with high-level
platforms and there were no traps covering the steps down to platform level.
[14]

Between 1985 and 1988, three RTG trainsets (numbered 64 to 69) were
rebuilt at the Beech Grove Shops for use in New York. Each trainset received
an RTL-style nose and third rail capability for operation into Grand Central
Terminal. A new 3,000 horsepower (2,200 kW) Turbomeca engine replaced
the original engine.[15] The rebuilt units were designated RTG-II.[16]

Service[edit]

Amtrak leased two RTG trainsets from ANF in August 1973, at $85,000 per
month.[17] These were based out of Chicago, and initially served the
ChicagoSt. Louis corridor. Amtrak heralded the Turboliners as the "biggest
travel news since the 747". David P. Morgan, editor-in-chief of Trains
magazine, was aboard for the initial run from Chicago to St. Louis on
September 28, 1973 and came away with mixed impressions. He praised the
large picture windows, comparing them favorably with the "rifle-slot-size"
windows on the Budd Metroliner, but faulted the narrow aisles, difficult-to-
navigate vestibules, and seat comfort. He found that the trains "[rode]
reasonably well" even on rough track.[18]

Advantages over conventional diesel equipment included increased

availability, higher speed through curves, and decreased weight which in turn
meant less wear on the tracks.[6] Impressed with their reliability, Amtrak
purchased the leased trainsets and ordered another four trainsets which
entered service in 1975. Amtrak assigned these sets to its other two
Midwestern corridors: ChicagoMilwaukee and ChicagoDetroit.[19][20] The
purchase price for the six trainsets was $18 million.[17] Amtrak contemplated
ordering an additional 14 trainsets for service on the partially-electrified
Northeast Corridor between Boston and New York City. Doing so would have
required a significant rise in fares between the two cities, and the United
States Department of Transportation blocked the proposal.[21]

Amtrak established a separate maintenance facility for all six trainsets in the
Brighton Park neighborhood of Chicago, on the site of an ex-Gulf, Mobile and
Ohio Railroad coach yard.[22] This facility closed in 1981 after the withdrawal
of the RTGs from service; according to Amtrak the trainsets were too
expensive to operate compared to conventional equipment. The trainsets
were mothballed at Amtrak's main maintenance facility in Beech Grove,
Indiana.[19][23] A contributing factor to the withdrawal of the RTGs was the
spike in fuel prices after the Yom Kippur War.[20]

The three rebuilt RTG-II trainsets joined the RTL trainsets on the Empire
Corridor in 1988.[15] Insufficient maintenance in the early 1990s reduced
reliability and led to several fires in 19931994. Amtrak retired the RTG-IIs
after one caught fire in Pennsylvania Station in New York on September 11,
1994.[24]

St. Louis[edit]

The two daily round-trips were branded Turboliner, replacing the individual
names Abraham Lincoln and Prairie State. Amtrak would repeat this
experiment with the Detroit and Milwaukee corridors. Track conditions limited
the new trainsets to 79 mph (127 km/h), but they were clean, comfortable,
quiet and reliable. In the first year the ChicagoSt. Louis running time
dropped from 5.5 to 5 hours. The Federal Railroad Administration refused a
request from Amtrak to raise the speed limit to 90 mph (140 km/h), citing
inadequate signalling along the route. The new trains had fallen out of favor
by the end of 1974: food service was inadequate, and the five-car fixed
consist could not handle demand. Amfleet coaches and new conventional
diesels replaced both of the Turboliner trainsets in 1975.[25]

Detroit[edit]

Turboliners arrived on the Detroit run on April 10, 1975. Additional equipment
allowed Amtrak to add a round-trip in late April; the arrival of a third trainset
in May made ChicagoDetroit the "first all-turbine-powered route". One year
into operation ridership on the corridor increased by 72 percent. The fixed
capacity of 292 passengers on an RTL trainset proved an impediment; Amtrak
could not add capacity when demand outstripped supply. Amtrak replaced
one of the trainsets with a conventional locomotive hauling then-new Amfleet
coaches in 1976; Turboliner service ended altogether by 1981 as more
Amfleet equipment became available.[26]

Milwaukee[edit]

Turboliners debuted on the Hiawatha corridor on June 1, 1975, and more

trainsets began operating in 1976. As with the St. Louis and Detroit corridors,
Amtrak dropped individual names in favor of the Turboliner in branding in
1976, but reinstated these names in 1980. Turboliner equipment was
withdrawn altogether in 1981. Their withdrawal was the end of Turboliner
service in the Midwest.[27]

RTL[edit]

RTL Turboliner

An RTL Turboliner crosses the Seneca River near Savannah, New York in 1984

An RTL Turboliner crosses the Seneca River near Savannah, New York, in 1984

Third rail shoe installed on the front truck of an RTL-II car for operation into
New York Penn Station

Third rail shoe installed on the front truck of an RTL-II car for operation into
New York Penn Station

In service 19762003
Manufacturer Rohr Industries

Constructed 1976

Number built 7 trainsets

Formation Five cars

Fleet numbers 21502163 (formerly 150163)

Capacity 264 passengers

Operator(s) Amtrak

Line(s) served Empire Corridor

Specifications

Train length 425 feet (130 m)

Width 10 ft (3.0 m)[6]

Maximum speed 125 mph (201 km/h)

Weight 308 short tons (275 long tons; 279 t)

Engine type Turboshaft

Power output 2,280 horsepower (1,700 kW)

Acceleration 1 mile per hour per second (1.6 km/(hs))

Electric system(s) 600 V DC third rail

into Grand Central Terminal or Pennsylvania Station

Current collection methodContact shoe

AAR wheel arrangement B-2

Track gauge 4 ft 8 12 in (1,435 mm)

