The Atlantic City Line Thread

[F40]

Today, two diesel engines are parked at Cherry Hill behind the Holiday Inn. I am not sure why they idle their engines. Is it so that the crew may have lights and air conditioning? It seems to me like an environmental concern and money waste to have the trains running on diesel and not moving. Am I wrong for assuming so?

New locomotives (not sure about NJT's) have push-button starts but with some of them being as old as they are, they take more to start after shutting down. All of the conditions have to be right (i.e. outdoor temp, battery voltage, etc), and even then it really depends on how long you are standing around for as it takes time & fuel for a cold engine to warm up to an efficient operating temperature, oil/air pressure to build up, among everything else. In the winter, they are a pain to start aside from the fact that many of the older US locomotives do not run with anti-freeze. Problems with leaks and seals and the expense of putting a 100 gallons of coolant into a 3,000+ hp engine, means that engines have traditionally operated without it. The locomotive would have to be put into a room temperature environment or plugged into some sort of wayside power to keep the engine warm during a shut down. Another reason for keeping diesel engines running is that the "constant heating and cooling caused by shutdowns and restarts, can cause stresses in the block and pipes and tends to produce leaks" (http://www.railway-technical.com/diesel.shtml" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

So it really is a balance between fuel savings (as diesel is not as cheap these days) and possible mechanical wear and tear down the line. Different railroads have different operating practices, but NJT leans toward keeping the engines running.

[trackwelder]

also, diesel engines suck an enormous amount of fuel at start up, and just sip at idle, to the point where it might be more environmentally friendly to just leave it idle.

[CentralValleyRail]

This weekend, the AC line is not running between CH and Phila due to planned track work by Conrail. Whenever this occurs, a substitute bus goes between Cherry Hill and Philadelphia, which is no slower nor faster than train service, according to the schedule. Because of a more direct bus routing compared to the train, I would not be surprised if the bus arrives early to Philadelphia after departing Cherry Hill. The PATCO alternative route from AC to 30th is also $0.25 higher and requires a three seat ride so many people opt to stay on the circuitous AC line instead of going via PATCO and SEPTA MFL to 30th for $10.25 and three different forms of ticket media.

Today, two diesel engines are parked at Cherry Hill behind the Holiday Inn. I am not sure why they idle their engines. Is it so that the crew may have lights and air conditioning? It seems to me like an environmental concern and money waste to have the trains running on diesel and not moving. Am I wrong for assuming so?

I'm guessing those were protect engines?

[srock1028]

This weekend, the AC line is not running between CH and Phila due to planned track work by Conrail. Whenever this occurs, a substitute bus goes between Cherry Hill and Philadelphia, which is no slower nor faster than train service, according to the schedule. Because of a more direct bus routing compared to the train, I would not be surprised if the bus arrives early to Philadelphia after departing Cherry Hill. The PATCO alternative route from AC to 30th is also $0.25 higher and requires a three seat ride so many people opt to stay on the circuitous AC line instead of going via PATCO and SEPTA MFL to 30th for $10.25 and three different forms of ticket media.

Today, two diesel engines are parked at Cherry Hill behind the Holiday Inn. I am not sure why they idle their engines. Is it so that the crew may have lights and air conditioning? It seems to me like an environmental concern and money waste to have the trains running on diesel and not moving. Am I wrong for assuming so?

I'm guessing those were protect engines?

Nope

[transit383]

For what it's worth, ALP-45 no. 4500 was in revenue service on the ACL today (9/17).

[chuchubob]

For what it's worth, ALP-45 no. 4500 was in revenue service on the ACL today (9/17).

Train 4617 was pushed by 4500.

[Tadman]

Do ACL trains with 45's run electric under wire on the far western end of the route? Or would that be too much trouble?

[nomis]

Unless wire is re-extended from SHORE to Pennsauken TC, it wouldn't make enough sense. Even now, you could layover in electric vs. idle-ing with the diesel outside the station proper.

[von schlieffen]

They run entirely diesel, even on the electrified NEC portion. Westbound, they run in push mode, and when they pull in to track 2 at 30th st, the engine remains near the outside of the station to vent the exhaust. During the layover and up until just before boarding for the return trip east, the engine sits outside. About 10 minutes or so before the scheduled eastbound departure, the train shoves back inside to the platform. It then runs in pull mode back to NJ.

As far as I know this is the only revenue diesel service that runs through 30th st. Once in a while you'll spot GP or a switcher attached to an amtrak work train.

[R3 Passenger]

They run entirely diesel, even on the electrified NEC portion. Westbound, they run in push mode, and when they pull in to track 2 at 30th st, the engine remains near the outside of the station to vent the exhaust. During the layover and up until just before boarding for the return trip east, the engine sits outside. About 10 minutes or so before the scheduled eastbound departure, the train shoves back inside to the platform. It then runs in pull mode back to NJ.

Check your directions, sir. ACL engines pull (Westbound) into Philadelphia and push (eastbound) into Atlantic City. The purpose for this is to keep the engine noise and exhaust as far from the Atlantic City Terminal Building as possible.

[von schlieffen]

I stand corrected-- should have been common sense on my part-- this is why the train sits outside 20th st during the layover, because otherwise the engine and its exhaust would be pretty much under the center of the building.

[JoeRailRoad]

They run entirely diesel, even on the electrified NEC portion. Westbound, they run in push mode, and when they pull in to track 2 at 30th st, the engine remains near the outside of the station to vent the exhaust. During the layover and up until just before boarding for the return trip east, the engine sits outside. About 10 minutes or so before the scheduled eastbound departure, the train shoves back inside to the platform. It then runs in pull mode back to NJ.

Check your directions, sir. ACL engines pull (Westbound) into Philadelphia and push (eastbound) into Atlantic City. The purpose for this is to keep the engine noise and exhaust as far from the Atlantic City Terminal Building as possible.

I posted this message a half hour ago so I hope it doesn't show up as a double post.

From the latest NJTRO General Order.

DIRECTION

The direction towards New York and Hoboken is east; towards Atlantic City is south.

Joe

[Jersey_Mike]

After a pair of ACL trips this weekend can anyone speak to the cause of the slow speeds through Frankford Jct and the Delair Bridge approach viaduct? I can guess why the bridge itself has a speed restriction, but the long approach fill isn't made out of 115 year old steel.

[chuchubob]

NJEA Convention Extra train 4515 originated at Pennsauken TC with PL42AC 4032 pushing six cars.

[chuchubob]

GP40PH-2B 4213 powered train 4668 Sunday morning.