Depending on where you are, the frequency on the Northeast Corridor can run from 16 to 60 hertz. It has to do with who electrified that stretch of track originally. Thanks to the modern art of thyristors, today’s electric locomotives can change on the fly.
DC I understand. 50/60 Hz I understand. 400 Hz I understand.
I don’t “get” 16 Hz. I even think the 25 Hz used in some parts of the world is too low. Visual flicker on the lights, unnecessarily large transformers, etc.
16 Hz? Why would they do that???
The former Pennsylvania Railroad section of the Northeast Corridor is electrified with 11,000 volt 25 Hz, as are the former Reading commuter lines. I need to check the historical basis for the lower frequency. Apparently it was a combination of transmission losses, and being able to operate “universl motors” that could operate on DC.
The 17 Hz is actually 16 2/3 Hz of the Deutsche Bahn (1/3 of 50 Hz).
Those are old legacy systems