I found something out the other day that I had no idea about. Turns out Acela trains prefer (someone said have to have) stations with high platforms. By looking at Superliner coaches, they need low platforms. I'm about to start work on my large station and am now wondering if I need to have two types of platform heights (is that even prototypical?) so that both Superliners and Horizon fleet (and even Acela) consists can serve it. Am I worrying too much?
At Newark's Penn Station, the Acela use the same platform height as all of the other Amtrak trains as well as those from NJ Transit. I just bought Bachmann's Acela to run on my European layout (Yes, I know it's not prototypic - so shoot me!) alongside it's faster cousins (TGV, ICE, Thalys, AGV, Eurostar) and the model matches up pretty well with those other coaches. (Not surprisingly, as the Acela is a Bombardier-Alstom design.) David
On the corridor, where the Acelas run, most of the stations have high level platforms. As many times as I've been on trains into Union Station in DC, I don't recall high level platforms though. But I've never taken the Acela. DC Union Station is the only station I know of where both Acela and the Superliners operate.
I believe all Amtrak cars can use either high or low platforms. I've ridden Superliners, Viewliners, Amfleet, and Heritage over the past 20 years and have boarded at both low and high platforms with each type of car. I can't speak about an Acela because I've not ridden on them. In the car's vestibule there's a moveable floor panel next to the door that can be left in place or lifted. If the panel is lifted, the stairs hinge down to the height of the low platform. Otherwise the panel remains at the height of the high platform.
Washington Union has low platforms on the two tracks that run through from Virgina and the south. Superliners do not run on those tracks due to the height of the catenary. I don't know which tracks serve the Acelas because they have never been there when I've come through.
Same here... The crew tends warn the passengers when the train reachs a stop that has the lower platforms and they set out the step kept in the cars and help folks on and off. Here are a few shots of the same car at different locations that have two very different hights of platforms. Denver UNION Station Glenwood Springs
David - this is a little off the topic it but I have heard some mixed reviews about the Bachmann Acela, how do you like the train?
Hi Bernard! Well it's hard to quantify. It's the first Bachmann that I have bought in 30 years, and to that measurement, it's the best Bachmann that I have ever owned. Nicely detailed, runs very well from the catenary, and it's fully lighted. Although it's DCC ready, I pulled the DCC out and put in a Marklin Digital unit as I run a Marklin Digital layout. (I also converted the electrical paths to run on the Marklin system, so my performance realized might be different than that from an owner using stock Bachmann DCC. The Marklin Digital allows much finer incremental power programming than does the Bachmann, IMHO.) On the other hand, compared to most of my pre-Bachmann Liliput, any of my Fleischmann, most of my Marklin, it's performance and details (overall quality) is somewhat less. (Now that's a real subjective analysis, mind you. But we are comparing, at least from my older collection, German design and assembly with Chinese assembly.) It beats the heck out of any Lima or Jouef loco that I have (pre- or post Hornby ownership); about the same as any of my Rivarossi locos. Overall, I'm pretty pleased, such that I just ordered the other End-Business coaches and two more Business coaches to make up a prototypical trainset. I also bought the Powered Driver/Dummy driver engine set, so my completed unit train will be powered at both ends like most of my Marklin ICE trainsets. David
When I was there in 2000 a friend and I watched and photographed a Superliner train, not sure which one, arrive on one of the stub tracks further over by the tower. We traveled by train to Baltimore and back with Amfleet cars, and from memory the platforms we boarded at in Washington and at Baltimore were at car floor level.
amtrak equipment Superliners can only board on low platforms 8" above top of rail or 15" if its off the main line. Amfleets and Horizons can board on low level platforms and high level platforms at 4'-0" above top of rail. This equipment has vestibule steps. Acela trains can only board at high level platforms because there are No vestibule steps. Steve Railroad Architect 1:1 Railroad Architect 1:87 PRRNortheastcorridor.com
Hi Steve (AC_Catenary), Welcome to the TrainBoard, we're happy to have you aboard! Thanks for clearing up this topic with the facts. I could only speculate from observation, and from faltering memory.
