[BC] 110 V DC

[Gordon Carter]

Amtrak (actually ComEd) quit with the 25 Hz years ago.  That caused the
"extinction" of the GG1 loco's, as they were designed for 25 Hz and it
was cost prohibitive to convert them.  It was the 25 Hz that accounted
for a big part of the "growl" of those loco's.

Gordon S. Carter, CPBE, CBNT
Chief Engineer
WFMT and The Radio Network
5400 North St. Louis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60625
773 279-2071
-----Original Message-----
From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net] On Behalf Of Bill Smith
Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 10:01 PM
To: 'Broadcasters' Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [BC] 110 V DC

You might have seen a sign saying 25 KV. Amtrak uses 25 KV 60 Hz power
for
the Acela trains in Mass and RI. 

Bill

> -----Original Message-----
> From: broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net
[mailto:broadcast-bounces at radiolists.net]
> On Behalf Of Kevin Tekel
> Sent: Saturday, December 02, 2006 5:24 PM
> To: broadcast at radiolists.net
> Subject: [BC] 110 V DC
> 
> Larry Bloomfield wrote:
> > There were many parts of the Los Angeles area that were 50 Hz around
> > WWII and down town LA, near the Union Depot, was DC as I recall
about
> > that time too.
> 
> Niagra Falls supplied 25 Hz power to Canada and parts of the USA
(mostly
> upstate NY) until the early 1950s.  When the switch was made to 60 Hz,
the
> electric company sent out technicians to replace or modify motorized
items
> such as clocks, phonographs, washing machines, etc.  Radios and TVs
did
> not have to be modified, because those that were built for 25 Hz
simply
> had better power supply filtering than ones built for 50 or 60 Hz.
> 
> Niagra continued to supply 25 Hz power to industrial users in Canada,
and
> maybe still does so today.  Factories running on 25 Hz power had an
> entirely different "sound" to them, due to the pervasiveness of AC hum
in
> the equipment.
> 
> Amtrak continues to use 25 Hz power on its rails in the Northeast USA,
as
> to do local transit services which share these rails.  I recall seeing
AC
> sockets in the train cars marked "25 Hz".  I don't recall the voltage
> specified, but since the voltage on the Amtrak catenary is 11,000
volts,
> it would make sense to provide 110V at the sockets.


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