May 14, 2013

What has 8,600 horsepower and regenerative braking?

The new energy saving Amtrak electric train engines. 

The locomotives are capable of speeds up to 125 mph on Northeast Regional service between Boston and Washington, D.C. and can do 110 mph on the Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Harrisburg, Pa. The new engines can do 125 mph while pulling up to 18 railcars.

In addition to power, the new 8,600-hp locomotives feature regenerative braking that can return up to 5 MW of electricity back into the grid through the catenary. According to Amtrak, the new trains are also more efficient and could save over $300 million in energy costs over the next two decades. [Wired]

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