Hartford Line CtDOT New Haven-Springfield - NHHS (Before Launch of Service)

[ebtmikado]

I saw today going North through Windsor CT a Amtrak train with the work train engines hauling one New Haven car (SLE) and the another engine. I could not catch the whole thing due to traffic but does anyone know what this might have been for?

It was a hospital train, taking equipment from New Haven to Albany/Rensselaer for work.
That train met another train at Springfield, which was bringing equipment back to NHV from ALB

Lee

[CVRA7]

[quote="njt/mnrrbuff"]Looking at the new proposed schedules, I will say this first-certainly an improvement from the current schedule with only the Amtrak trains. On weekdays, I like how the schedule will cater to those who might live in the Springfield and Windsor area and might commute to Hartford and New Haven. I like the availability of options between NHV and HAR. What can be better is having some more Ctrail options north of HAR but that is still a little bit off. Once there is more double track north of HAR, then we can look forward to more Ctrail trains continuing north of HAR.[/quote]
"HAR" the Amtrak code for Harrisburg PA - best to use "HFD" for Hartford as that is the Amtrak code for that location.

[GP40MC 1116]

With the increase in service, will additional train sets be laying over in Springfield overnight? As I understand it currently you have one full length regional and maybe one or two shuttle sets aside from spare equipment that tie up over night at Springfield Station. Will this change with the increased Commuter Rail? I imagine New Haven will still be the daily inspection point and all maintenance will be done there?

[ebtmikado]

By what I see in the proposed schedule, the CDOT service will require only 2 trainsets,
both based in NHV. It looks like 2 Regionals plus a Shuttle or 2 will lay over in SPG.

Lee

[SouthernRailway]

There's an article in the new Trains magazine about this. Surprising to see old MBTA (Boston) coaches used for this. I'd rather that the line be electrified and have new rolling stock. I guess I should be grateful for any improvement, though.

[sullysullinburg]

While I feel the line should still have itspartial electrification from the New Haven days, now that’s it’s gone, it will most likely never come back. As a CT resident, there is much more important things we need to spend money on. Maybe if this line becomes very popular and CT can get some help from the Feds paying for it then I would be happy to see it happen.

[Rockingham Racer]

IINM, the line was electrified only into and around Cedar Hill Yard.

[ebtmikado]

The Springfield Line was never electrified.
Lee

[deathtopumpkins]

Surprising to see old MBTA (Boston) coaches used for this.

I thought the plan was to use the existing SLE fleet? None of those cars are ex-MBTA as far as I'm aware. Wikipedia lists the Mafersa coaches as being ex-VRE, and the Shoreliners have never run in Boston.

[Ridgefielder]

The Springfield Line was never electrified.
Lee

Wasn't Hartford - Newington electrified at one point before the First World War?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Surprising to see old MBTA (Boston) coaches used for this.

I thought the plan was to use the existing SLE fleet? None of those cars are ex-MBTA as far as I'm aware. Wikipedia lists the Mafersa coaches as being ex-VRE, and the Shoreliners have never run in Boston.

Correct. They have more Mafersas than needed for SLE service right now, so the meager starter schedule for the Hartford Line won't even crunch SLE while it's still all-diesel. They mainly have to make sure that their power assignments are all set with enough GP40's and P40's back from rebuild.

CDOT's never going to touch the MBTA's dispersals. When Metro North cues up its MLV order to go all bi-level, all 105 Shoreliner III's and IV's will be up for grabs for CDOT to consolidate under its own ownership by transacting for the MTA's units at scrap prices then giving them a light refresh. That's enough to retire all CDOT-owned Shoreliner I's & II's if they don't opt into the MLV order for Danbury/Waterbury, and enough to retire rather than rebuild the Mafersas because their undercarriages won't clear GCT third rail like a Shoreliner's will. And then have like 40 units they won't know what to do with except put into storage for future expansion or maybe cannibalize for parts on the rebuild program to lower the program costs. Not only is using their MNRR presence to transact for MTA coach dispersals at extreme discount far less expensive than going out-of-state for any other agencies' extras, but the Shoreliner III's/IV's the MTA will be getting rid of are flat-out newer and in better incumbent condition than anything else that'll be retired in the next 5 years meaning they'll be the least expensive acquisitions on the market to put through another life-extension overhaul. Less expensive even than a Mafersa refresh, since any further action on the current SLE/Hartford fleet would require moving lots of electrical crap on the underside to make them compatible with run-thru to GCT. Plus it would give the state a completely maintenance-uniform coach fleet, and a completely layout-uniform fleet as all III's/IV's are 3-door makes.

It's probably even less expensive for MassDOT to buy some of those excess Shoreliner III/IV's laundered through CDOT if they want to initiate Knowledge Corridor commuter rail than try to rehab their self-owned MBTA retirees since the condition of the 1996-98 -built IV's and '91-built III's are so much better than the T's mid-80's/unrebuilt MBB's and Bombardiers. Acquisition + overhaul cost on the freshest Shoreliners is probably less as a package than doing only an overhaul on any BTC-1A's, BTC/CTC-1B's, or BTC/CTC-3's.

[Train322]

Hartford to Newington (New Britain) had some type of third rail in the first decade of the 20th century. I think they had problems with animals being electrocuted which may explain why Connecticut does not allow third rail operation.
Not sure it this ran for many years - could be just one or two years.

Today, that run is made on the busway.

http://www.catskillarchive.com/rrextra/3rail.Html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Make that 1897 as per the article

[lpetrich]

New Haven - Hartford - Springfield Rail Program -- has some nice video of a tracklaying machine in action.

New Haven - Hartford - Springfield Rail Program: Objectives & Scope -- between New Haven and Windsor, some 27 miles of single track will be double tracked. Two miles of passing sidings will be added. Will there be some single track left over? The total length of that route is some 45 mi by highway (Google Maps), leaving 18 miles unaccounted for. Already double tracked? To be left single tracked?

[daybeers]

The route is actually 62 miles long: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Haven ... field_Line. I don't remember how much of it is set to be double tracked.

[lpetrich]

In close agreement with the Google Maps highway distance for NH-Springfield: 64 mi.

From New Haven - Hartford - Springfield Rail Program: Interactive Program Map, it looks as if most of the work is being done south of Windsor.