@zequelll No, this Turbo-Train is a United Aircraft design with tilting coaches and adapted PT6 turbo-jets made in Montreal, Canada. The Amtrack Turbo Liner is a French built Alsthom Turbo-Train done at the same time which had SNECMA turbo-jets made somewhere in France but coaches were without tilting. Both had cruising speeds up to 180 km/h.
@laurentien00 The turbine used where called ST6, the most notable difference with pt6 was that the pt6 have two lateral exhaust while the st6 only have one top exhaust. The engine used in a few turbos still exist, some are stored at Pratt & Whitney in Longeuil near montreal, and some others are used by the students at the Ecole Nationale d'Aerotechnique in labs to understand how turboprop engine works
A CN Conducter years ago, once explained that any passenger train traveling much higher than 95mph (at the time) .. would make the many level crossings bewtween Montreal and Toronto dangerous since the the gates would be activated not soon enough for the faster trains.
Maybe today these gates with modern electronics could be signaled to accommodate a 150mph train... but the 800 lb gorilla has always been and still is .... Air Canada's lucrative Monteal/Toronto monoply
@sideslide23 The tests showed this train could reach 270 km/h. Cruising speeds were reduced to 160 km/h due to the large number of passenger coaches. It could have done easily 200 km/h. The first tilting train to enter service.
These were so cool looking too bad they didn't work better. I sure wish I'd had the chance to ride one when they were still around. When was little I remember Eaton's had an N scale Turbo train kit in their toy department. It wasn't much, three or four cars including the head end units, maybe 3m of track. Even at 10 years old I knew dad wasn't going to spend over $100 for it so I never even started pestering him about it. Wish I had now!
The turbo did work very well for many years after Bombardier Montreal rebuilt them. Also they now do put diesel engines in light aircraft with very good results.
Would you put a diesel motor in an airplane? Na! So wy did they put a jet motor(Pratt and Wittney) in a locomotive?Even if it would have worked out, freight is ruling the rails so no need to have a 300mph plus locomotive!
I remember watching the NH/PC Turbo run on the New Haven shoreline through Clinton, CT wehen I was a kid. This was the train of the future. Looked way faster and cooler than the Acela. We used to watch from the Liberty Street overpass and the engineer would always give us a long blast on the horn and a big wave. Then the heat from the exhaust stack would hit you and she was gone, off towards Boston. Never did get to ride on the Turbo but she sure was fun to watch.
My Dad worked on the turbo in '67 in Montreal. I was in first grade and enjoyed living at the base of mt Royal and going to man and his world (expo 67) great film,
We indeed had in the 70s a Turbotrain in France. It was the first solution for the TGV but due the oil crisis in 73 ht eproject was abandonned and they decided to build an electrical TGV.
Remember sitting up next to the plexiglass right behind the engineer watching the rail! Couldnt have had any better view of the trip! Had the same throttle control as the Subway in Toronto!
I remember riding to Montreal in this and the Rapido,
rockybudgeboa 1 year ago
The US stopped using the UA turbo when one caught fire in Sharon MA on the NEC. I used to love riding them and watching over the engineer's shoulder.
peterpocasset 1 year ago
so its like the amtrak turbo liner?
zequelll 1 year ago
@zequelll Identical, built by Boeing. They were real gas guzzlers and very noisy at rest.
peterpocasset 1 year ago
@zequelll No, this Turbo-Train is a United Aircraft design with tilting coaches and adapted PT6 turbo-jets made in Montreal, Canada. The Amtrack Turbo Liner is a French built Alsthom Turbo-Train done at the same time which had SNECMA turbo-jets made somewhere in France but coaches were without tilting. Both had cruising speeds up to 180 km/h.
laurentien00 1 year ago
@laurentien00 The turbine used where called ST6, the most notable difference with pt6 was that the pt6 have two lateral exhaust while the st6 only have one top exhaust. The engine used in a few turbos still exist, some are stored at Pratt & Whitney in Longeuil near montreal, and some others are used by the students at the Ecole Nationale d'Aerotechnique in labs to understand how turboprop engine works
julienjjj 11 months ago
A CN Conducter years ago, once explained that any passenger train traveling much higher than 95mph (at the time) .. would make the many level crossings bewtween Montreal and Toronto dangerous since the the gates would be activated not soon enough for the faster trains.
