It’s also called “hotel” power and is provided by the locomotive, but separate from “needed to run” power. A train can run with just air and the physical connection, hotel comes with the big “other cable” connected.

Some private cars do NOT use it and instead have their own generator. In theory you could have one with no lights, etc at all.

I’ve been on an Amtrak where it lost hotel power; nothing but emergency lighting until they got to a station where they could swap the locomotive.

But the train kept running, and the conductor had to walk the entire train announcing stops verbally; with no PA system.

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mcculley 5 days ago | parent | next [-]

> with no PA system

Wow. That is crazy and surprising. I can see losing air conditioning, but the PA should be considered mission critical.

	▲	starkparker 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		The toilets also rely on electricity to flush, which is where the real nightmares begin on any sufficiently sold train of 2+ hours.

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Llamamoe 5 days ago | parent | prev [-]

Why can't the locomotive pull it from the wires? It's not like it maintains a constant draw with all the speed changes and such.

	▲	AnimalMuppet 5 days ago \| parent [-]
		Most of the US doesn't have wires.