D,L,&W Morris & Essex Electrification

[Gilbert B Norman]

With reference to this video taken by member Nicholas Chen at Denville NJ, how are ALP-46 engines able to operate under the DL&W 3kv catenary?

Secondly, presume the diesel-powered train operated via the non-electrified Boonton Line.

Hain't been round those parts in quite a spell!!

https://youtu.be/goy1NQDyrQ0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[MACTRAXX]

GBN:

The Morris and Essex lines - since August 1984 - use 25,000 volt AC power.

The lines were re-electrified to introduce a new MU car fleet to retire the former DL&W/EL
MU cars. In time NJT now runs locomotive hauled trains alongside MU cars - which are used
on shorter trains: Hoboken-Newark Broad Street-Summit and Gladstone Branch runs....

I rode these trains on the last day of the old MU service - more then likely there are pictures
and videos that can be easily accessed from the many railfans that were in attendance on that
final day bidding farewell to the old DL&W MU car fleet...

Check the EL/Erie/DL&W Forum (under "Fallen Flags") Archive for more on this subject...

MACTRAXX

[Gilbert B Norman]

OK Mr. Traxx, let's carry this one step beyond.

During 1977-78, back when I was a Corridor frequent rider, I noticed many brand new MU's sitting around Manhattan Transfer doing less than nothing. Is there any correlation between that observation and the re-electrifying of the M&E, or for that matter, the NY&LB?

Wow, did Jersey ever have a friend in Congress back then!

[MACTRAXX]

GBN:

Yes-what you saw was brand-new at the time Arrow Three MU cars - which were slated for the
Morris and Essex Lines pending completion of re-electrification which would not be finished
until August 1984 as mentioned previous...

These new MUs ended up on the former PC Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast routes
(from NYP to Trenton and South Amboy respectively) and also were leased to Amtrak and
Maryland DOT during those interim years that they were surplus MU cars...

This is a good explanatory video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt4nlA_JRwQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

MACTRAXX

[R36 Combine Coach]

Most of the Arrow IIIs were ordered for the Hoboken Division, but sat idle early on. Some of the Arrows were under lease at the time, others on Newark Division service. Around this time, the Arrow I fleet was also being sidelined for electrical problems.

Wow, did Jersey ever have a friend in Congress back then!

Sen. Harrison "Pete" Williams, an advocate for NJDOT projects. (Hint: think ABSCAM or 'American Hustle')

[mohawkrailfan]

How does a re-electrification work? Can the old rolling stock still draw the old voltage on all the tracks while it's in process?

[Nasadowsk]

I think they rehung the catenary, redid whatever signalling stuff, then built new subs and swapped it out over a week.

The EEs at NJT I've spoken to over the years say they were actually pretty close to replacing the 3kv substations with solid state ones when the decision to pull the plug on 3kv came. In part because Amtrak swore up and down they were going to 25kv. My understanding is that the Hoboken division is actually 27.6kv, and the coast stuff is 25kv. They are different systems.

The old 3kv substations were mercury arc rectifier, and quite temperamental by the end. I was told that each rectifier had its own temperature it was happy at...

They were not sealed tubes, and actually had pump down systems and all on them. You could open them and replace the electrodes. Naturally, this spills mercury out. It's a remediation mess...

The LI retired a lot of their old subs a few years prior, though I've heard there were some old ones kicking around in far flung corners of the system up till Sandy.

[Backshophoss]

They replaced all the insulators to 25 kv rating keeping the 3 kv online in the process,then built all the Substations needed
for 25 kv.
After rush hour that friday,the 3kv system was shutdown and disconnected from the grid,then the last connections were done
over that weekend,on monday,the 25 kv was online as were the Arrow III's

[TDowling]

wow amazing how that happened in one weekend. I had always thought the old dlw mu cars were retired long before 8/84, but I guess not.
Question: was there ever electrified service west of dover?

[MACTRAXX]

Most of the Arrow IIIs were ordered for the Hoboken Division, but sat idle early on. Some of the Arrows were under lease at the time, others on Newark Division service. Around this time, the Arrow I fleet was also being sidelined for electrical problems.

Wow, did Jersey ever have a friend in Congress back then!

Sen. Harrison "Pete" Williams, an advocate for NJDOT projects. (Hint: think ABSCAM or 'American Hustle')

R36 and Everyone: Metropark Station was once named for Senator Harrison Williams (similar to how Secaucus Junction was named for the late US Senator Frank Lautenberg - a well-known friend of rail transport)

This name addition was implemented in 1979 - Senator Williams name was later removed from Metropark Station's title after his ABSCAM conviction...

MACTRAXX

[SemperFidelis]

Electrification extends about a thousand feet west of Dover to allow for some flexibility in operations, but there has never been actual electric service west of Dover.