History of the Broad Street Line

[redarrow5591]

If you're referring to the South Broad, the ABS signals on 3 and 4 has a permanent down setting (I asked about it several years ago when they was doing some heavy track work) when its in single track mode between Pattison-Snyder and Snyder-South. Its to allow reverse track moves to run at speed instead of the usual 30. On the North Broad however reverse moves isn't done normally. If a station must be skipped by running on 2 or 3, its easier to tell passengers to get off and cross over.

So what you're saying is that the BSL trains don't run wrong main for significant distances because of safety concerns correct?

Operational mostly. Whereas the South Broad is double tracked (3 and 4 tracks officially), the North Broad is 4 tracks wide. What is the operational benefit of essentially crossing a local over all the tracks just to hit one station tying up trains all over the place, especially if the station in question is between Girard and Olney?

[NortheastTrainMan]

There isn't any operational benefit. But I was just wondering if it ever happened. Also I knew that the north side of the BSL had 4 tracks.

[redarrow5591]

There isn't any operational benefit. But I was just wondering if it ever happened. Also I knew that the north side of the BSL had 4 tracks.

Not to my knowledge. The only really rare thing that I have seen personally was a Local pull into Olney SB and was ordered to switch over into a Special Express to Pattison and cross over to 2 at Erie. AFAIK that was the first express down 1 track in over 10 years (definitely since 2 and 3 was installed in '91).

[KAWASAKI-FAN100]

There isn't any operational benefit. But I was just wondering if it ever happened. Also I knew that the north side of the BSL had 4 tracks.

(definitely since 2 and 3 was installed in '91).

Which brings up my question. Why was express tracks between Erie and Olney installed in '91 when the subway was built over 50 years ago?

[NortheastTrainMan]

There isn't any operational benefit. But I was just wondering if it ever happened. Also I knew that the north side of the BSL had 4 tracks.

(definitely since 2 and 3 was installed in '91).

Which brings up my question. Why was express tracks between Erie and Olney installed in '91 when the subway was built over 50 years ago?

I think it was for more express service. But still that is a great question.

[motor]

Earlier on this thread someone mentioned a car used for something called Cash n Trash. What is Cash n Trash?

motor

Its the nickname for SEPTA's revenue and trash collection trains on the MFSE and BSL. The cars used is CW3 (the Revenue car modified with heavy duty shelves and a SWAT team on board), CW4 (all seats except for some old operators chairs at the A end ripped out and has a constant rotting smell), and a regular line car at the end for additional tractive effort for the Broad Street while the Market-Frankford has 1033 (the trash car), 1034 (the cash car), and a extra married pair for signal shunting.

OK, thanks. I guess the CnT train operates after hours, right?

motor

[redarrow5591]

(definitely since 2 and 3 was installed in '91).

Which brings up my question. Why was express tracks between Erie and Olney installed in '91 when the subway was built over 50 years ago?

I think it was for more express service. But still that is a great question.

The tracks was installed as phase one of the legendary RailWorks project to rehab the Reading Main. The track area was there since the line opened in 1928, but the expresses ran on 1 and 4 tracks skipping Logan, Wyoming, and Hunting Park before crossing over for Erie. Rush Hour Bridge/Spur trains used the overhead yard at Erie to turn and run local to Girard. When RailWorks came around, that was the first thing they did. That combined with a spot of maintenance on 2 and 3 between Erie and Girard resulted in the rulebook change for those tracks' MAS to 70.

[redarrow5591]

Earlier on this thread someone mentioned a car used for something called Cash n Trash. What is Cash n Trash?

motor

Its the nickname for SEPTA's revenue and trash collection trains on the MFSE and BSL. The cars used is CW3 (the Revenue car modified with heavy duty shelves and a SWAT team on board), CW4 (all seats except for some old operators chairs at the A end ripped out and has a constant rotting smell), and a regular line car at the end for additional tractive effort for the Broad Street while the Market-Frankford has 1033 (the trash car), 1034 (the cash car), and a extra married pair for signal shunting.

OK, thanks. I guess the CnT train operates after hours, right?

motor

The BSL's come out after the last express is tied down for the night, around 7.30 or so.

The MFSE starts after the last train leaves Bridge-Pratt, about 12.10.

[lefty]

Why would they care?

Likely to stop people from attempting to photograph or video them.

[NortheastTrainMan]

Why would they care?

Likely to stop people from attempting to photograph or video them.

I can understand that. But I'm kinda suprised that SEPTA is more scared of terrorists than NYC. When two men took pictures of the subway they ended up in the newspaper. Also I find almost no "railfan window" videos on youtube on the BSL, but I find plenty on the New York City subway.

http://cbs3.com/local/SEPTA.Broad.Street.2.1206878.html

Also one more thing. I'm sorry if I sound picky but there's no such thing as "Was" when talking about plural things, like "Why was the track installed" It's why were the tracks installed. Or the tracks "Was" installed, it's the tracks were installed.

[Matthew Mitchell]

But I'm kinda suprised that SEPTA is more scared of terrorists than NYC. When two men took pictures of the subway they ended up in the newspaper.

With good reason. At around the same time, a group of suspects were arrested for planning a bomb attack much like the 7/7/2005 attacks in London. Transportation facilities like Grand Central Terminal were among the targets they had been scouting.

There are a lot of additional threats that never make the newspapers, but have to be taken with deadly seriousness by law enforcement personnel and by transit agencies.

[NortheastTrainMan]

But I'm kinda suprised that SEPTA is more scared of terrorists than NYC. When two men took pictures of the subway they ended up in the newspaper.

With good reason. At around the same time, a group of suspects were arrested for planning a bomb attack much like the 7/7/2005 attacks in London. Transportation facilities like Grand Central Terminal were among the targets they had been scouting.

There are a lot of additional threats that never make the newspapers, but have to be taken with deadly seriousness by law enforcement personnel and by transit agencies.

The article I posted took place in September 2009. Unless you're referring to NYC. I was just using NYC as a comparison, not to get in detail about it.

[lefty]

I don't believe the drivers do that just because are scared of terrorists. Sometimes riders catch drivers picking their nose or doing something else that wouldn't look good on camera.

[NortheastTrainMan]

I don't believe the drivers do that just because are scared of terrorists. Sometimes riders catch drivers picking their nose or doing something else that wouldn't look good on camera.

Before someone flames you they're not called drivers they're called motormen. I don't think a motorman is afraid of someone catching him or her picking his nose. I think a motorman would be afraid of someone with a camera standing closeby watching the tracks. Some don't seem to mind but others might be the complete opposite.

[Mdlbigcat]

So I'm guessing that there haven't been any fatalities in the BSL?

None from any accidents or derailments. The BSL hasn't had any major [or even minor] incidents since the K-cars came online in 1983. There were a couple of close calls [fires] when the old red cars ran on the line in the late 1970's, and that was due to the fact that the overaged [50+ years old] cars were literally falling apart.