Railroad Forums 

  • First "All-Day" Push-Pull Set coming soon...

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1501447  by Silverliner II
 
One 4-car push-pull set is to begin an all-day service cycle on weekdays with the new Regional Rail schedule change, starting March 11th.
The set will be out from roughly 6:30am to 1:30am covering several lines.

All trips are local except for 4571, the second PM "unnamed Great Valley Flyer".

The train will be operating the following trips:
9506 Malvern to Center City
9331 Center City to Elwyn
3234 Elwyn to Norristown
2333 Norristown to Elwyn
3420 Elwyn to Warminster
4571 Warminster to Thorndale
592 Thorndale to Doylestown
591 Doylestown to Malvern

As far as I know, the existing six 6-car trainsets will retain their current assignments. For now. More changes may be blowing in the wind... stay tuned.
 #1501465  by AlexC
 
Where does it turn at Center City? Temple? or beyond that?
 #1501470  by Silverliner II
 
AlexC wrote:Where does it turn at Center City? Temple? or beyond that?
Roberts Yard.
 #1501555  by njtmnrrbuff
 
Looks nice with the changes. From a business perspective, hopefully the trains will stay on schedule with the push pull set running on locals. The nice benefit about the Sprinter units is that they have good acceleration.

When will the schedule change be? This Spring, I plan to try to do some serious railfanning in Septaland and try to photograph one of the midday Septa push pull sets along with rush hour action.
 #1501598  by Silverliner II
 
njt/mnrrbuff wrote:Looks nice with the changes. From a business perspective, hopefully the trains will stay on schedule with the push pull set running on locals. The nice benefit about the Sprinter units is that they have good acceleration.

When will the schedule change be? This Spring, I plan to try to do some serious railfanning in Septaland and try to photograph one of the midday Septa push pull sets along with rush hour action.
The new schedules take effect Sunday March 10th. This particular push-pull set will be operating weekdays.
The ACS acceleration is definitely what they will be counting on, that's for sure.
 #1501637  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone:

Using a set of current RRD timetables I was able to compile a schedule using the train numbers
that S2 posted. I am posting the originating and terminating times and in between a CCP stop.
Center City stop: 30th Street east/north towards the RDG side; Jefferson Station west/south to
the PRR side. The layover times at all points look to be adequate for reasonable turnarounds.

#9506 Villanova to Temple U: 7:50AM, 8:20AM, 8:34 AM - DH to Roberts Yard.
#9331 Temple U to Elwyn: 9:27AM, 9:34AM, 1026AM.
#3234 Elwyn to Elm Street-Norristown: 10:50AM, 11:34AM, 12:29PM.
#2333 Elm Street-Norristown to Elwyn: 12:49PM, 1:31PM, 2:24PM.
#3420 Elwyn to Warminster: 2:48PM, 3:24PM, 4:31PM.
#4571 Warminster to Thorndale: 5:01PM, 6:02PM, 7:09PM. (see * below)
#592 Thorndale to Doylestown: 7:40PM, 8:45PM, 10:13PM.
#591 Doylestown to Malvern 11:14PM, 12:33AM, 1:31AM.

* #4571 operates express between 30th Street (6:12PM) and Paoli with these stops:
Paoli 6:39PM; Malvern 6:42PM; Exton 6:49PM; Whitford 6:51PM; Downingtown 6:56PM;
terminating at Thorndale at 7:09PM.

From a combination of SEPTA RRD public timetable from back around 1990 - with mileage
listings - I am making a list of run miles along with calculating a total for another post.

