Rock Island DMU Evaluation

Metra will be borrowing a brand new DMU set built by Nippon Sharyo for Metrolinx this weekend. The train will be testing on the main between Blue Island and LaSalle Friday during non-rush hours. It will also test Saturday and Sunday during the day. Metra will have personnel on board evaluating their performance. This is 100% legit.

I have no info as to what service they're interested in running DMUs on, but my gut tells me it's some sort of service expansion. Ridership is too high on all current lines for them with the exception of the Heritage.

Hope someone can grab a video, especially if it's the Metrolinx consist

A number of years ago, Metra said it would operate the suburb to suburb route over the EJ&E and the southeast service over the UP to Crete with DMU's. No progress on either of these routes have been made in years, and CN's ownership of the EJ&E will probably kill the Outer Belt route, but it never hurts to look at equipment options.

Everyone: After looking at pictures of the Union-Pearson (Airport) Express DMU I noticed that they looked to be built for high-level platform
boarding making them unusable on METRA's Rock Island District without either modifications on the cars to allow low-level boarding or adding
staircases at platforms to allow their quarter-point doors to be used may have to be done...or is this another DMU type?

MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote:Everyone: After looking at pictures of the Union-Pearson (Airport) Express DMU I noticed that they looked to be built for high-level platform
boarding making them unusable on METRA's Rock Island District without either modifications on the cars to allow low-level boarding or adding
staircases at platforms to allow their quarter-point doors to be used may have to be done...or is this another DMU type?

MACTRAXX

Frankly, those are minor issues. It sounds like the real test is of the DMU technology and how it behaves on the line. Someone with more experience may indicate otherwise, which I of course have no problem with. What I'm curious about though is what do they mean by "main" do they mean the short route bypassing all the suburban stations? Or are they going to take the route most of the trains take and stop at each of the suburban stations? I would think it's the latter since DMUs seem a better fit for the very frequent stops on that segment, but I'm no familiar with the terminology of that area (i.e. which line constitutes "main?")

MattW wrote:What I'm curious about though is what do they mean by "main" do they mean the short route bypassing all the suburban stations? Or are they going to take the route most of the trains take and stop at each of the suburban stations? I would think it's the latter since DMUs seem a better fit for the very frequent stops on that segment, but I'm no familiar with the terminology of that area (i.e. which line constitutes "main?")

Isn't one called the Beverly branch? Personally I'm not reading it that literally.

By "main" I mean it will bypass the Beverly branch. Generally the "main" refers to the bypass, and the Beverly is called either the "branch" or "sub line." It is my understanding the performance is being evaluated for a service that does not yet exist. My money's on the SES.

This is a win-win. Nippon Sharyo needs to run the DMUs for testing, they need a track to run it on. They obviously don't have anyone qualified over a section of track, so they'll be using someone who is. Metra does have many, although not on the DMU specifically. Both Metra and Nippon Sharyo will learn valuable information during these tests.
If Metra ever gets around to building an express train between downtown and O'Hare, these DMUs would make a great choice for the vehicles.

These tests will probably not involved any revenue passengers, so the lack of high level platforms won't be a problem. Back in the 1980's, Metra ran a test of a Fiat self-propelled rail car on the Rock Island. Nothing ever came of it, but it was an interesting ride, quite sterile, though, lacking any amenities.

CHTT1 wrote:These tests will probably not involved any revenue passengers, so the lack of high level platforms won't be a problem. Back in the 1980's, Metra ran a test of a Fiat self-propelled rail car on the Rock Island. Nothing ever came of it, but it was an interesting ride, quite sterile, though, lacking any amenities.

CHTT: After I posted I then thought of this being a non-revenue test of the UPE DMU making the door subject moot - and this would give an idea on how these new-generation
DMUs will perform in service...I also thought of the early 80s FIAT test undertaken by the RTA and will second the similarity...

Noting the high ridership that METRA has on many of its routes/trains I will second the thought of DMU like this being used on either new services or at off hours on certain
routes as a cost-cutting measure...

MACTRAXX

Some new images from the Metra test have been posted on UrbanToronto's GO Georgetown/UPX thread.
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread ... n-Express-(Metrolinx-U-C" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)?p=904919#post904919

I would like to visit the designer who's been doing colour schemes for Metrolinx and break all their green markers. The new lime green on the mainline GO vehicles sucks and so does this pseudo-military scheme for the DMUs.

dowlingm wrote:Some new images from the Metra test have been posted on UrbanToronto's GO Georgetown/UPX thread.
http://urbantoronto.ca/forum/showthread ... post904919

I would like to visit the designer who's been doing colour schemes for Metrolinx and break all their green markers. The new lime green on the mainline GO vehicles sucks and so does this pseudo-military scheme for the DMUs.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/eje665/14 ... /lightbox/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and https://www.flickr.com/photos/eje665/14 ... /lightbox/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for more direct links.

Unless it was on a low volume or high frequency line I'd like to see more cars in a train. I do not believe two cars would be enough for METRA's SES or NICTD's West Lake service ... and I would not want to run four cars with no passage between the two sets.

Metrolinx will be adding centre cars but I guess they wanted to get testing started without waiting for those.

dowlingm wrote:Metrolinx will be adding centre cars but I guess they wanted to get testing started without waiting for those.

It looks like the "C" cars were ordered a few months later. It is good to see that they are interoperable and do not need to be between other cars.

Everyone: I noticed the UPE DMU test pictures on METRA's RID and it brings back a topic discussed at the LIRR forum section
about DMUs for the LIRR...

The LIRR has been looking into a DMU that could provide service on lower ridership diesel routes and free up bilevel cars and
locomotives to be used on other trains in Diesel territory...Ronkonkoma-Greenport and off-peak Oyster Bay Branch trains would
be the prime test areas (in that order)...In this thread the Metrolinx DMU is mentioned along with a M7 type DMU built by
Bombardier...The UPE DMU could be a good test fit-it even has the required for LIRR high-level platform doors...

See: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopi ... 63&t=92544" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MACTRAXX