Hey guys, I saw a video on you-tube, the Spanish high speed rail system. It showed a rather kool video of a "cab" position view of a trip from Barcelona to Madrid. The train left the station and within 8 minutes was on a 2 track main line. The train got up to 225 mph and maintained it for most of the trip. There were no radius to speak of (very, very gentle) and they used an overhead catenary system. This got me thinking, how would the GG1 pulled Broadway Limited handle this? These trains were high horsepower even 60 70 years ago. How would they handle this mainline. Could the passenger cars handle that high a speed? I don't think so, but how fast Could it go with maybe 2 GG1 lashed together and the 14 Broadway cars? Thanks
What was the top speed of a GG1? Could they have been re-geared to go faster, and still be able to start a heavy train moving? Do you have a link for that video?
I don't know about the GG-1s or the cars handling the speed. I would wonder about the track. I think the Metroliner and Acela were the highest-speed trains on the northeast corridor. Or maybe the Turbo-train. Anybody know?
Passenger gearing puts the GG1 at 100 mph, 90 mph with freight gearing. 4,620 continuous horsepower and 475,000 lbs locomotive weight. The ACS-64 by comparison has a top speed of 125 mph, 6,700 continuous horsepower, and 215,537 lbs.
Found this old photo of the GG1 prototype. I do have a lot of interest in Electric locomotives having spent many hours riding in Milwaukee Road electrics. I unfortunately didn't get to see a lot of the railroads of the east growing up, but always had a lot of interest in eastern railroads.