This will be a good test for the ACS64 Sprinters...MACTRAXX
Last edited by MACTRAXX on Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1501669  by CNJGeep
 
The schedule is correct.
9506 goes to Roberts. It does not continue on to Lansdale. The first passenger stop is Villanova. It leaves Frazer and follows 9530 up the line, the last stop of which is Radnor. 9536 spins off Train 501 at Frazer with 6 MUs.
 #1501676  by MACTRAXX
 
Everyone:

In this second post I compiled mileage for each run along with a total for the entire days runs:
(DH miles to and from Frazer and Roberts Yard are not included)

Villanova-Temple U: 13.5
Temple U-Elwyn: 17.3
Elwyn-Elm Street Norristown: 33.6
Elm Street Norristown-Elwyn: 33.6
Elwyn-Warminster: 35.6
Warminster-Thorndale: 56.1
Thorndale-Doylestown: 70.2 (48 total stops including Doylestown Branch flag stops)
Doylestown-Malvern: 56.3
TOTAL MILES: 316.2

The ACS64 Sprinters should be good for this type of mileage as it is similar to what the Amtrak
units run in an average day - or perhaps less depending on the run.

The factor to watch with these new services will be how the Sprinters handle frequent starts and
stops. I noted the Thorndale-Doylestown train above since it is the run with the most scheduled
stops of any of the assigned trains of the day.

I also noted that the schedule change begins on Monday March 11 - after the end of the 9 day run
of the Philadelphia Flower Show (March 2-March 10) which in case anyone is unfamiliar is one of
the busiest weeks of the entire year for SEPTA Regional Rail.

More than likely SEPTA RRD management will be keeping close tabs on these "experimental" runs.

Let's see how this all works out - and hope for the best here...MACTRAXX
Last edited by MACTRAXX on Sun Feb 24, 2019 10:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
 #1501679  by MACTRAXX
 
CNJGeep wrote:The schedule is correct.
9506 goes to Roberts. It does not continue on to Lansdale. The first passenger stop is Villanova. It leaves Frazer and follows 9530 up the line, the last stop of which is Radnor. 9536 spins off Train 501 at Frazer with 6 MUs.
CNJ: Thanks for clarifying this - I thought the Malvern start would be #9536 and NOT #9506.
In this case #9506 deadheads east to Villanova from Frazer following #9530 (Paoli-Radnor).
I now have to change the mileage chart I just posted to reflect this new number which is 10.4
miles less (distance between Villanova and Malvern) then originally thought...MACTRAXX
 #1502182  by MACTRAXX
 
CNJ: In the other related push-pull topic you mention that the date for the start of new service
options has been backed up for at least one week to March 18th - with these specific runs being
the prime examples if I am correct? In any case thanks for keeping us advised...MACTRAXX
 #1502185  by Silverliner II
 
MACTRAXX wrote:CNJ: In the other related push-pull topic you mention that the date for the start of new service
options has been backed up for at least one week to March 18th - with these specific runs being
the prime examples if I am correct? In any case thanks for keeping us advised...MACTRAXX
You beat me to it... yep, starting March 18th now.
 #1503690  by van2005ko
 
So SEPTA finally done it. They placed this set into service. I would say it successfully completed 6.5 out of the 8 trips before being swap out due to equipment issues. 3420 Elwyn to Warminster was running about 25 minutes late today and needed to express from Temple to Jenkintown.

Here is 3420 leaving Crestmont enroute to Warminster.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38448465@ ... ed-public/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Here is what once was 4571 which was swapped out by Silverliner Vs. Here it is being lined up to the Powelton Yard.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38448465@ ... ed-public/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 #1503701  by Silverliner II
 
van2005ko wrote:So SEPTA finally done it. They placed this set into service. I would say it successfully completed 6.5 out of the 8 trips before being swap out due to equipment issues. 3420 Elwyn to Warminster was running about 25 minutes late today and needed to express from Temple to Jenkintown.

Here is 3420 leaving Crestmont enroute to Warminster.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38448465@ ... ed-public/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Here is what once was 4571 which was swapped out by Silverliner Vs. Here it is being lined up to the Powelton Yard.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/38448465@ ... ed-public/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'd forgotten you were on here too! Hopefully tomorrow will be a more successful day!