The future of the SEPTA fleet

trackwelder wrote:

glennk419 wrote:

NorthPennLimited wrote: But in all honestly, how can you take a noise complaint seriously from somebody who made a conscious decision to buy a house next to railroad tracks?

These are the same Darwinians who buy a house on a golf course and complain that they are getting pelted with balls.

i've always wondered why septa and township officials take these dumba***s seriously.

Have you ever laid in bed at night trying to get to sleep while the Alvinator screams every five minutes about delays of up to 30 minutes due to Amtrak power problems? I have. Last night. It sucked.

But, I knew what I was signing up for when I bought my place five years ago this week.

Not all of us are dumba$$es, and not all of us complain. What I am trying to say here is that I can sympathize about noise problems had by neighbors, and I completely understand your frustrations with their complaints. There are probably other factors at play (local noise ordinances, engine idling ordinances, etc.) that might be preventing the AEMs from idling in outlying yards. But soon, that should no longer be an issue.

i grew up 200 yards from the NEC and can hear the el and the port richmond secondary equally clear now. i know most people who live near a rail line don't complain, it just erks me when people buy or rent a house or apartment near an active rail line that was probably there 150 years before the building then cry when they hear the noise.

How long will the Silverliner IVs last?

Washboard4400

tjensen wrote:How long will the Silverliner IVs last?

Probably into the early 2020s at least. The cars are now 40 and I suspect the Arrow IIIs (which were later) would go first.

R36 Combine Coach wrote:

tjensen wrote:How long will the Silverliner IVs last?

Probably into the early 2020s at least. The cars are now 40 and I suspect the Arrow IIIs (which were later) would go first.

You don't have to suspect. NJT's already released the fleet plan calling for mass order of MLV-dimension EMU's to replace the entire Arrow fleet--and then some--between 2020-2025. Which probably means they'll be releasing their RFP soliciting vehicle designs from manufacturers within the next 18-24 months.

Unless SEPTA hitches a ride on the NJT order the simple fact NJT has a 6-month lead on them for finalizing a total-fleet strategy (and it's not like SEPTA's all that close to doing the same) means the SL4's have a minimum of 8-10 years left before total replacement with something else is logistically possible. Total replacement = back-end of the order and the last SL4's pulled from service...since even an in-progress fleet turnover doesn't happen in less than 2 years after the first car of the order goes into revenue service.

http://planphilly.com/articles/2015/04/ ... -rail-cars" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Over the last few years, SEPTA has been overhauling its locomotives for some regional rail lines, replacing some of the old AEM-7 locomotives reaching the end of their effective lives. The regional rail uses a combination of Silverliner V self-propelled cars – no locomotive needed to push or pull – and trains of coaches driven by locomotives. SEPTA is already replacing eight old locomotives with newer models this year and has plans for another five.* The newer locomotives will be powerful enough to pull the bigger, heavier bi-level coach cars.

Those bi-level cars will be ADA compliant on the first level and, will each increase the number of seats somewhere between 20 to 30 percent over the 105 seats on a Silverliner V car.

There will be some work required before regional rail will be ready for the bi-level coaches. But the infrastructure upgrades and fixes are largely minor. SEPTA recently completed a study that confirmed that its tunnels and overpasses were tall enough for the bi-level cars. “Other agencies had to deal with dropping track down and drainage issues,” Knueppel explained. “Luckily for us, we can fix it up in the air, because the clearance issues are not that significant.” SEPTA will be able to raise some catenary wires up to make room.

I knew they couldn't fit in some parts of the RR, but where? 16th street jct? or is it on the PRR side?

I read this article the other day and was surprised that it really too much work for them to do. For the longest i was hearing "It wont work" "Too tight" they did the test and said they just need minor work. My thing is SEPTA wants it they will work to get it and everything in between. I'm gonna guess just for the the fun of the RR Side...i've heard that area was very very tight supposedly.

"ADA compliant on the first level". I think they are trying very hard to not out and say "we're getting multilevel cars like NJT has". Clearly the first level would be all seats and no doors...

TrainPhotos wrote:"ADA compliant on the first level". I think they are trying very hard to not out and say "we're getting multilevel cars like NJT has". Clearly the first level would be all seats and no doors...

Wouldn't any railroad car be ADA Compliant ? LOL ....SEPTA scared to say that ? I think they know their Passengers would like the cars.

It's a little different from the board somewhere, & transverse the entirety of the consist levelness that is currenntly with septa MU's and "Flats" (if i borrow a term from my current location in Boston).

Your first level is that you arrive on when you board (and eventually alight from) is level boarding. Doesn't matter that with a MLV (Bombardier or Kawasaki vairents in the Northeast) that the first level is the one closest to the rail-head.

So they are getting multilevels and acs64's. Cool.

Their expression of interest for electric locomotives deadline was on friday.....so im sure we will know in coming weeks or months who the winner is ? ACS-64 are cool and they are quiet.

Bombardier and Siemens all the way!

morris&essex4ever wrote:Bombardier and Siemens all the way!

Only in our dreams.

Going to be a few years before you see those Siemens loco's, they are tooled up to build diesels for someone now and guess who has to wait.