Gel trains to start Sunday 10-12-2008

wagz wrote:The FA-1 615 powered gel train arrives at Fox Chase around 9:05 PM. It departs immediately behind the 9:20 Silverliner. I apprehended it at Fox Chase about a month ago for some photos. It ran on the same schedule last year as well, also with 615.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/4527 ... dr2uc3.jpg
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6651 ... caltl5.jpg

That light from the top right right kind of ruined the first photo. It wasn't there, or not on last year when I did them same thing. Of course, this year, I lucked out by having some Budds sitting next to it. I'll also add that I find it very disturbing that SEPTA installed LED marker lights and a digital bell on 615.

See, I wasnt lying. I knew it wentto fox chase 1st before Norristown. No One wanted to believe me.Hahaha

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:

wagz wrote:The FA-1 615 powered gel train arrives at Fox Chase around 9:05 PM. It departs immediately behind the 9:20 Silverliner. I apprehended it at Fox Chase about a month ago for some photos. It ran on the same schedule last year as well, also with 615.

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/4527 ... dr2uc3.jpg
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/6651 ... caltl5.jpg

That light from the top right right kind of ruined the first photo. It wasn't there, or not on last year when I did them same thing. Of course, this year, I lucked out by having some Budds sitting next to it. I'll also add that I find it very disturbing that SEPTA installed LED marker lights and a digital bell on 615.

See, I wasnt lying. I knew it wentto fox chase 1st before Norristown. No One wanted to believe me.Hahaha

Nobody believed you saw a weird logo on an Amtrak engine, either..

Wash train 1 is heading to Paoli tonight, running through the tunnel on track 4.

I assumed Amtrak took care of things on the R2/5/7?

TheOneCalledA1 wrote:Wash train 1 is heading to Paoli tonight, running through the tunnel on track 4.

I assumed Amtrak took care of things on the R2/5/7?

Negative!. The R2 Wilmington doesnt get washed at all and the Elwyn, Paoli and Chesnut Hill West is wash train 1. From what I heard thats the hardest of all the wash trains to do with journey length and time constraints. Wash train 1 comes out of Overbrook and backs from Overbrook to Schuykill Interlocking , then pulls to do the Media-Elwyn Line 1st , then Chesnut Hill West and then Paoli line last.

I was told the 1803 ran out if fuel. It seems the guage was reading incorrectly,ooooooooops!

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:

TheOneCalledA1 wrote:As per John Almeida on October 22nd...

Rail washer 1 SEPTA 61, tank car 1506, flat car 2106 and cab 615

Start 10:00?
Norristown?
Chestnut Hill East 02:00
Warminster 03:00
Wayne Electric 04:00?

Rail washer 2 WCRR 1803, tank car 1507, flat car 2107 and SEPTA cab 622

Start 10:00?
West Trenton 11:05
Lansdale 01:40
Doylestown 02:25
Lansdale 03:05
Wayne Electric 04:00?

Notice theres alot of question marks from John Almedia so you cant really rely on this as a reference. I know for a fact that the gel train makes a visit to Fox Chase and I dont see it on his visit.I use to get held up every night following the train up to Newtown Jct when I was running a train to West Trenton when the gel train turned off at Newtown to go to Fox Chase.I just cant remember what time the visit to Fox Chase is made. I cant remember if it goes to Fox Chase 1st and then Norristown or vice versa.Every job I worked at Septa seems to mix match in my head.Grrrr

The question marks were for times or locations I could not confirm. Those without question marks were either confirmed sightings or confirmed radio reports.

As for 1803, it reportedly will go back to WCRR on Monday.

Do you know what time 1803 will head back to WCRR on Monday?

Why would the 1803 go back so soon. The gel trains are suppose to run into December, almost close to christmas. Did something change?Are they not happy with the 1803 and just sending it back?

Last year 1803 was returned on Dec 12.

Does anyone have an idea of when it might be returned this year if it hasn't already been returned?

SEPTAR3kid wrote:Does anyone have an idea of when it might be returned this year if it hasn't already been returned?

So kiddo, the RS18 has already been returned to the West Chester railroad. Septa ran the gel trains much later last year then they did this year. It will probably never return again because Septa has ordered a 1400 HP genset diesel from National Railway Equipment and shouldve arrived already but Im guessing was delayed enroute or hasnt left yet so that puts the nail in the coffin possibly forever, of ever seeing the RS18 again. Its ashame really , because I know Septa pays the WCRR a pretty decent penny to use it during the fall, and the WCRR uses the money for insuring the unit(or all of there equipment, i dont remember) every year. It was nice guaranteed money that went to a good cause.Who knows, maybe if any of the other junk diesels Septa owns, craps out, or go for a rebuild or whatever, we may see it returned, but from what I understand, its done

BuddSilverliner269 wrote:Septa ran the gel trains much later last year then they did this year.

They really needed another week if not two. One of the trains I was on this week had considerable wheelslip between Elkins and Jenkintown.

Does anyone have any info on this years program. I saw the 615, 622 and 61 are missing from the back of Wayne Electric while the 52 is still there. Will the 1803 be back? With a new wire train it seems like some more diesels are needed.

South Jersey Budd wrote:Does anyone have any info on this years program?

The gel was ordered, I can tell you that.

With the arrival of 70 there is no need for the 1803. The wire train has one engine, three gel trains leave two for rescue/shop moves. Six diesels should handle every thing nicely, barring catastrophic failure of any two diesels. The new wire train is progressing at Wayne. The platform cars are being put together in the shop and it appears that the new control car 610 is finished.