charlie hebdo Electroliner 1935 Metra BNSF trains have gotten about as long as they can and still fit on the eight station tracks (even 2-16) allocated to Metra . The Naperville express trains run eleven cars long and most trains have six or more cars. The Naperville trains make three stops inbound (start at Aurora, Rt 59, & Naperville) and then run non-stop to Chicago carrying about 1500-1600 passengers. Back in the day before Amtrak and cutbacks in service, I thought some PRR and CB&Q trains were longer than 11 cars? Did they have to break the train in half?
Electroliner 1935 Metra BNSF trains have gotten about as long as they can and still fit on the eight station tracks (even 2-16) allocated to Metra . The Naperville express trains run eleven cars long and most trains have six or more cars. The Naperville trains make three stops inbound (start at Aurora, Rt 59, & Naperville) and then run non-stop to Chicago carrying about 1500-1600 passengers.
Back in the day before Amtrak and cutbacks in service, I thought some PRR and CB&Q trains were longer than 11 cars? Did they have to break the train in half?
My personal observations from 'back in the day' - the end of those trains were out in the open air beyond the platforms.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
In the old days, the steam era for example, trains running backwards had a lower speed limit than trains running normally. I think this was partly due to the visual problems but maybe due to less reliable tracking. Today, do cars running in a long train with a powerful locomotive pushing in the rear have any tracking issues ??
nhrandIn the old days, the steam era for example, trains running backwards had a lower speed limit than trains running normally. I think this was partly due to the visual problems but maybe due to less reliable tracking. Today, do cars running in a long train with a powerful locomotive pushing in the rear have any tracking issues ??
Push-pull is only used in passenger operations. Steam engines could not be controled in the manner that diesels are in push-pull operations.
Each freight carrier has their own set of train handling rules that govern how to shove large cuts of cars.
Electroliner 1935 Now when the train arrives in the station and while passengers are in the process of getting off, the HEP goes off and then about two minutes later, the Shore Power comes on. The locomotive is put on idle speed. And similarly, when departing, the conductor closes the doors, the Shore power is cut, and the passengers sit in the dark (with the emergency lights on) for about a minute, then you can hear the locomotive rev up, the train starts to move and in about thirty seconds the HEP comes on, Lights and HVAC blowers come on.
I don't know how other routes did it, but on the Southwest Service, the changeover from station power to HEP is made about five minutes before train time. It usually takes only about a minute or so and lights and power are restored well before departure time. Regular riders are familiar with the process and barely fazed by it.
charlie hebdoBack in the day before Amtrak and cutbacks in service, I thought some PRR and CB&Q trains were longer than 11 cars? Did they have to break the train in half?
No. Tracks 18 through 26 (South side tracks are even numbers) have longer platforms and those are used by Amtrak and could hold longer (20 car) trains and extend out into the interlocking plant. GM&O's were not the long ones but PRR and BN did have some long trains that extended out toward Harrison Street past the interlocking tower. If you scroll down about halfway in the following article about CUS, there is a diagram of the track layout from when it was built.
https://chicagology.com/skyscrapers/skyscrapers044/
You can see that the West tracks have shorter platforms. And the commuter trains use the eight west platforms. (Note that track 2 is under Canal Street)
zardozI bet the commuters just love trying to find their way in the dark. Don't the doors close when the power goes off? I know they did on the old CNW bi-level coaches. We were forbidden to cut power once boarding began--not even to use 'standby' on the locomotive.
Yes, I remember that also from before the turn of the century. But have not noticed the doors closing when the HEP is cut. The "emergency" lights do come on in the cars and so people are not in total darkness.
Based on the Rwy Age drawing, the longest CUS platforms were just about a quarter-mile -- so fifteen postwar cars.
In the 1990's, Amtrak operated the "Pennsylvanian" as a Chicago-Philadelphia day train with a large amount of mail & express in express boxcars and RoadRailers. It usually ran about 20 cars and departed from Track 28/19. During the Christmas season, the tail end of the train would extend to under Madison Street.
York1 I don't know enough about how trains operate to comment. Is there any difference in starting and stopping when pushing as opposed to pulling? Any slack between cars cause a difference? Other issues?
I don't know enough about how trains operate to comment.
Is there any difference in starting and stopping when pushing as opposed to pulling? Any slack between cars cause a difference? Other issues?
Another issue is having the momentum of a locomotive compressing the train when the front of the train hits an impediment. The Metrolink Glendale crash of 2005 might be a good example.
Ed
I didn't go through all the posts to see if this was answered, but I think you're seeing the Keystone trains to Harrisburg which run "push-pull."
7j43k York1 I don't know enough about how trains operate to comment. Is there any difference in starting and stopping when pushing as opposed to pulling? Any slack between cars cause a difference? Other issues? Another issue is having the momentum of a locomotive compressing the train when the front of the train hits an impediment. The Metrolink Glendale crash of 2005 might be a good example. Ed
7j43k Another issue is having the momentum of a locomotive compressing the train when the front of the train hits an impediment. The Metrolink Glendale crash of 2005 might be a good example. Ed
At the time of the Glendale accident, there was talk about this. Thinking further, maybe it was just talk:
A commuter coach might weigh 80 tons. A locomotive might weigh twice that. So the effect would be as if the rear pushing loco was replaced by two cars. Doesn't seem like much difference.
7j43kA commuter coach might weigh 80 tons. A locomotive might weigh twice that. So the effect would be as if the rear pushing loco was replaced by two cars. Doesn't seem like much difference.
The difference is in the concentration of the weight on the axles, the effect on braking, and to a lesser extent on the difference in draft gear between the cars in the train and the locomotive.
When pushing, the slack runs in and out relative to the location of the locomotive, with the effect possibly delayed up to several seconds. This could be pronounced at the cab end in some of the latter-day Hudson Line trains with FL9s, where very perceptible 'nudges' were common with throttle changes and surges could be observed when braking to a stop.
I suspect better blended braking solves some of the issues.
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