Maybe today these gates with modern electronics could be signaled to accommodate a 150mph train... but the 800 lb gorilla has always been and still is .... Air Canada's lucrative Monteal/Toronto monoply
redifreddy14 1 year ago
how fast can this CN travel at top speed?
sideslide23 2 years ago
@sideslide23 The Turbo once attained a speed of 140 MPH, or 225km/h.
SisterhoneyTS 1 year ago
@sideslide23 The tests showed this train could reach 270 km/h. Cruising speeds were reduced to 160 km/h due to the large number of passenger coaches. It could have done easily 200 km/h. The first tilting train to enter service.
laurentien00 1 year ago
According to CN's records, the Turbo Train was reliable and was available 97% of the time.
maddogmcrae 2 years ago 4
These were so cool looking too bad they didn't work better. I sure wish I'd had the chance to ride one when they were still around. When was little I remember Eaton's had an N scale Turbo train kit in their toy department. It wasn't much, three or four cars including the head end units, maybe 3m of track. Even at 10 years old I knew dad wasn't going to spend over $100 for it so I never even started pestering him about it. Wish I had now!
bagelboi66 2 years ago
@bagelboi66 Well, you can just buy one now. They are on sale in VIA or CN livery.
laurentien00 1 year ago
The turbo did work very well for many years after Bombardier Montreal rebuilt them. Also they now do put diesel engines in light aircraft with very good results.
rleclare 2 years ago
Would you put a diesel motor in an airplane? Na! So wy did they put a jet motor(Pratt and Wittney) in a locomotive?Even if it would have worked out, freight is ruling the rails so no need to have a 300mph plus locomotive!
BulletNoseBettie 3 years ago
Are you familiar with the phrase "think outside the box"? Sure, Turbo didn't work, but imagine the possibilities if it had...
BulletNoseBetty 2 years ago
@BulletNoseBettie Well now...high-speed rail rules these days my friend. And that includes freight! lol@u
clusterfak 2 years ago
I remember watching the NH/PC Turbo run on the New Haven shoreline through Clinton, CT wehen I was a kid. This was the train of the future. Looked way faster and cooler than the Acela. We used to watch from the Liberty Street overpass and the engineer would always give us a long blast on the horn and a big wave. Then the heat from the exhaust stack would hit you and she was gone, off towards Boston. Never did get to ride on the Turbo but she sure was fun to watch.
MadManMarko 3 years ago
I got that train on microsoft train simulator it very fast
Trainfoamer101 3 years ago
My Dad worked on the turbo in '67 in Montreal. I was in first grade and enjoyed living at the base of mt Royal and going to man and his world (expo 67) great film,
zeusdog6996 3 years ago
I remember seeing a Turbo with the Amtrak Colors out of South Station in Boston in the mid 1970's.
They were removed from service (due to frequent breakdowns - I think was one reason. Another '...they were too hard to operate'?? O_o
Still, I NEVER got to ride one.
Modeltrainguy 3 years ago
where were these
Burnoutmaster1 3 years ago
I don't know what it is about the Turbo, but I just love it! The new 'european' trains just don't do it for me like the Turbo did!
DungeonStudio 3 years ago
We indeed had in the 70s a Turbotrain in France. It was the first solution for the TGV but due the oil crisis in 73 ht eproject was abandonned and they decided to build an electrical TGV.
rugbytlse 3 years ago
wow!!! thats some rare footage u got there!
MikeDelic14 3 years ago
Wow, I've never in my life seen actual footage of the Turbo and sadly I never got to enjoy the train since it was retired when i was born. :(
DredWolf1 3 years ago
Remember sitting up next to the plexiglass right behind the engineer watching the rail! Couldnt have had any better view of the trip! Had the same throttle control as the Subway in Toronto!
drc35ca 4 years ago