Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Talgo Train Video

This video from Spanish train maker Talgo - - from whom Wisconsin is buying two train sets and adding an assembly facility at the former Tower Automotive factory in in Milwaukee - - should give you an idea of what the ride will be like in just a few short years on upgraded tracks from Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison and farther west - - if the Republicans don't kill the line.
at

7 comments:

  1. Stephen KarlsonSeptember 7, 2010 at 1:03 PM

    Let's not get carried away.

    The video shows a demonstration of an electric-locomotive hauled Talgo probably capable of 350 km/h (225 mph or so) but only under wires.

    The Wisconsin train will be much like the Oregon-Washington diesel-hauled Talgo trains, which see, themselves a substantial improvement over the ones tried in the Northeast about 55 years ago. They're comfortable trains, although their advantage is in going faster on twisty track, something the Chicago-Madison is not.

    ReplyDelete
  2. James RowenSeptember 7, 2010 at 1:19 PM

    By 2015, the Talgo trains will run at 110 mph on the Wisconsin corridor, a nice upgrade on improved track, as I have been saying.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousSeptember 7, 2010 at 1:31 PM

    First off I would not count your high-speed rails before they are laid.

    By 2015 none of this will be done, they won't even be done with round one of the NIMBY lawsuits for the route going into Madison.

    As useless as it was, you were better off trying to put the Madison station at the airport.

    And by definition of the USFRA, 110 mph is not high speed rail.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stephen KarlsonSeptember 7, 2010 at 3:22 PM

    I have to agree with anonymous that 110 mph is not international high speed, and with James that the speeds will be a nice upgrade.

    Those of us with long memories will either approve, or gripe, that the running times will be only marginally better than those of 1939.

    ReplyDelete
  5. James RowenSeptember 7, 2010 at 3:40 PM

    Trust me: Madison will like 110 mph. The speed for the current service is 0.

    ReplyDelete
  6. BoxerSeptember 7, 2010 at 5:57 PM

    It does take a long time to get from Mke to Mad while going 0 MPH.

    I'd take any train that goes faster than the highway speed limit plus 10.

    ReplyDelete
  7. AnonymousSeptember 7, 2010 at 6:14 PM

    110 mph is not even US standard high speed.

    Over 110 mph is, up to 110 mph is not.

    And just wait for the formal/final announcement on the exact route - then watch for the flurry of lawsuits.

    And it won't be from the right - it will be from the affected lefties in Madison.

    ReplyDelete