A good week on Caltrain !

While on vacation in the San Fran. area last week, I rode Caltrain (plus all the other regional systems) between Millbrae and Downtown S.F. (4th & King Sts.) A very interesting operation from their gallery cars with front (or back) window viewing to the new station complex at Millbrae and their modernized signal system.

When I last visited the area in 2002, the Millbrae complex was under construction and the old station made Millbrae seem like a small-town whistlestop. What a difference a few years makes! The new station is very interesting and a great place to watch rush-hour trains (in both directions)

The new signal system is interesting too. Looks like they changed from the old "route" signalling to the modern "speed" signals commonly found in the Northeast. I noticed that "limited" speed indications are now common at the passing tracks around Bayshore. From the Millbrae platform you can see the 3-headed signals for CP-Center to the north which are continuously lit, and CP-Bart at the platform which are only "approach-lit". Not surprising for track-2 where it's only an automatic-block signal, but on track-1, it's the home signal for the siding. Anyone know the reason for the difference? BTW, is Caltrain is equipped with cab signals and any form of automatic-train-control?

I made a point of catching train # 362, the first afternoon "Baby Bullet" from 4th/King Sts. with Millbrae the first stop. I figured to ride one of the new style trains, right? Wrong! It was an old gallery-car train. Good 'cause I could see out the end-door window, bad 'cause I wanted to ride one of the new ones. Is it common to see old trains on some of the Baby Bullet runs? I was also surprised that re: this POP fare system, no one ever asked me for a ticket. Not even the nice lady conductor in the north car, operating the doors, who I chatted with briefly and who didn't seem concerned at all with my standing at the rear window. I wonder how many people get away with never paying a fare............

Transit systems in San Fran. seem pretty folksy with the bike racks in the end car on Caltrain, and the middle of the Muni trolleys. I was surprised at how many people commute that way. Wonder if they should try that in New York................ Seems like Caltrain runs a pretty heads-up operation, compared to my native LIRR. But then I guess it's a lot simpler when the whole railroad is one continuous line without numerous branches, and multiple major terminals, some owned by other railroads. I had also intended to take a longer Caltrain ride down to San Jose Diridon, but I lost a day to the heavy rains, so it didn't happen. Damn.......... I really needed a few more days in the Bay area. Too bad I had to return home to New York so soon.

And also, for any scanner listeners out there, you can follow Caltrain and UP freights on 160.815/CSQ.

BTW, is Caltrain is equipped with cab signals and any form of automatic-train-control?

Nope. Lineside signal system, no ATC. And Caltrain is getting funding for a homegrown, expensive PTC system, CBOSS, that is not compatible with high speed rail. Incredible.

Inexcusable in the 21st Century, not to already have some form of PTC. My native LIRR despite all its faults has had their Automatic Speed Control/Cab Signals, since the 1950's.

re: POP, they check i'd say about 2/3 of the time. this is from experience of commuting 4 days/week over this past summer.
re: gallery cars on bullet trains, if you look, given the fleet that they have, at least one gallery set *must* be used in each direction given the number of bullet runs they have. so it's not rare at all the last bullet going north is a gallery car set as well.

Head-end View wrote:Inexcusable in the 21st Century, not to already have some form of PTC. My native LIRR despite all its faults has had their Automatic Speed Control/Cab Signals, since the 1950's.

Not to be a quibbler, but ASC is not Positive Train Control.