SEPTA CAT power failure

[blue streak 1]

SEPTA had a problem at its main power station a Wayne junction.  This poster's understanding that all power is routed thru this station (?).  As well signal system was down so no trains what so ever. 

Does anyone know if SEPTA can borrow power from Amtrak in such a situation and vice verses ?  Amtrak had some delay problems as well north of PHL which may or may not be related/  

[MidlandMike]

I wonder if Wayne Jct power station is just for the ex-Reading lines?

[Overmod]

blue streak 1

Does anyone know if SEPTA can borrow power from Amtrak in such a situation and vice versa?

Wouldn't do 'em any good.  Wayne Junction is a cycloconverter station, converting 60Hz power (from PECO) to the 25Hz power used by the ex-Reading electrification.

There's nothing actually producing 25Hz power that could be backfed to Amtrak.

Doesn't look to me as if the 'wayside energy storage' approach used at Letterly and Griscom on the subway will be adapted to the AC lines, except as part of a planned rebuilding of the 'century-old' converter setup (and let's be honest, you haven't fully appreciated mad-scientist electrical technology until you see and hear one of these things start and load). SEPTA has officially come out as saying that 'intermittent renewable' (meaning in part solar- and wind-generated power) with the required very large energy storage requirements for heavy rail service, is not a good option for them.

What SEPTA is doing instead is building their very own 8.8MW gas-fired plant -- to replace PECO's feed, most probably, and perhaps to assist with a little peaking requirement when de$ired -- in a neighborhood adjacent to Wayne Junction.  I expect that will be native 60Hz with grid sync, not 25Hz anything.

[blue streak 1]

Overmod  --  So SEPTA and Amtrak do not have any location switch yard that the 25Hz could interconnect if needed ?

[Overmod]

I do not know of one that would provide useful traction power -- that, I'm presuming, would be something like a 132,000V line, and I don't think anything remotely like that exists between SEPTA and Amtrak as an intertie.

That by no means says there isn't one, and there are people on here who have forgotten more than I ever knew about the 25Hz railroad electrifications  in the Philadelphia area.  I might be able to get a more definitive answer out of the PRR Catenary Electrics Yahoo Group, as there are a couple of known ex-power directors posting there regularly...