Electric MU Compatibility

[alloboard]

I know that certain railroad equipment are compatible with each other or not. for instance the Acela is only compatible with it's own kind, all Comet and Anmfleet coaches are compatible with each other. I know that the new Septa IV Electric MU's are compatible with the first generation Silverliners and pioneers however I need to know does anybody know if GE Jersey Arrow III's are compatible with Arrow II's.

[paulsafety]

The initial order of five "Pioneers" (or Silverliner "1"s) had knuckle couplers and therefore would not mate with any of the "silverliners" (II, III, IV, V) which have a transit style coupler (H-2-A? or "van dorn"?)  This same coupler is present on Jersey Arrow II's and III's so I would imagine that all could be operated together as long as voltage settings were common ( I think the arrows can operate on different voltages?)  The older MP54, Reading Electric MUs and DL&W equipment had knuckle couplers, but the DL&W equipment ran on DC current, not AC.  The MP54s and Reading MU could operate on either railroad's lines and did so after the opening of the Center City Rail Tunnel project in the 80's.

http://www.philadelphiatransitvehicles.info/reg-roster.php

http://pc.smellycat.com/pics/eastern/pc583gs.jpg (Jersy Arrow II)

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:New_Jersey_Transit_Budd_Arrow_III_1313_on_the_Dinky.jpg (Jersey Arrow III)

[daveklepper]

SEPTA Silverliner and Jersey Arrow equipment have never mu'd together and there are probably minor differences in control setups that make such mu operation impractical.   As I fully reported on the "General" Forum on a specific thread, they did operate over each other's lines in through NY-Phily service for a short period until NJT was dissatisfied with SEPTA's level of maintenance.   Although this through operation did benefit the public, its primary reason was equipment utilization, removing the non-revenue time at Trenton.  No attempt was made to assign the same train numbers on both systems.  Both systems use the same tracks at Trenton and south to NJT's yard.  Amtrak also uses those tracks.  The NE Corridor south of Sunnyside Yard and Harold Tower in Queens, NY, still has the original 25Hz 11000V AC electrification, but most if not all of Jersey Arrows are equipped also to operate at 60Hz, and the Lackawanna electrification is at 60Hz, I think 25000V like the Amtrak electrification north-east of New Haven.   Also, the dc Harlem-Hudson Metro North cars cannot mu with the ac-dc Hew Haven Metro North/ConnDOT cars.  They can couple, and I think carry air-brake control if run as trailers in shop moves behind locomotives.

[alloboard]

When did SEPTA and NJT operate over each other's lines in through NY-Phily service for a short period? What years were that? If so where can I find a photograph of that?

[henry6]

The Corridor is the former PRR main line and they of course ran through.  PC ran GG1's to New Haven.  And the early days of NJT and SEPTA as separate entities would have to date to the mid to late 70's.  And Amtrak has on occasion used MU's from both on holiday weekends over the years.