Quote:
Originally Posted by Hatman
Well, that's a relief. It doesn't look hideous! 
(And, strangely enough, the render shows a high-level platform... hummmm.... I going to assume artistic license.)
I think it will actually look pretty cool, having the Charger cabs on both ends of the train. And it will certainly look better than having the Chargers attached to bilevel cars, using that short inclined plate at the end to make up the difference in height:
These are going to be some pretty slick lookin' trains in a couple o' years. I can't wait. |
I'm not sure about the rendering regarding artistic license vis as vis the platform height. One more thing I'm not so sure about is whether the roof of the Charger engine will still be taller than the roof of the coaches, thus pissing all over our excitement that the rake is going to be sleek, streamlined, sexy and in general an anomaly for Amtrak: displaying thoughtful and sophisticated design. The rendering above shows the cab car which is styled just like the engine sans the actual power plant obviously, so it's unclear if the locomotive is of the same dimensions/specs. The Brightline trainset obviously does match up but if you do a quick image search you will see that the existing heritage and Amfleet coaches are clearly shorter than the locomotive, so I suppose we'll see how it interacts with the Siemens Viaggio coaches. FINGERS CROSSED.
As for the "aerofoil" or whatever they may have named that fiberglass scoop bodywork, Caltrans was the only state that ordered them. Cascades, Wisconsin and midwest all intended on operating at 110mph with a three foot metal wall, and all the sheer forces and drag that entails, rising above the top of the Charger. Thank goodness that won't be reality.