I had the honor of riding RTL's twice. Once in the cab (just like an AEM-7's cab interior, except for the windshield slope), and once in Business Class. I must say they were much quieter than I had expected and they rode smoother than Amfleets. I wish they didn't scrap them all. They were modern and well-liked by the passengers.
When Amtrak first bought the RTG's it was because they wanted a modern image and they were at that time the most modern thing on rails. They were also the first passenger equipment they ever bought new. The newer RTL's were bult under license from ANF-Frangeco by Rohr. The advantages with turbos were that a turbine is more compact while putting out the horsepower of a diesel that weighs much more, plus as long as you have infrequent stops they are very economical.
Stunning! 5 Stars!
Had this caught on we could have gotten into High Speed Rail sooner.
Thanks for sharing! =D
Modeltrainguy 2 years ago
I had the honor of riding RTL's twice. Once in the cab (just like an AEM-7's cab interior, except for the windshield slope), and once in Business Class. I must say they were much quieter than I had expected and they rode smoother than Amfleets. I wish they didn't scrap them all. They were modern and well-liked by the passengers.
nyshortline 2 years ago
I always thought that these were a "dud" buy. Amtrak should have purchased a modified HST 125
gregrudd 2 years ago
When Amtrak first bought the RTG's it was because they wanted a modern image and they were at that time the most modern thing on rails. They were also the first passenger equipment they ever bought new. The newer RTL's were bult under license from ANF-Frangeco by Rohr. The advantages with turbos were that a turbine is more compact while putting out the horsepower of a diesel that weighs much more, plus as long as you have infrequent stops they are very economical.
nyshortline 2 years ago
They were mechanical nightmares with a failure rate 5 times the fleet average...
tcrlaf 1 year ago
@tcrlaf Yeah that IS true. I heard you had to have a tech ride along on every run.
nyshortline 1 year ago
Thanks for share this vid, gas turbine are rare today !
dashloc 3 years ago
I miss these classic trains. I'd love to see some video of the old ANF Turbos out of Chicago.
RDG484 3 years ago