Re: (rshsdepot) "450-Ton Locomotive at the Waldorf-Astoria"

[CoolGuy127_@_aol.com]

In a message dated 3/6/02 11:15:09 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
luckyshow_@_mindspring.com writes:


> re: NH EMD FL-9's-why would a New Haven power not have catenary but only a 
> shoe?

       As a layman, it would seem to me that using electric power to run a 
diesel-electric engine should be no more complicated than taking a laptop 
computer and plugging it into an electric outlet.  I would have thought that 
the railroad would want to take advantage of the availability of cheap 
electric power and would choose to run the engines by electric power whenever 
possible.

       The facts, though, apparently are a little different.  For some reason 
that I don't fully understand, the conversion of electric power from catenary 
or third-rail to the type needed to run a diesel-electric engine is very 
complicated.  It is so complicated that these FL-9-type engines operate under 
electric power only when absolutely necessary.  They cannot achieve full 
power when operating in electric mode.  Thus, Metro-North operates trains 
with dual-power Genesis engines from Grand Central Terminal in New York City 
to Poughkeepsie.  The line is electrified all the way to Croton-Harmon, but 
the dual-mode engines operate in electric power mode only until they get out 
of the Park Avenue tunnels.  The rest of the way, they operate in diesel 
mode.
       
       So, to answer the first question, the only purpose of the electric 
mode of the FL-9 was to get the train out of the Park Avenue tunnels.  Thus, 
there was no need to have pantographs for the catenary on the New Haven line.

                   Daniel Chazin
                   Teaneck, NJ


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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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