Secaucus Jct-Platforms lengthening

I read that the lower level platforms will be lengthened for the 2014 Superbowl! How many cars can fit now on the lower level?

The lower level platforms are already pretty decent length.. Or so I thought.. Hmm.. Maybe it's to facilitate more than one train per platform at a time..

Sounds like a lot of money for a one time event

NJT Rider wrote:Sounds like a lot of money for a one time event

Not exactly, it will come in handy in many Meadowlands event situations where trains are swollen beyond seven cars.

It'll play particularly into the strengths of the dual modes, those things are capable of pushing more than 7 multilevels, why not give them a platform length where they can use that strength to good effect when required?

Isn't it a waste of dual modes to use them on a line whose electric portion is very small?

And now NJT can run those 12 car PVL Superexpresses they've been trying to run.

Patrick Boylan wrote:Isn't it a waste of dual modes to use them on a line whose electric portion is very small?

Not necessarily.. They are NJTs strongest diesels, they have twice the continuous tractive effort of the PL42s, and they are capable of shoving 10 car multilevel sets pretty easily, they apparently have the HEP for 12, so my 10 car quote might be an underestimate, remember, the PL42s in HEP mode can only push about 7 cars before they start losing their ability to get out of their own way, ive seen 4503 get an 8 car set moving on that weekend they ran into New York like it was nothing. If the dual modes have the capability, why not use it?

The PL42's were pulling 8 cars on the RVL on a consistent basis after Hurricane Sandy cut the schedules last fall.

SecaucusJunction wrote:The PL42's were pulling 8 cars on the RVL on a consistent basis after Hurricane Sandy cut the schedules last fall.

I never said they couldn't pull 8 cars, I just said that theyre very slow with 7 or more cars.. put a 45 in a drag race with a 42, give them 8 multilevels, and the 45 will destroy the 42.

I dunno if it would "destroy" the '42. I noticed their performance to be pretty much equal to a '42. Ive heard some guys say they pull better, ive heard some guys say they pull worse. One thing is for sure, a '42 could do it for a longer period of time before running out of gas!!!

How long are the current lower level platforms? If they were indeed lengthening them to accommodate longer trains, wouldn't they have to do the same to the meadowlands platforms since those dont look nearly as long as secaucus?

Jtgshu wrote:I dunno if it would "destroy" the '42. I noticed their performance to be pretty much equal to a '42. Ive heard some guys say they pull better, ive heard some guys say they pull worse. One thing is for sure, a '42 could do it for a longer period of time before running out of gas!!!

Not to get off topic... But I say give those cars to a geep and watch the geep beat all those newer engines! They don't make 'em like they used to!

Steve F45 wrote:How long are the current lower level platforms? If they were indeed lengthening them to accommodate longer trains, wouldn't they have to do the same to the meadowlands platforms since those dont look nearly as long as secaucus?

Just eyeballing from a satellite view, the Meadowlands platforms appear to be significantly longer than the lower level of Secaucus Junction. It seems to be only a little short of the length of the upper level of Secaucus. However, we must remember that at the Meadowlands, you lose a car length because of the locomotive** since 95% of Hoboken trains are run with the locomotive on the West-end, trains will always platform locomotive first at the Meadowlands Station.

**another of the 300 reasons why I believe they should have electrified this branch when they built it

Jtgshu wrote:I dunno if it would "destroy" the '42. I noticed their performance to be pretty much equal to a '42. Ive heard some guys say they pull better, ive heard some guys say they pull worse. One thing is for sure, a '42 could do it for a longer period of time before running out of gas!!!

You got me on that last point.. The 45s get up and go, they're pretty fast with the multis, I'm not going to say they pull better or worse persay, but 4503 as I said was pretty quick with that 8 car set.