That's balls, I said. Unless the speedometer in my car is broken, I've been on the 401 cruising at a buck-ten and a GO train running parallel to me between Ajax and Whitby has moved ahead of me.
Finally, a photo!
Thank you to railpictures.net for the photo. This is the speedometer of a GO Train F59PHI in Whitby, ON doing 82 mph (132 km/h).So ha! In your face, Corey.
18 comments:
Railroads in Canada measure distance and speed in miles, to keep consistant with American practice.
I've sat up front in a cab car before and watched the speedo creep up to 78 on the Georgetown line. Certain corridors have more higher speed (70-90) sections than others. However, GO equipment is typically governed at max 83mph.
The confusion may be because the boards beside the line indiacting maximum speed are in mph, not km/hr. (Hence why the speedo is as well). There are stretches along the Lakeshore East and West lines rated at 95mph, or 153km/hr (Source: http://www.gotransit.com/estudy/en/current_study/docs/Baseline_Report_Issue1-Draft_for_Comment.pdf , starting page 53).
If you get a good run on an express from Union to Pickering, you can hit 150km/hr all along the stretch through Rouge Hill.
Dan-I: GO uses a mix of EMD F59PHI (the old locos, limited to 10 cars), which have a stop speed of 110 mph (177 km/h), and the newer MP40PH-3C (a version of the MPI MPXpress), which have a stop speed of 108 mph (174 km/h). The speed is limited only by the speed limti for the streatch of track, and how long it takes the train to accelerate.
Sorry Tom, you'll notice in that photo link there was mention of an overspeed, which limits the maximum speed of the equipment. While the equipment is capable of going faster, as it stands GO has had it limited it to 83mph max (for now).
A long time ago someone said to me the maximum speed of the trains is 80 kph. Looking at this now, I realize that person is an idiot and it's mph. So yeah. I'm a donkey. I guess I could have just researched this better.
You guys are far too anal.
The GSP on my phone calculates how fast we are traveling. It usually hovers around 115kph going between most stations.
What's a GSP?!
Tell me!
@ TomW, It's all downhill between Guildwood and Rouge Hill and you can easily attain speeds up to 83 MPH before the over speed kicks in and throws a penalty brake on. By the way that is my photo taken back in 2008 before the CN conductors and assistant conductors lost the work and the CN hoggers following suit 6 months after, we had a 2L10 set that day which would easily do 83 and above if it wanted too.
God I love railfans.
George St Pierre is a GSP........
I was obviously talking about GPS..........smart ass
I actually like this kind of info. It's geeky yet interesting at the same time. I think the odd factoid about the trains wouldn't hurt once and while. GO should pay you considering the public service you provide.
I wish the GO trains would do half that speed between Clarkson and Oakville stations. Most of the time I can walk faster. I swear William Shatner must... drive... those trains... from... time... ... ... to time.
If the train is changing tracks a lot, it needs to slow down every time since the highest rated speed for switches on the line is 45mph, followed by 30 and 15.
FYI, most of the switches around TUS are rated 15mph, especially all the complex-looking slipswitches.
LOL Railnerds. Abandon this and go get laid. You'll forget all about this train nonsense in a big hurry once you finally find out what sex feels like.
@ Michael:
Where did you get this "83 mph max speed" thing? I've never seen it mentioned anywhere else.
Also, on one particularly boring trip along the LE line, I timed how long it took to travel between consecutive "mile posts" (which are actually every 2km). There was a good streatch where the times were under 50 seconds, implying a speed of 90mph+ (145km/hr )
@Anon: I'm married and my love life is great thanks :-) (oh, and my wife likes that I get geeky about stuff, including trains).
According to http://transit.toronto.on.ca/gotransit/2512.shtml : "the new locomotives are 4000 horsepower with a maximum speed of 93 m.p.h., and can handle 12 car trains, compared to the F59PH locomotives which are 3000 horsepower, have a maximum speed of 83 m.p.h., and are limited to pulling a 10 car consist."
so Ha! In your face!
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