NJTransit to borrow from MARC

[blockline4180]

So no truth to one rumor that 2 5-car sets would replace/free up existing equipment on the LB-Bay Head shuttle trains this Summer ?

Well you would think 10 cars would be too much for the RVL platforms and the dual modes pulling in diesel mode, but with no cab cars and a geep on the east end its probably doable.

[TSTII]

Seems dumb to tie-up 2 engines of any type.

On the BH shuttles, 1 engine runarounds could be easily done in BH and LB yards ( a little more cumbersome in LB but doable ). Problem is you'd need a Geep.

[sullivan1985]

So no truth to one rumor that 2 5-car sets would replace/free up existing equipment on the LB-Bay Head shuttle trains this Summer ?

Why would all 10 cars be used at once? NJT rotations don't call for a 10 car train on the RVL and If you cripple one for some reason then you just shorted your train for however long it takes to repair the affected car.

Seems dumb to tie-up 2 engines of any type.

No cab cars are available to NJ Transit. Runaround moves aren't always the answer. Raritan has three GP40s out there at the moment as long as they have one left behind to protect the yard there isn't an issue. All the engines being used as "cab cars" are no capable of running revenue service on their own anyway.

[Nicholas Chen]

Per NJ Transit’s twitter account, the cars should be in service on Monday.

In support of the Governor’s “Commuter Relief Plan” to alleviate overcrowding, NJ TRANSIT brings in 10-leased cars from MARC in Maryland. Cars should be in revenue service this Monday!

https://twitter.com/njtransit/status/99 ... 94848?s=21" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[trainbrain]

I believe all the single level RVL trains are 8 cars powered by a PL42AC or ALP45DP.

They leased 10 Marc cars so they'll probably use 8 at a time with one of the GP-40's acting as a cab car. For a long train like that they'd probably use that engine for traction as well if it were possible.

The lack of long doors that open and close automatically could be a problem although if they just run them during rush hour they could staff that train with extra conductors

[STrRedWolf]

Heya, MARC rider here. The cars can open three cars worth of doors at one time: The car the conductor is in, the one in front of it, and the one behind it.

However, I'd put more conductors in there. There's at least two per train.

[Silverliner II]

Heya, MARC rider here. The cars can open three cars worth of doors at one time: The car the conductor is in, the one in front of it, and the one behind it.

However, I'd put more conductors in there. There's at least two per train.

At the high-level platform stops on the Raritan Valley line (and most stops east of Raritan are), figure a conductor and two other crew members at minimum on each train. For the low platforms, that means one crew member for the adjacent pair of doors between two cars to man at low level platforms. That means at a minimum, the doors on four cars could be opened up by a 3-person crew. Skip one set of doors somewhere, and 5 cars could be opened up. It won't be that big an issue, really. At best, it would only be a 7-car train, max, since the norm for the line is 6 or 7-car trains.

[trainbrain]

Most stops on the RVL even east of Raritan aren't high level. The only lines with majority high level platforms are the NEC and NJCL (Between LB and Rahway).

The Marc set will be an 8 car train as is the case with all single level trains on the RVL. With four conductors, you could open one door in every car at low level platforms. You'd have a conductor between cars 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, and 7 and 8. If the cars have power doors, then all doors can open at high level platforms. I don't know what NJT's staffing requirements are, but I assume 4 conductors on a 8 car train is fine and they may even have more on during rush hour.

[njtmnrrbuff]

Many of the MARC stations have low level platforms, especially on the diesel lines. I have ridden MARC trains to and from stations with low level platforms. Yes, I believe that NJT will be running 8 MARC cars on that set.

[trainster78]

NJT has shifted basically all of its Comet V cabs off the NJCL, with the exception of like one or two. We now have many bookend sets, and I could see the MARC cars joining that.

If they were to use all 10 cars on the same consist, it would probably be a bookend on the NEC or NJCL, being not many other platforms on other lines can hold that many cars.

[Silverliner II]

Most stops on the RVL even east of Raritan aren't high level. The only lines with majority high level platforms are the NEC and NJCL (Between LB and Rahway)

I did say "many", not "most." East of Raritan, there are high level platforms at Union, Roselle Park, Cranford, Westfield, Plainfield, and Somerville. 6 out of 13 stops... almost half. I'd call that "many"....

So the single level set or two on that line are 8 cars now, eh? Bring on the ridership! I remember not so long ago, before the multilevels took over, they were only 6 and 7-car sets.

[trainbrain]

The RVL was the first diesel line to get the Multilevels and was 100% Multilevel once they finished swapping out every train.

In the weeks before the Super Bowl they started bringing Comets back to the RVL when they needed to pull out the ML's to make the Super Bowl trains. All those trains were 8 cars because they wanted the same capacity as the 6 to 7 car ML trains.

Once the ban on ML's south of Long Branch was lifted, I believe they started running both Comets and ML's on the RVL again since they wanted ML's for the Bay Head to NYP trains.

[Silverliner II]

The RVL was the first diesel line to get the Multilevels and was 100% Multilevel once they finished swapping out every train.

In the weeks before the Super Bowl they started bringing Comets back to the RVL when they needed to pull out the ML's to make the Super Bowl trains. All those trains were 8 cars because they wanted the same capacity as the 6 to 7 car ML trains.

Once the ban on ML's south of Long Branch was lifted, I believe they started running both Comets and ML's on the RVL again since they wanted ML's for the Bay Head to NYP trains.

And now, just to wait and see which trains this MARC set roams on....

[sullivan1985]

5416 and 5445. 8 cars, 2 engines.

[trainbrain]

Which engines?