Train of the Week

This was the new GO Transit locomotive we were going to take a look at quite a while ago.  Before I forget about it (although in reality I won’t), I’ll share a few things about it.  This locomotive is of the MPXpress family of 4-axle low emission (EPA Tier 2) commuter locomotives designed and manufactured by MotivePower Inc. (part of Wabtec ) of Boise, Idaho.  The MP40PH-3C is specifically designed for GO Transit, a division of Metrolinx , serving the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area , Ontario, for hauling longer 12-car GO Trains.  With the Bombardier Bi-level coaches having a seating capacity of up to 162 passengers per carriage, each of these trains carry up to 1,944 passengers fully seated in and out of downtown Toronto .  During rush hour, one GO Train carrying 2,000 passengers takes more than 1,700 cars off of the roads of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (using 1.15 persons per car, stat provided by GO Transit). GO 604 waiting for Oshawa Depa...

The Statens Järnvägar (Swedish State Railway, now SJ AB , a government-owned passenger train operator created in 2000) Class X2 is a 200 km/h tilting push-pull trainset designed and built by ABB (later became ADtranz , then Bombardier ) of Sweden between 1989 and 1998.  It was designed for the curvy existing railway lines of Sweden due to the lack of railway traffic to build dedicated high-speed lines.  The tilting mechanism enables the trainset to go around bends without the need to decelerate.  The X2 trainset consists of one power car rated at a moderate 3,260 kW (4,370 hp), 4 or 5 intermediate carriages, and one cab equipped end carriage.  The top allowable speed of the X2 in service in Sweden is 204 km/h (127 mph).  The X2 is primarily used in the SJ service branded X 2000 . SJ X 2000 in the original livery SJ X 2000 in its modern day livery Three railway operators outside of Sweden have expressed interests in the X2 and have tested the trainset in...

The British Rail Class 395 is a dual-mode electric AC-propulsion electric multiple unit operated by Southeastern . It is compatible with the overhead line and third-rail power systems. The first trainset arrived in Britain on 23 August 2007 and they began revenue service on 29 June 2009.  The fleet of 29 trainsets were all delivered by 17 August 2009.  The Class 395 is the fastest domestic train service in Great Britain and connects London and Kent through the High Speed One , the 108 km (67 mi.) rail link between St Pancras International Station in London (on the north side of Euston Rd. and west side of Pancras Rd. across from King’s Cross Station ) and the Euro Tunnel (Channel Tunnel).  The Class 395 is designed and manufactured by Hitachi in Japan using the latest A-train (Advanced commuter and Express train) modular design. The top speed of the Class 395 is 225 km/h (140 mph) on the HS1 and 160 km/h (100 mph) on third-rail powered conventional lines.  Eac...

The National Train Day is a holiday started by Amtrak (the service mark of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation in the United States) in 2008.  It has been held annually on the closest Saturday to 10 May, the anniversary of the driving of the Golden Spike in Promontory, Utah which marks the completion of the first transcontinental railroad (the Pacific Railroad).  The Pacific Railroad connects existing railroad networks in Eastern United States and the Pacific coast from Sacramento, California and Omaha, Nebraska.  It was completed in 1869 (16 years before the completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1885, the first transcontinental railroad of Canada) by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Central Pacific Railroad of California (the predecessor of the Southern Pacific Railroad, which was eventually absorbed by UP in 1996). Ceremony of the Driving of the Golden Spike on 10 May 1869 Union Pacific Railroad Poster for the Opening of the Pacific Railroad ...

The SD70ACe is the latest and greatest of Electro Motive ’s SD70 family of North American freight locomotives.  It is equipped with AC traction motors and one of the latest generation of EMD 710 series prime movers, the EPA Tier 2 emission certified 16-710G3C-T2 turbocharged engine (16 cylinder, 710 cubic inches or 11.6 litres displacement per cylinder, Tier 2) rated at 4,300 horsepower (3,210 kW).  The more angular nose and cab make the SD70ACe look quite handsome. Canadian Pacific Train 401 lead by BNSF SD70ACe in British Columbia UP 4141 leading the George Bush (Senior) Express out of Dallas, TX Under ideal conditions (i.e. from manufacture published specifications ), the SD70ACe is able to provide a maximum starting tractive effort of 191,000 lbf (850 kN), 157,000 lbf (700 kN) of maximum continuous tractive effort, and 106,000 lbf (470 kN) of dynamic braking effort.  It has an electronic bell instead of a physical one.  The SD70ACe is the direct domestic co...

The Québec City-Windsor Corridor originally refers to the densely populated and heavily industrialised region spanning across 710 miles (1,150 km) in Southern Ontario and Southern Québec between Windsor and Québec City.  It is the home of nearly 60% of the Canadian Population.   Via Rail Canada uses the name to refer to the train routes it operates in the region and simply calls it the Corridor .  The majority of the Corridor is owned by the Canadian National Railway.  It is the busiest and fastest mix-running rail corridor in Canada.  Various passenger and commuter rail agencies operate trains in the Corridor including Via Rail Canada, Amtrak , Metrolinx ( GO Transit , where GO stands for Government of Ontario ), and AMT (Agence métropolitaine de transport). New York bound Amtrak Maple Leaf service passing by Oakville Yard The fastest stretch of railway in the Corridor is the 330 mile (530 km) long CN Kingston Subdivision from Montréal to the east end o...

We shall take another break from very fast trains and instead just take a slow and relaxing look at a few stunning pictures of a very beautiful train ride in the Swiss Alps.  The Glacier Express of Switzerland is a 7 and a half hour railway journey between St. Moritz / Davos and Zermatt across 291 bridges, through 91 tunnels and across the Oberalp Pass on the highest point at 2,033 m (6,670 ft) in altitude.  The entire line is electrified and metre gauge (1 m or 3 ft 3 and 3/8 inches).  Now just sit back and enjoy a few pictures of this beautiful train ride. Route Map of the Glacier Express You may click here to visit the official website of the Glacier Express.  We will resume with our fastests of trains and railways of the world series next week.