12 car Naperville express

BNSF added a car to one of the Naperville express trains, I think it was train #1267 that ran with 12 cars last night and earlier this afternoon on one of the extras. Part of the consist consisted of a 7400, two 6100's, 8596? positioned 5 cars from the MP36 for midday service and 8579 at the rear. A 6100 was in front of 8579.

Since BNSF received the new control and coach cars, a 6 car train used for midday and weekend service will have a 6100 or 7400 two cars behind the loco and a 6100 or a cab car in front of the rear cab car.

Several of the extra Naperville expressed had one today.

Were both Naperville stations able to fully berth those 12 car trains? Also, I wonder why Metra chose to retain the Naperville stops for some of the regular express trains to DG on Wednesday when they had express extras to Naperville leaving just a few minutes before? Would've enabled them to turn around some of the equipment a little faster...

doepack wrote:Were both Naperville stations able to fully berth those 12 car trains? Also, I wonder why Metra chose to retain the Naperville stops for some of the regular express trains to DG on Wednesday when they had express extras to Naperville leaving just a few minutes before? Would've enabled them to turn around some of the equipment a little faster...

I'd be amazed if 12 cars fit the platforms at Naperville and Route 59. Even fitting 11 cars at Route 59 is challenging.

Speaking of scheduling, the extra train that left CUS at 3:50 yesterday afternoon for Naperville and Rt. 59 should be a part of the regular schedule. The 3:58 train which makes all stops between Downers Grove and Aurora is 9 cars, often standing room only, and most of the passengers get off at Naperville and Rt. 59. This train arrives in Aurora at 4:53, then its sent to Hill Yard where its cut to 5 cars and becomes the 5:20 local out of Aurora and makes multiple runs the rest of the evening. Adding the extra train would reduce overcrowding of the 3:58 and allow for more efficient equipment utilization.

MetraBNSF wrote:I'd be amazed if 12 cars fit the platforms at Naperville and Route 59. Even fitting 11 cars at Route 59 is challenging.

Speaking of scheduling, the extra train that left CUS at 3:50 yesterday afternoon for Naperville and Rt. 59 should be a part of the regular schedule. The 3:58 train which makes all stops between Downers Grove and Aurora is 9 cars, often standing room only, and most of the passengers get off at Naperville and Rt. 59. This train arrives in Aurora at 4:53, then its sent to Hill Yard where its cut to 5 cars and becomes the 5:20 local out of Aurora and makes multiple runs the rest of the evening. Adding the extra train would reduce overcrowding of the 3:58 and allow for more efficient equipment utilization.

I wonder if 1277's regular equipment was used for yesterday's extra 3:50 run. I can't imagine they'd just lay the train up at Hill yard that early in the afternoon without sending it back downtown, especially on a busy travel day like that. That certainly wouldn't be very efficient...

I think they deadheaded the equitment back to Chicago. I was out yesterday watching all of this.

All BNSF's extra trains did deadhead back to Chicago because there were no cancellations as there were on other lines.

I don't know if Metra would jump to adding an earlier Naperville Express, they don't look like they are in a big rush to change RI's 9 year old schedule anytime soon.

metraRI wrote:All BNSF's extra trains did deadhead back to Chicago because there were no cancellations as there were on other lines.

I don't know if Metra would jump to adding an earlier Naperville Express, they don't look like they are in a big rush to change RI's 9 year old schedule anytime soon.

They couldn't add another Naperville express it has to do with yard space and they would have to deadhead it back.

Adding an earlier express train would not need additional equipment, as they did it yesterday with what BNSF has. All they would need to do is take a set out of 14th Street earlier and deadhead it back to CUS before it currently leaves.

They did use #1277's equipment for the 3:50 run. That set still has 11 cars, the front 5 used midday on trains #1229 and #1266.

Its possible to have a 3:50 train serving Naperville and Rt. 59 and keep the existing 3:58 train and have it stop between Downers Grove and Lisle, then express to Aurora. At the end of its run, the 3:50 train could deadhead back to CUS or be a limited-stop revenue train and then make another outbound run. The additional train would reduce crowding on the 3:58 and there'd be more time to cut the cars at Hill Yard so the equipment can be used for the evening runs. Right now in the morning, a bunch of inbound trains either deadhead out from CUS out to various locations along the line or run as revenue trains and become another inbound trip.

I think one of the major reasons why Metra hasn't done this is money...These days none of the brass care about the fact that trains are standing room only, its all about money...and in less you charged more for the Naperville express, if my calculations are correct, it'd only be another costly train, that from the point of view of someone not doing it every day, isn't needed. Another option, if they have an extra car or two, is to add a car or two to the 3:58 PM train and cut off 5 or 6 cars instead of 4. Yet another option is just to run the train in with 10 or 11 cars, if they didn't like the idea of leaving so many cars out of revinue service at Hill Yard when they could be making better use of them elsewhere.

In reallity, though, Metra isn't going to change no matter what we say here or because of what we tell them, although it is fun to fanticise about how much better things would be if we had a railfan in mannagement. And no, I wouldn't pick the job as my first choice.

AMTK84 wrote:if they have an extra car or two, is to add a car or two to the 3:58 PM train and cut off 5 or 6 cars instead of 4. Yet another option is just to run the train in with 10 or 11 cars, if they didn't like the idea of leaving so many cars out of revinue service at Hill Yard when they could be making better use of them elsewhere.

While railfanning today, I saw the 3:58 train had a car added, making it a 10-car train. When the equipment is cut at Hill Yard, the rear 4 cars are cut and this set now does the evening runs with 6 cars vs. 5 from before.