TRAIN-RIDING IN PHILADELPHIA AND NEW JERSEY -- SOME OBSERVATIONS AND OPINIONS

[oltmannd]

1900 vehicles per hour per lane is slightly less than 2 second spacing.

I also remember that "C" shaped curve of capacity.  It explained why, for a highway running near capacity, one day you can sail along 40-50 mph and the next day, you're stuck at 10-20 mph - with the highway carrying exactly the same traffic.  Once a jam nudges you under that "critical" speed, it's game over!

[Jack_S]

Nice post.  I grew up in Philly and went to Girard College, which was really an orphanage for grades 1 to 12.  I lived there from 1947 to 1957.  Your route on the number 15 PCC trolley took you right past the school's main entrance just west of 20th Street.  I rode that line many times to get to the Broad Street subway.

Jack

[daveklepper]

I visited Girard College once when doing some sound system work on the Bellusci designed theatre-concert-hall.   Nice place.  Was treated to an excellent lunch.   Too dumb at the time to ride the streetcar, took a taxi from 30th Street Station.   Road the streetcar line once on a fan trip.   And did get to see the Philladelphia Brilliner, but didn't ride it.

[fafnir242]

I've ridden NJT a couple of times when I was out visiting relatives, and I have to say it was probably one of the most fascinating experiences I've ever had.  Of course, being from the Midwest, that's not really saying much.lol  Still, though, I loved Newark Penn Station.  I practically wanted to live there, but that probably wouldn't be a good idea.  Rode the Raritan Valley line twice each way.  In fact, my first return trip was behind a GP40FH-2.  I've got no complaints about their service.

[Bapou]

The NJT M.U. cars you mention were built by GE not Bombardier, and are called Arrow III.