UAC TurboTrain

As Turbotrain be called with gas turbine propulsion, developed by the United Aircraft Corporation high -speed trains in the U.S. and 1968-1982 in Canada were used for 1969-1976.

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 accelerate the transport of persons by rail in the Northeast Corridor Washington - New York - Boston. To strip of drawn by locomotives trains on the Washington - New York section, the procurement of the Metroliner railcar was decided that while the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC ) is not with the development of a driven by gas turbines trainset, the Turbo Train, for use on the then consistently electrified connection New York - Boston was commissioned. In January 1966, two three -car trains were ordered, which should be rented from 1968, initially for two years by UAC to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the New Haven Railroad. In May 1966, the Canadian National Railway has ordered five Turbo trains for their services between Toronto and Montreal.

Construction and Technology

Developed taking into account unrealized plans of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway from the 1950s UAC in less than two years, the Turbo Train train sets consisting of two motorized end car ( power heads ) and a variable number of intermediate cars were formed. Based on the aircraft, the streamlined vehicles developed lightweight aluminum, the intermediate cars could also be performed by the use of Jakobs trucks about 75 cm lower than conventional railroad cars. In the power heads, the operator places were for the train driver and a compartment ( "observation lounge" ) for passengers located in an attached pulpit, gave a striking appearance on trains and allowed a space-saving arrangement of the driving systems. In addition, therefore, it was possible to schedule a transition to the Zugspitze, which extends over the entire height of the vehicle running, side hinged doors ( " clamshells " ) were. Thus a transition possibility could be created between two coupled Turbotrain units.

With the aim of being able to drive through curves with constant or improved comfort for passengers faster, the Turbo Train was equipped with the passive system. For this, the connection between the coaches and the chassis frame was made only above the center of gravity of the car by a suspension. The interior also designed on the basis of aircraft passenger cars were air conditioned and were under a slight positive pressure to impede the ingress of dust. Both the intermediate cars and in the engine heads were depending on the division around 50 places available. Some cars had a small galley.

In the power heads, seven were receiving shafts for diesel-fueled fuel gas turbines of the type ST6 (a variant of the aircraft engine PT6 ) with a capacity of just under 300 kW. The actual number of installed turbines was based on the requirements. While always the ancillary businesses operated such as air conditioning, were connected to a generator the other, which in turn supplied the traction motors on the axles of the bogie outboard power head. As the use of gas turbines in the underground feeder lines to Grand Central Terminal and Penn Station in New York was prohibited, the traction motors could also be operated using the installed there lateral busbars.

The nominal speed of the Turbo Train was 120 mph ( 193 km / h ), h were in operation up to 160 km / achieved. In testing these speeds, however, were significantly exceeded; as at December 20, 1967 with a peak of 170.8 mph ( 274.9 km / h ). On April 22 In 1976, a Turbo Train with 140.6 mph ( 226.2 km / h ) also valid to this day speed record for rail vehicles in Canada.

Use

United States

The first of the two from the U.S. Department of Transportation ( Department of Transportation, DOT ) ordered Turbotrain trains left the UAC staff responsible for the assembly Pullman factory in Chicago in May 1967 to undertake extensive testing. After the completion of the second train was on 21 October 1968, the transfer to the Department of Transportation and the New Haven Railroad. However, scheduled service completed, the vehicles only after the elimination of many childhood diseases from 8 April 1969. They enabled a reduction in travel time between New York and Boston of 4 hours 15 minutes to 3 hours 39 minutes, but were considered unreliable.

Operators of the trains was due to the insolvency of the New Haven Railroad from January 1, 1969, the first Penn Central, which then earned her passenger rail transport on May 1, 1971 in the newly formed Amtrak. Amtrak ordered another 1971 four additional Turbotrain intermediate car with UAC to extend the so far only three -car trains from 1972 five-part sets. While the Ministry of Transport announced on January 29, 1973 its withdrawal from the Turbo Train project and the leases for the two own moves consequently went over to Amtrak, Amtrak was able to acquire an additional four -piece set from Canada in the same year. However, the trains had still not high availability and were also operate through the low capacity expensive so the stakes finally ended with the last trip on 8 September 1976 and the vehicles were retired.

Canada

The of the Canadian National Railway ( CN) ordered for use between Toronto and Montreal five Turbotrain trainsets were mounted on behalf of the UAC by the Montreal Locomotive Works ( MLW ). Originally seven -piece sets were formed, which should be combined as required to 14 - car trains. The first trainset was commissioned in December 1968 in operation and enabled a reduction in journey time Toronto -Montreal 4 hours 50 minutes to 3 hours 59 minutes from schedule. First, however, the Turbotrain vehicles meet the requirements of the railway operating not especially in winter; numerous failures were the result. After a change in the concept of operations of CN trains were assembled in 1973 to three nine -piece sets. Two of the surplus thus power heads and intermediate cars were sold to Amtrak, damaged another for sale provided set in an accident.

After eliminating the initial defects, the trains used there under the brand name "Turbo" proven in Canada and reached a high availability of up to 97 %. The three remaining sets of CN in 1978 sold to the founded on the model of Amtrak railway company VIA Rail Canada and continues to be used between Toronto and Montreal, where they were gradually replaced and scrapped between 1979 and 1982 by the newly acquired LRC trains.