Notes

[28]

Amtrak ordered another seven Turboliner trainsets which were delivered

between 1976 and 1977. These were manufactured by Rohr Industries, and
were known as RTL Turboliners.[29] They were based on the earlier RTG
series trains, but had American-style Janney couplers throughout[9] and a
different design of power car cab.[30] The standard configuration of each set
was five cars: power cars at either end, a food service car, and two coaches.
[28] In that configuration each trainset could carry 264 passengers.[31] At
times, Amtrak operated Turboliners with an additional coach cut into the
consist.[32] These were the final gas turbine trainsets purchased by Amtrak;
conventional diesel locomotive-hauled trains proved cheaper to operate.[33]

The RTL Turboliners were wider than the RTG Turboliners (10 feet (3.0 m)
versus 6 feet 12 inch (1.8 m)) to accommodate more seating. The floor
height was raised for use on the high-level platforms of the Northeast
Corridor. While the RTGs continued to operate under a waiver from the
regulation, the RTLs were built to meet the Federal Railroad Administration's
buff strength requirement of 800,000 pounds (362,873.9 kg).[6]

The RTL Turboliners were capable of third rail operation, allowing them to
enter Grand Central Terminal, and, later, Pennsylvania Station in New York
City.[34] Under third rail operation the trains were limited to 45 miles per
hour (72.4 km/h).[35] As it had with the earlier RTGs in the Midwest, Amtrak
set up a separate maintenance facility in Rensselaer, New York. This facility
opened on November 30, 1977, and cost $15 million.[36] As built, the RTLs
carried 2,560 US gallons (9,700 l; 2,130 imp gal) of fuel, permitting a cruising
range of 950 miles (1,530 km).[28] The seven trainsets cost $32 million.[37]

The official inaugural run of the RTLs took place on September 1819, 1976.
Regular service on the Empire Corridor began on Monday, September 20.[37]
Initially, the two trainsets were mostly confined to the New YorkAlbany
shuttle, with a single round-trip each on Saturday and Sunday to Buffalo.[38]
The New YorkMontreal Adirondack received Turboliners on March 1, 1977,
replacing conventional equipment.[39] By April 1977, Turboliners had
displaced conventional equipment on most routes in upstate New York.
Exceptions included some New YorkAlbany trains, as well as the long-
distance Lake Shore Limited and Niagara Rainbow.[40] In 1989, after 12 years
of operation, the availability of the fleet was at 90%.[35]

RTL-II[edit]

In 1995, Amtrak and the State of New York collaborated to rebuild a single
RTL trainset at a cost of $2 million. This rebuild included a pair of new
Turbomeca Makila T1 turbines, each capable of developing 1,600 horsepower
(1,200 kW). The interiors were also to be renovated, and the exterior paint
scheme changed. Morrison-Knudsen rebuilt the power cars, while Amtrak
overhauled the coach interiors at Beech Grove. The rebuilt trainset was
designated RTL-II. In test runs on the Empire Corridor and Northeast Corridor,
it reached a top speed of 125 mph (201 km/h), all the while consuming less
fuel than previously.[41]

RTL-III[edit]

See also: New York high-speed rail

In 1998 Amtrak and the State of New York began the High Speed Rail
Improvement Program, a $185 million effort to improve service over the
Empire Corridor. A key component of this program would be the
reconstruction of all seven RTL Turboliner trainsets to the RTL-III specification.
New York selected Super Steel Schenectady to perform the work, and the first
two trainsets were to enter service in 1999. Numerous delays pushed the
start of service to April 2003. Of the five additional trainsets, originally
scheduled to enter service in 2002, only one was completed and it never
entered revenue service.[42][43] All seven trainsets were renumbered in
2001 to prevent duplicate numbers with the new GE P42DCs and were
painted in new Acela-style livery.[44] One of the rebuilt RTL-IIIs was tested on
the night of February 15, 2001, reaching 125 mph (201 km/h).[45]

The first rebuilt RTL-III entered service on April 14, 2003.[31] The agreement
between Amtrak and New York provided that New York would take ownership
of the rebuilt trainsets once Amtrak had "fully accepted" them for regular
revenue service. Amtrak withdrew all the trainsets from service in June after
problems developed with the air-conditioning systems and refused to operate
them. In 2004 New York sued Amtrak in federal court for $477 million, both
for not operating the trainsets and for failing to complete track work in the
Empire Corridor to permit regular 125-mile-per-hour (201 km/h) operation.
Amtrak mothballed the equipment at its maintenance facility in Bear,
Delaware. Joseph H. Boardman, then Commissioner of the New York State
Department of Transportation (and a future president of Amtrak), accused
Amtrak of "stealing" the trains and threatened to find a new vendor for the
state's intercity rail service.[46] Conventional Amfleet equipment replaced
the trainsets in revenue service.

In April 2005, New York reached a settlement with Super Steel to completely
close the rehabilitation project for $5.5 million, to stop work on the project,
cover any remaining costs, and move four unfinished trains into storage at a
nearby industrial park. This settlement, when added to the $64.8 million
previously spent, brought the total amount spent on the projectthe results
of which were three rehabilitated trainsets and four others in various states of
repairto $70.3 million.[47] In 2007 Amtrak and New York settled their own
lawsuit, with Amtrak paying New York $20 million. Amtrak and New York
further agreed to commit $10 million each to implement track improvements
in the Empire Corridor.[48] New York, which was paying $150,000 per year to
store the unused trains, auctioned off its four surplus Turboliners in 2012 for
$420,000, including spare parts. Scrapping began in 2013.[49][50]