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| Re: BL-20G's For The LIRR ? (748727) | |||
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Re: BL-20G's For The LIRR ? |
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Posted by WillD on Wed Feb 25 12:47:02 2009, in response to Re: BL-20G's For The LIRR ?, posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Wed Feb 25 12:34:21 2009. That's a riduculously complicated and expensive proposal.How is it complicated? An M8 is no more complicated than a Silverliner V. Multivoltage operation is no longer an impediment to through operation. Its even simpler when you can have a transformer car as Lincoln describes, provided that car is powered in both AC and DC power sources. An modern AC Locomotive or EMU is already a multivoltage rail vehicle, it just doesn't pick up DC power from outside, it rectifies it within the vehicle. A multivoltage EMU, such as the M8, just adds pickup gear for external DC sources. An AC EMU costs about the same as a DC EMU, but the DC EMU is going to require the railroad to purchase hundreds of new substations at somewhere between 500,000 and 1 million dollars a pop. But the LIRR has hundreds of miles of third rail powered track and almost 1,000 third rail powered MU's, none older than 25, most younger than 10 And all of those EMUs are occupied by operation within the existing electrified network, which wouldn't change. There would be no need to replace any current EMUs prematurely. The most sensible mode for expanded electrification is a compatible DC third rail, even if it costs more to install. It won't just cost more to install, it will cost more to equip and operate. Third rail extensions will require the perfectly adaquate C3 fleet to be prematurely retired and new EMUs to be procured in their place, a very hefty expense. Then there will be the high operational costs that come as a result of having a decentralized power distribution system which requires maintenance forces to travel extensively in diagnosing problems. Finally electricity isn't free, and the LIRR could get a lot more of it to the train by using catenary, thereby reducing their LIPA bills. |
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