Arrows

Why were the Arrow electric models never equipped with warning bells ?

How does that escape some presumed federal regulation in this day and age ?

Crossing bells are not required on MU cars. no escape just not required.
neiter are sanders.

No. The Arrows just have the warning lights in front and on the roof. That is all that is required as Dutch said.

Dutch / nick -

Thanks.

But 'shouldn't' they have warning bells ?

Maybe they weren't needed - or nobody thought about it - since they originally went into service on the NEC which had/has no grade crossings and all high-level platforms.

Now they're running on the M-B line with multiple grade crossings and mostly low-level station platforms. Their horns aren't loud - or as loud as the 5-chime blasters on the ALP's, Geeps, F40's and Comets - and run nearly silently.

I'm just mildly surprised they haven't been 'updated' for greater safety.

And Dutch....that's an interesting thought on them lacking sanders or the perceived need for them. Never thought about that.

Maybe they weren't needed - or nobody thought about it - since they originally went into service on the NEC which had/has no grade crossings and all high-level platforms

Nope, just not a requirement. DL&W didn't have them for the grade crossings at Mount Tabor and Denville...the LIRR used to have far more grade crossings than they do now...lots of crossings on ex-PRR and ex-RDG lines in the Philly area where SEPTA runs...the NJCL still has their grade crossings too, and the Princeton "Dinky" also has grade crossings. Don't forget, that's one bell for each car with the married-pair Arrows and two bells per car with the single-unit Arrows. (RDCs didn't/don't have 'em either...)

Sanders weren't included because the sand interupts the electrical condictivity of the car to track. During testing, recently, it was discovered that a car sitting "on sand" allowed as much as 400 amps to leak from the carbody, looking for a ground. Imagine grabbing a handrail in a case like that at a station stop. They claim it wouldn't kill you, but it certainly wouldn't make for happy passengers.

I think they've toned down the horns on the Arrows. I use to hear them all the time but not anymore. When I do hear them, it sounds like someone stuck a sock in them.

I was going to post what TR-00 had to say about sanders and the Arrows but he beat me to it as that's what I was told years ago. I'm surprised they only recently did test to confirm that theory.

Irish the RDC's are not MU's and do have bells and sanders a Diesel car is considered a locomotive.
the bell on RDC's is located in the hump between the two engine stacks.

Olton Hall wrote:I think they've toned down the horns on the Arrows. I use to hear them all the time but not anymore. When I do hear them, it sounds like someone stuck a sock in them.

I was going to post what TR-00 had to say about sanders and the Arrows but he beat me to it as that's what I was told years ago. I'm surprised they only recently did test to confirm that theory.

Some of them work great. I think age is just taking a toll on them. Also, some of them only have one working chime out of the two.

And while I'm at it, I think the Arrow IIIs would have to have the bells IF they didn't have the flashing lights on top of the cab. Being that they do and in addition to the flashing ditch lights, the Arrow IIIs are aloud to not have the warning bells. I think the same may be true for cab cars and locomotives but please correct me if I am wrong.

Again bells have nothing to do with lights.
A MU car is exempt from having bells and sanders. a cab car is considered a locomotive, not an MU car.

as in :

PART 229--RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents

Subpart A--General

Sec. 229.14 Non-MU control cab locomotives.

On each non-MU control cab locomotive, only those components added
to the passenger car that enable it to serve as a lead locomotive,
control the locomotive actually providing tractive power, and otherwise
control the movement of the train, are subject to this part.

for no sanders see:


TITLE 49--TRANSPORTATION

CHAPTER II--FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION

PART 229--RAILROAD LOCOMOTIVE SAFETY STANDARDS--Table of Contents

Subpart C--Safety Requirements

Sec. 229.131 Sanders.

Except for MU locomotives, each locomotive shall be equipped with
operable sanders that deposit sand on each rail in front of the first
power operated wheel set in the direction of movement.


Bell is required by operating rules for movement of locomotives.

DutchRailnut wrote:Irish the RDC's are not MU's and do have bells and sanders a Diesel car is considered a locomotive.
the bell on RDC's is located in the hump between the two engine stacks.

Well...none of the RDCs in NJ had bells, so that must have messed me up.

However, I will disagree about them not being MUs—if they were not MUs, then you would need an engineer in every individual car to run RDCs coupled together, and that was certainly not the case.

The whole subject concerning mu's is as clear as mud. MU's are considered locomotives when it comes to inspections ie: every 92 days.

Seems as if it has a brakestand, it gets the inspection. And Irish is right, the RDC's we had never had bells, but probably somewhere they did.

TR -

" MU's are considered locomotives when it comes to inspections ie: every 92 days. "


That's one thought I had on the need/lack of warning bells....say one on each end of a paired set.