rcdrye The catenary replacements are intended to replace the hard-to-maintain PRR design catenary, especially the inclined sections on curves, with a "constant-tension" design. PRR used long segments, up to 300 feet between towers, and relied on regular adjustment.
The catenary replacements are intended to replace the hard-to-maintain PRR design catenary, especially the inclined sections on curves, with a "constant-tension" design. PRR used long segments, up to 300 feet between towers, and relied on regular adjustment.
When you refer 'Constant tension', does that has to do with constant mechanical tension by using counterweights ?
Mario, Thanks for the video. John
Paul Milenkovic Cool, the old Metroliner cars as depowered cab cars. Do passenger ride in those cars (it would also be cool to look out the front as you can on Metra from the front cab car in push mode)? Or is this a grade crossing safety thing to keep this is a non-revenue cab car? Or when they remove these grade crossings, can they revert to revenue seats in those cab cars? Do people know if the old Metroliners have their original trucks? If they do, does anyone know if they are ballasted up to the original weight when they had electric gear in them so they ride the same on the old springs?
Cool, the old Metroliner cars as depowered cab cars.
Do passenger ride in those cars (it would also be cool to look out the front as you can on Metra from the front cab car in push mode)? Or is this a grade crossing safety thing to keep this is a non-revenue cab car? Or when they remove these grade crossings, can they revert to revenue seats in those cab cars?
Do people know if the old Metroliners have their original trucks? If they do, does anyone know if they are ballasted up to the original weight when they had electric gear in them so they ride the same on the old springs?
When they were used in Atlantic City Line service, they were open revenue cars. At least at the start, you could look out the front. NJT cab cars have interior door frosted over - no fun.
Original Metroliner trucks still on them. It's pretty easy to respring trucks. I suspect Amtrak resprung them. Equalized spring-hanger trucks should ride pretty nicely - under normal conditions!
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
If GM "killed the electric car", what am I doing standing next to an EV-1, a half a block from the WSOR tracks?
Yes, the Pennsylvanian is diesel powered west of Philadelphia. It makes sense in that the direction of movement of the train is changed in Philadelphia, which requires either a turning on a wye or taking the engine off one end and putting an engine on the other end. So, rather than having an engine change in Harrisburg as well as in Philadelphia, there is the single change in Philadelphia. In its last years, the Broadway Limited's power also was changed in Philadelphia and not in Harrisburg, since it was operated into the 30th Street station.
Johnny
Back in 2000 or so, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and Amtrak jointly announced that the former PRR electrified line between Harrisburg and Philadelphia would be upgraded to permit 125 mph running, not really high-speed, but respectable velocity, nonetheless. Some of the touted improvements made pretty good sense -- installing welded rail, upgrading catenary and signals, removing grade crossings (what if a train tooling along at 125 mph smacks into a propane truck or schoolbus?), and ungrading stations along the way. Of course, one of the first things on this list of improvements they attacked, with all the usual breatbeating and hoo-haw, was the stations, as if a nicer waiting room is going to help passengers go 125 mph. To me, the fact that in 2013, thirteen long years later, they're finally getting around to removing the grade crossings, a fundamental safety feature of such a line, teaches us that it sure doesn't pay to hold our breath while all these ballyhooed improvements are taking place. And, speaking for myself, takes a good deal of the enjoyment out of my interest.
As for 125 mph trains, will they happen in my lifetime? I wouldn't bet on it.
Hello all ;
It seems that the last 3 remaining grade crossings on the Keystone corridor are seing their last days. This video shows them still in operation, bud judging by all the paraphernalia around tracks, closure will happen pretty soon. Also notheworty are some Catenary works. Are these upgrades related to any experience (high speed cat for the NEC), or it's just a simple replacement of their venerable PRR counterparts ?
watch?v=xiBwWuNwzo0
Anyway, according with this link : http://www.planthekeystone.com/highspeedrail.html , all the work has as ultimate purpose the transformation of this corridor in a true high speed line (125 Mph versus 110, wich cannot be considered high speed, but more 'higher speed' as the Marketing people now call it). If all objectives are met, some interesnting travel times will be achieved, well ... maybe 2:30 Hrs between NYP & Harrisburg (making use of the 'New York - Pittsburgh subway, and with a reduced number of stops).
Other things that caught my attention : didn't know the 'Pennsylvanian' was diesel hauled from Philadelphia, that's a lotta miles under the wires. Also peculiar is the use of Dash-8s in some trains. Are they regulars ? Also the consists of these trains seem to be more or les healthy (6 cars I've noticed). Maybe one ore more frequencies could be addad. Because having some 14 trains (M-F, less on weekends) ending at Harrisburg seems somehow 'short'.
Also the signals, although retaining the aspect of PRR days are now coloured (versus the PRR system that used aspects with white lamps, coulourblind engineer proof). When were they changed ?
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