Those of you who keep up with this kind of news already know about EMUs
and DMUs. EMUs are self-propelled passenger electric rail cars (no need
for locomotives). Caltrain, in its strategic plans for 2025, is
advocating these types of rolling stock to replace the present Diesel
trains. We have talked about these in prior emails. Recent articles
point out that Caltrain is considering two options: the EMUs, which
require not only electrification, but Federal approval for this type of
vehicle, or simply replacing the present Diesels with electric
locomotives. There is a third option (which also requires Federal
approval).

Here are two articles. One is a section taken from an article (Jan. '07)
describing Caltrain's "vision," and the other is an edited older (Aug.
'06) article about Escondido (in southern CA) obtaining, not EMUs, but
DMUs, Diesel powered versions of this technology. Simply dismissing
Diesel for electrification, as Caltrain is doing, is shortsighted. Why?
Because they are not engaging in "full-cost" accounting. Electrifying
Caltrain will cost, realistically, over $1 Billion, including rolling
stock replacement. They may not find that $1 Billion in the foreseeable
future. They should consider all alternatives, such as these DMUs,
which can operate on the present Calrain rail configuration.

Martin

PS: Web-browsers, you can find information about DMUs and EMUs on
Wikipedia.
===============================

Published Wednesday, January 24, 2007, by the Menlo Park Almanac
Caltrain on a roll: new officers, ambitious plans
By Marion Softky

Project 2025 <http://www.caltrain.com/project2025.html>

The next two years will be critical for Caltrain.

With much of its rolling stock 20 years old, the JPB must decide in
the next two years what mix of new equipment it needs to electrify
the railroad and carry it through 2025.

A recent report, Project 2025, presents a 20-year plan to improve the
railroad and expand its service.

Project 2025 lays out 2 options for electrifying the railroad by 2014:

* EMUs <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Multiple_Unit>:
Caltrain could replace all it rolling stock with individually
powered "Electric Multiple Units," similar to those on some light
rail systems. These would be faster, quieter, more flexible, more
fuel-efficient, and more economical to operate -- like the rail
systems that are common in Europe and Japan. Their problem is they
could not be used on current rail lines that are shared with freight
trains under current federal and state regulations; these would have
to be changed.

* Electric Locomotives
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_locomotive>:
If the Caltrain team is unable to negotiate changes in federal
regulations, it can fall back on replacing its aging diesel
locomotives with electric locomotives. These are still faster,
quieter, and more efficient than current diesel-powered trains,
but less so than EMUs, which can run shorter trains more often.

"We want to run lighter, self-propelled electric cars more frequently,"
said Mr. Lloyd. "Then we can run two-car trains every 10 minutes."

Caltrain officials are optimistic they can convince the regulators
that they can run the lighter cars safely on tracks that are
occasionally used by freight trains, by adjusting hours, providing
modern train controls, and modifying regulations on the size of
buffers.

==============================

Published Wednesday, August 16, 2006, by the San Diego Union-Tribune
First Sprinter train for Escondido-Oceanside route arrives
By Michael Burge
Union-Tribune Staff Writer

ESCONDIDO -- When the train rounded the corner from Metcalf Street
onto Washington Avenue yesterday, the 20 or so people waiting didn't
seem to mind that it was three hours late.

Yesterday, the first Sprinter rail car arrived at 9:48 a.m., not on
a set of tracks, but split between two flatbed trucks that hauled it
overnight from Port Hueneme to the train's new home at the North
County Transit District's vehicle maintenance facility in Escondido.

The $440 million Sprinter <http://www.gonctd.com/oerail/oerail.html>
passenger train project, which is under construction on 22 miles of
track between Oceanside and Escondido, is expected to begin
operating at the end of next year.

The two halves of the car were mounted on trucks Monday night to
make the 170-mile drive down Interstate 5 toward Escondido. The
trucks were diverted off Interstate 5 in the Los Angeles area to
Interstate 15 because their load was too tall to pass beneath a
low overhang on the coastal freeway.

Two other vehicles will be hauled down over the next several days,
the first installment in a set of 12 cars being manufactured by
Siemens AG Transportation Systems in Krefeld, Germany, for $52.2
million. The other nine will arrive over the next three months.

The Sprinter will not be a traditional, locomotive-pulled passenger
train, but self-powered "diesel multiple units," rare in North
America. Each car has two six-cylinder, 420-horsepower engines that
drive the 67-ton vehicle.

"They're so much different from the trolley," which is powered by
an overhead electrical line, Bullock said.

Each car will have 136 seats and be able to carry about 220
passengers, including those standing. The North County Transit
District plans to link two cars for most runs and operate them
as a single train.

The train line will have 15 stops along the tracks through
Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos and Escondido. There will be stations
at Palomar College and California State University San Marcos.

The last time a passenger train ran on that line was 1946; the
tracks have been used exclusively by freight trains since then. The
transit district bought the rail in 1994 to operate a passenger
train along the state Route 78 corridor.

Michael Burge: (760) 476-8230; michael.burge@...

-- 
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Martin Engel
1621 Stone Pine Lane
Menlo Park, CA 94025
650:323-1670
martinengel@earthlink.net
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