A single Siemens Venture car, part of the Amtrak Midwest operations, traveled over Canadian Pacific and Canadian National lines in Ontario on Saturday, Dec. 3., en route from Sacramento, Calif., to Canada’s National Research Uplands Campus in Ottawa for testing
The special train, Union Pacific SD70ACe No. 8821 and the Siemens car, SIIX 4301, is shown passing two Grand Trunk Railway stations — one in Woodstock, Ontario, built in 1885, and one in Brantford, built in 1905. The car is part of an 88-car order that saw the first cars delivered in August 2020, though a series of issues have slowed their entry into service.
The National Research Council facility in Ottawa includes a Climatic Chamber, which provides a single location to test vehicle, railcar, and component performance in temperatures ranging from 55 to minus-46 degrees Celcius (131 to minus-51 degrees Fahrenheit). Other services it offers include compression testing, structural dynamics testing, and an impact ramp.
Expensive 1 car move. I thought UP was short of staff? Why wasnt it placed at the back of a CP or CN PSR consist?
Talk about a white glove delivery
Maybe the Canadians will figure out a way to get them running where Amtrak can’t (or won’t).
Might as well use the car for something. Amtrak sure isn’t doing anything with it. And why a UP motor? Surprised that it isn’t CN or CP powered.
Pretty sure this is for the Canadian trainsets that are on order, and not specifically to test the Venture cars. That building isn’t long enough to test and entire train set, so just test one car. Highly doubt this has anything to do with Amtrak or the Midwest/California car order.
And why is this type testing not available at the Colorado test track?
Too costly to cool to -46 C ( -50.8 F ) at hot Colorado. However in winter cold Canada ???
Amtrak is joke of company.
SIIX 9024 went to this facility three years ago for testing. Looks like someone wants to spend more money.
Why now? Instead of a day late and dollar short/ A year late and 100 million short. Can we suspect that there are cold weather problems that Brightline does not have?
Pretty sure this is for the Canadian trainsets that are on order, and not specifically to test the Venture cars. That building isn’t long enough to test and entire train set, so just test one car.