Off peak trains and the number of cars open

[Indiana_Doc]

How is it decided which cars are open and which cars are closed on an off peak train. I've noticed several trains which were 8-10 MU where only the middle 6 cars were open, other times only the head 4 or rear 4, and rarely all 10 open. Any info would be great!

[emfinite]

Every night when I am down at the station, train 2065 has its head two cars parked past the platform and over the Secatogue Ave. crossing. Usually those two cars are closed along with the rear two and it's a 10 car train.

[LIengineerBob]

The cars that can be opened and/or closed to the riding public during specific time periods is specified in the timetable special instructions.
Usually, off peak trains carry less passengers, so some of the cars can be closed off, usually the head two and/or rear two...depending on the amount of cars in the consist. Of course during rush hours all cars are required to be open. During the late night or early morning hours, for safety reasons, normally only two cars are open. Of course, if ridership is high at that time, more cars will be opened to accomodate the additional passengers.

[CLiner2005]

The open/closed car topic brings memories of the MP54/MP70 operations when, as today, cars were closed-off when either traffic didn't warrant all the cars to be open and/or cars were being deadheaded for repositioning or other assignments. The thing I remember most is that the lead and last car were required to have interior illumination during nighttime moves - grade crossing visibility/safety considerations as well as a means for block operators to identify the lead Motor Number on the cars for the train sheets. The Motor Numbers were displayed at the top portion of the forward-most passenger window and were illuminated by the car interior lights. (Interesting aside, a red bar beneath the car number indicated that the car was ASC - automatic speed control - equipped). Often times you would see a 12 car MP54 consist with 4 open cars - the 1st car lit but closed, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th open - 6,7,8,9,10,11 closed with no lights and the 12 car closed and illuminated. The Conductor would be in the 1st car doing paperwork and a rear-end brakeman riding the last car while two or three trainmen worked the open cars.