HHP-8
Encyclopedia
The Acela HHP-8 is a double-ended electric locomotive
manufactured by a consortium
of Bombardier
and Alstom
. HHP-8 stands for High HorsePower 8000. The HHP-8s replaced the GE E60
s and supplement the aging AEM-7s
on Amtrak
's Northeast Corridor
, though some of the AEM-7s have been upgraded to AEM-7ACs to match the hauling power of the HHP-8s because the HHP-8s suffered from persistent, intractable reliability problems. The locomotive can haul Amfleet
cars at speeds of up to 125 mph (201 km/h). They are sometimes referred to by train crews as "Hippos", "Rhinos", and "Bananas".
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC
) Rail also operates HHP-8s on its Penn Line between Perryville
and Washington, DC.
70 new locomotives, designated the ACS-64, are expected to be replace the HHP-8 and AEM-7s over several years; the first units will enter service in 2013.
power cars, but they have noticeably shorter and stubbier noses. The HHP-8s are equipped with visible couplers
and head end power
receptacles at both ends. These are hidden by covers on the front end of Acela power cars during normal operations.
Technical data:
Dimensions and weights:
used over the Northeast Corridor
. They were designed to automatically switch between voltages, but this feature malfunctioned in testing.
was identified as a potential problem during testing. Safety officials at the time felt that potential crack development could be identified before failure with proper inspection.
In August 2002, the HHP-8s were also briefly removed from service when the brackets that connected truck dampers
(shocks) to the locomotive car bodies ("yaw dampers") were found to be cracking. The locomotives were then returned to service when a program of frequent inspections was instituted. The damper brackets have since been redesigned and the old brackets replaced with the newer design.
Electric locomotive
An electric locomotive is a locomotive powered by electricity from overhead lines, a third rail or an on-board energy storage device...
manufactured by a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
and Alstom
Alstom
Alstom is a large multinational conglomerate which holds interests in the power generation and transport markets. According to the company website, in the years 2010-2011 Alstom had annual sales of over €20.9 billion, and employed more than 85,000 people in 70 countries. Alstom's headquarters are...
. HHP-8 stands for High HorsePower 8000. The HHP-8s replaced the GE E60
GE E60
The GE E60 is a C-C electric locomotive made by GE Transportation Systems. The E60's were based on existing locomotives designed for freight service...
s and supplement the aging AEM-7s
EMD AEM-7
The AEM-7 is a B-B electric locomotive that is used in the United States on the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC and Boston and the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg in Pennsylvania. They were built by Electro-Motive Division from 1978 to 1988...
on Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
, though some of the AEM-7s have been upgraded to AEM-7ACs to match the hauling power of the HHP-8s because the HHP-8s suffered from persistent, intractable reliability problems. The locomotive can haul Amfleet
Amfleet
Amfleet is a series of intercity railroad passenger cars built for the operator Amtrak by the manufacturer Budd Company in two series during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Today, Amfleet cars are used extensively throughout the Amtrak system outside the western United States...
cars at speeds of up to 125 mph (201 km/h). They are sometimes referred to by train crews as "Hippos", "Rhinos", and "Bananas".
Maryland Area Regional Commuter (MARC
MARC Train
MARC , known prior to 1984 as Maryland Rail Commuter Service, is a regional rail system comprising three lines in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. MARC is administered by the Maryland Transit Administration , a Maryland Department of Transportation agency, and is operated under contract...
) Rail also operates HHP-8s on its Penn Line between Perryville
Perryville, Maryland
Perryville is a town in Cecil County, Maryland, United States. The population was 3,672 at the 2000 census. The town is located off Interstate 95, on the north side of the mouth of the Susquehanna River.-History:...
and Washington, DC.
70 new locomotives, designated the ACS-64, are expected to be replace the HHP-8 and AEM-7s over several years; the first units will enter service in 2013.
Appearance
The locomotives are visually similar to AcelaAcela Express
The Acela Express is Amtrak's high-speed rail service along the Northeast Corridor in the Northeast United States between Washington, D.C., and Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York...
power cars, but they have noticeably shorter and stubbier noses. The HHP-8s are equipped with visible couplers
Coupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
and head end power
Head end power
Head end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
receptacles at both ends. These are hidden by covers on the front end of Acela power cars during normal operations.
