NJT Electrics & Hoboken Terminal

[trainster78]

I was just recently at NJT Red Bank station in which I saw two 2600 series trains out of Hoboken. Something confused me about both sets, they both had their cab cars leading, and not the locomotive, which means the locomotive would have been the leading equipment into Hoboken Terminal. As far as I know, operating engines into Hoboken just isn’t allowed to happen. Does this rule apply just to diesel sets or is this some sort of oddball?

[trainbrain]

On the Main/Bergen Line they reverse the set of the first inbound in the morning on each track when it snows since they don't want the cab car plowing it all off. Sometimes there are reversed sets for other reasons, or locomotives on both ends due to cab car shortage/failure so there are no restrictions on it. There is ventilation in the roof for diesels so I think the decision to have the locomotive on the west end of the train is more of a noise thing for when all the trains are in Hoboken. Back before push pull they would've run locomotives into the terminal on the east end of trains all the time.

[Backshophoss]

It has been past practice at NJT to have the first train of the AM rush to have the power(loco) leading to ensure the crossing protection is working.
This was normal on the rush hour only branches like the Pascack Valley line back then.

[sullivan1985]

There is no rule stating power must be on the west end in Hoboken. Diesels are kept on the west end to cut down on noise and emissions in the depot but nothing requires them to be there. With locomotives filling in as cab cars on a regular basis engines can routinely be found east out in the station.

[trainster78]

There is no rule stating power must be on the west end in Hoboken. Diesels are kept on the west end to cut down on noise and emissions in the depot but nothing requires them to be there. With locomotives filling in as cab cars on a regular basis engines can routinely be found east out in the station.

Neither of these sets were bookends, both were actually Comet salads, one with 6050 and 4605, the other with I believe 6005 and 4633. both Comet V cabs were leading the southbound sets. It just happen to take me by surprise because I have never seen a engine on the east end of a 2600 series unless it was a bookend, or the one occasion I saw 2312 in which the Comet V struck a car in Bradley Beach or something and the ALP-45DP lead the set up north.

[sullivan1985]

Engines lead on 2600 series trains all the time. I see it every day. There is no dedicated fleet of trains for these runs. Trains can be flipped into other rotations for whatever reason, including those that have been turned on the Sunnyside loop.

[Zuccaraillo]

As a resident on the NJCL, the sets on 2600-series trains are routinely used on 3200-series electric trains that run to/from NYC. For example, 2605 turns for 3272, 2607 for 3274, 2609 for 3267, and 2611 for I believe 3284 or 3288 I'm not completely sure