Metroliner (train)

As Metroliner to 1971 by the Railway Company Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR ), Penn Central and Amtrak at the Budd Company procured electric railcars were 61 in 1967 respectively. The U.S. railway companies Penn Central and Amtrak used this rail vehicles from 1969 to 1982 called for equally Metroliner, fast trains on the Northeast Corridor between New York and Washington, DC. Some of the vehicles were rebuilt in the 1980s to control cars that are still in use today at Amtrak.

Development

In September 1965, the U.S. Congress passed the bill High Speed ​​Ground Transportation Act for the promotion of high-speed traffic on U.S. railroads. It formed the basis for the Northeast Corridor Demonstration Project, a public-private partnership cooperation between the U.S. Department of Transportation and several railway companies to speed up the passenger traffic on the Northeast Corridor Washington - New York - Boston. While the United Aircraft Corporation ( UAC) has been tasked with the development of for use on the then not consistently electrified connecting New York - Boston provided, driven by gas turbines trainset Turbotrain, electrically driven vehicles should be procured for the southern section. After approval by the Department of Transportation to fund the purchase of vehicles with nearly $ 22 million, ordered the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR ) in 1966 following a tender first 50 pairs applicable, referred to as the Metroliner railcars at the Budd Company. After 1969, the order was extended to eleven copies. In addition to Budd company with General Electric and Westinghouse Electric had applied for the job, which were eventually chosen by Budd as a supplier.

Construction and Technology

The Budd Company reached in the development of the Metroliner cars back to their gained since the 1930s experience in the construction of multiple units and passenger coaches. In particular, in the 1950s, designed for the PRR electric Pioneer III railcars and the successor series Silverliner II were incorporated into the design of the Metroliner. These were than 25.7 meters long, built according to design about 75 ton one-piece units made ​​of stainless steel. In principle, separately functional, the vehicles but had only ever a cab, since a bet has been provided in pairs. Several two-piece units could be combined as needed to longer trains again. Since the cabs did not take up the full width of the vehicles, but only in the right direction third, a transitional option could be provided, which enabled a continuous walk- train even with several coupled two-piece units.

All four axes of a single Metroliner vehicle were driven separately by each one 221 kW payable Tatzlagerfahrmotor. These were supplied by a common main transformer, which in turn was supplied with a voltage via the catenary (11 kV, 25 Hz). The thus possible nominal top speed of 160 mph (256 km / h), but these were never achieved in scheduled operations.

Passenger and driver compartments were air conditioned. 31 vehicles were designed as open seating car with originally 76 seats, ten had more than " Club Cars" next first 34 seats a drinks bar. In 20 called " Café Cars" cars with 60 seats and smaller meals could be served. The number of places has been changed slightly from the late 1970s through conversions of about two-thirds of the vehicles; as accounted for in the modified standard car four seats, while were added in the "Club Cars" 14.

Use

Budd and the PRR opted in 1967 to start directly with the delivery of production vehicles and to dispense with the construction of a prototype. The first delivered railcars were however on by a variety of technical problems, so the PRR initially took only six copies. It was only on January 16, 1969 - nearly two years later than planned - could the planned deployment of the first Metroliner between New York, Philadelphia and Washington are recorded under the direction of the now formed by the merger of the PRR and New York Central Railroad Penn Central. First, however, only a few compounds were run with the new trains. Only after the completion of a restructuring program could Amtrak, since May 1, 1971 operators of the Penn Central passenger services, nine in 1971 and 1972 eventually offer 14 daily, up to 95 mph (153 km / h) fast train pairs with Metroliner trains. Individual trips also led over New York addition to New Haven, also Metroliner were also on the Keystone Corridor between Harrisburg and Philadelphia ( partially beyond to New York ) were used.

Having a reliable operation of the vehicles was achieved, which applied to passengers and comfortable beds and the progress with the Metroliner use timetable improvements great popularity. Already on 29 July 1971, the three millionth passenger was welcomed in a Metroliner train. As regards the reputation of the vehicles and the marketing of Amtrak added, which now, as well as the trains used there called the Express Train New York - Washington Metroliner as eponym. This designation was also retained as the Metroliner Vehicles ( ajar on the Metroliner, but non-motorized ) at the beginning of the 1980s by electric locomotives of the type AEM -7 and Amfleet new cars were replaced.

After the end of the inserts to Washington initially retained the services to Harrisburg. Until the mid- 1980s, however, all Metroliner cars were stored. In about half of the railcar, the drive systems were then expanded and made ​​more conversions in order to use it as a control cars on various tracks in California and in the Northeast and Midwest of the United States can. Some of these control cars are still in use in 2008 by Amtrak.