Specifications
General Data:- Track gauge: 1,435 mm / 4 ft 8½ in
- Clearance gauge: AMTRAK
- Type of vehicle: Electric locomotive
- Railway system operator: Amtrak, MARC
- Vehicle designation: HPP-8
- Quantity: 21
- Road Numbers: Amtrak: 650–664, MARC: 4910–4915
- Years of commissioning: 1999–2000
Technical data:
- System voltageVoltageVoltage, otherwise known as electrical potential difference or electric tension is the difference in electric potential between two points — or the difference in electric potential energy per unit charge between two points...
: AC 25 kV/60 Hz, 12.5 kV/60 Hz, 12 kV/25 Hz - Head end powerHead end powerHead end power or electric train supply is a rail transport term for the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive at the front or “head” of a train or a generator car, generates all the electricity used for lighting, electrical and other...
: 480 V AC, 60 Hz, 3-phase, 1,000 kW, 1,100 kVa - Wheel set arrangement: Bo’Bo’
- Drive system: Fully suspended drive
- Axle load: 27.5 short tons (55000 lb (24,947.6 kg))
- Number of traction motorTraction motorTraction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s: 4 - Traction motorTraction motorTraction motor refers to an electric motor providing the primary rotational torque of a machine, usually for conversion into linear motion ....
s: Alstom Onix AC Traction Motors - Traction converter: Alstom Onix
- Power at wheel rim: 6 MW (8,000 hp)
- Max. starting tractive effortTractive effortAs used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
: 316 kN (71,200 lbf) - Continuous tractive effortTractive effortAs used in mechanical engineering, the term tractive force is the pulling or pushing force exerted by a vehicle on another vehicle or object. The term tractive effort is synonymous with tractive force, and is often used in railway engineering to describe the pulling or pushing capability of a...
: 250 kN (56,600 lbf) - Dynamic brakingDynamic brakingDynamic braking is the use of the electric traction motors of a railroad vehicle as generators when slowing the Locomotive. It is termed rheostatic if the generated electrical power is dissipated as heat in brake grid resistors, and regenerative if the power is returned to the supply line...
effort at wheel rim: 150 kN (34,000 lbf) - Maximum speed: Design: 217 km/h (135 mph), Operation: 201 km/h (125 mph)
Dimensions and weights:
- Length over buffersBuffer (rail transport)A buffer is a part of the buffers-and-chain coupling system used on the railway systems of many countries, among them most of those in Europe, for attaching railway vehicles to one another....
: 20,447 mm (805 in or 67.08 ft) - Overall width: 3,149 mm (124 in)
- Height over pantographsPantograph (rail)A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
: 7,467 mm (294 in or 24.5 ft) - Distance between bogieBogieA bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
centers: 10,744 mm (431.1 in or 35.25 ft) - BogieBogieA bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
wheelbaseWheelbaseIn both road and rail vehicles, the wheelbase is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels.- Road :In automobiles, the wheelbase is the horizontal distance between the center of the front wheel and the center of the rear wheel...
: 2,845 mm (112 in or 9.33 ft) - Wheel diameter new: 1,016 mm (40 in)
- Weight of locomotive: 110 short tons (220000 lb (99,790.3 kg))
Electrical
During testing of the equipment between 1999 and 2000 the locomotives experienced a number of problems related to the differing power supply voltagesRailway electrification system
A railway electrification system supplies electrical energy to railway locomotives and multiple units as well as trams so that they can operate without having an on-board prime mover. There are several different electrification systems in use throughout the world...
used over the Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
. They were designed to automatically switch between voltages, but this feature malfunctioned in testing.
Mechanical
Cracking in the trucksBogie
A bogie is a wheeled wagon or trolley. In mechanics terms, a bogie is a chassis or framework carrying wheels, attached to a vehicle. It can be fixed in place, as on a cargo truck, mounted on a swivel, as on a railway carriage/car or locomotive, or sprung as in the suspension of a caterpillar...
was identified as a potential problem during testing. Safety officials at the time felt that potential crack development could be identified before failure with proper inspection.
In August 2002, the HHP-8s were also briefly removed from service when the brackets that connected truck dampers
Shock absorber
A shock absorber is a mechanical device designed to smooth out or damp shock impulse, and dissipate kinetic energy. It is a type of dashpot.-Nomenclature:...
(shocks) to the locomotive car bodies ("yaw dampers") were found to be cracking. The locomotives were then returned to service when a program of frequent inspections was instituted. The damper brackets have since been redesigned and the old brackets replaced with the newer design.