Would SEPTA Ever consider mixing the R.Rail Fleet ?

On my way home tonight the thought of SEPTA running electric m.units and the kind a.k.a COMET type rail cars with a Elec.locomotive pushing or pulling . I know they already do. But I mean like really mixing the fleet up like lets say 80 push-pull types and like 100 type m.unit cars ? I think it would be very snazzy and more diverse. I'm not ceartin I'm saying the right words please bare with me lol. But I think it would be nice ya knw. And if not what would prevent them from doing so ?

The push-pulls are not really suited for the SEPTA lines.

They were aquired on the cheap (relatively) at a time when they were needed for additional capacity.
The slower acceleration than the EMU equipment doesn't lend itself to operation in local stop service due to the close spacing of the stations.

The older and lower capacity substations on the Reading side are an issue as well.

Not to mention the Bombers (the NJT coaches are called Comets [or Vomit Comets]) are locomotive hauled equipment, which means the coaches by themselves are unpowered and either need a electric or diesel loco to move them....

Like in this example!
https://www.facebook.com/video/embed?vi ... eight="544]

NJT and other railroads use locomotives due to the long distances between stations. The Paoli line has some stations where you can see the next station in the distance. The result would be slower overall service.

Got it ..so basically it would be slower service overall due to the fact that the locomotives need distance to pick up speed.
Just thought I would ask. Ive always and am curious about this. Guess it's a lil dream of mines a bit to see a mixture of everything on our railroad.

An idea closer to reality, would be to have a 'trailer' mate for the silverliner fleet:

Historically you had an RDC-9, which trainlied, but had no control ends. It had one engine, not two, that would provide hotel power, and some propulsion by trainline to not be a dead brick.
Today, Metro north is getting 25 'singles' to be sandwiched within married pairs. Their singles again will have no cab control, use pantograph & third rail for hotel power, and i am unsure if they will have any trainline propulsion, or be true trailers in that capacity.

I still think getting some outlying yards expanded and purchasing additional married pairs would be the smarter course of action.

sammy2009 wrote:Got it ..so basically it would be slower service overall due to the fact that the locomotives need distance to pick up speed.
Just thought I would ask. Ive always and am curious about this. Guess it's a lil dream of mines a bit to see a mixture of everything on our railroad.

The Reading ran a test in the late 40s/early 50s on the West Trenton line comparing a four car MU train with a four car diesel hauled train. The test result was very dramatic; the diesel was lagging behind schedule by Jenkintown and more than five minutes off by West Trenton.
In those days there were more stops which have been abandoned now but I imagine the same result today with the current fleet. That is why all the push-pulls are on limited stop runs, they are geared for high speed not acceleration.

ex Budd man wrote:

sammy2009 wrote:Got it ..so basically it would be slower service overall due to the fact that the locomotives need distance to pick up speed.
Just thought I would ask. Ive always and am curious about this. Guess it's a lil dream of mines a bit to see a mixture of everything on our railroad.

The Reading ran a test in the late 40s/early 50s on the West Trenton line comparing a four car MU train with a four car diesel hauled train. The test result was very dramatic; the diesel was lagging behind schedule by Jenkintown and more than five minutes off by West Trenton.
In those days there were more stops which have been abandoned now but I imagine the same result today with the current fleet. That is why all the push-pulls are on limited stop runs, they are geared for high speed not acceleration.

Sad very lol...well maybe SEPTA could purchase some MUs and use them strictly for limited-runs only because I'm sure the currents will be done soon ?. And schedule behind five mins. They'd have to through the silverliner vs on that one to meet and beat the schedule lol.

If the MU fleet were made up of only SLV's, the schedule would speed up. The acceleration and braking is better than any of their predecessors.

I think the accelaration in the IV's isn't that far off from the V's. Now that the Budds are gone, maybe SEPTA should look at the schedule timing. Many SEPTA Engineers run well below the maximum authorized speed between stations and are still on time.

I like the idea of push pull sets for rush hours only. The maintenance requirements of a coach are much more economical than and MU where each one is treated almost like a locomotive as for inspection and testing intervals.

The short distance between stations on SEPTA also adds to crew size and car availability. It's not easy when your stopping every mile or mile and a half to punch tickets, make change, call out stops and open and close doors and traps especially when there are so many tickets purchased onboard SEPTA trains. SEPTA conductors can cut $500 to $1,000 or more each day depending on their run. At other commuter agencies you may have 3 or more miles between stops to go thru 2 or 3 cars and give a $5 surcharge to anyone who didn't buy a ticket before getting aboard.

South Jersey Budd wrote:I think the accelaration in the IV's isn't that far off from the V's. Now that the Budds are gone, maybe SEPTA should look at the schedule timing. Many SEPTA Engineers run well below the maximum authorized speed between stations and are still on time.

There is a difference between the acceleration and deceleration between the IVs and Vs. Have you ever ridden a set of Vs on the Trenton line that were behind schedule? They can move faster, stop shorter, and accelerate faster than the IVs so much, that I refer to them as Whiplash Wagons on late trains.

nomis wrote:An idea closer to reality, would be to have a 'trailer' mate for the silverliner fleet:

Historically you had an RDC-9, which trainlied, but had no control ends. It had one engine, not two, that would provide hotel power, and some propulsion by trainline to not be a dead brick.
Today, Metro north is getting 25 'singles' to be sandwiched within married pairs. Their singles again will have no cab control, use pantograph & third rail for hotel power, and i am unsure if they will have any trainline propulsion, or be true trailers in that capacity.

I still think getting some outlying yards expanded and purchasing additional married pairs would be the smarter course of action.

I think doylestown could be expanded to the west, west trenton could be expanded by one track, and trenton could possibly fit a 3rd track between 5 and 7. (call it 6?) You could tie it into 7 at both ends or put a block on the west end of it where it gets narrow between existing.

Then again all these other common sense expansion ideas are about as likely to happen anytime soon as i am to become governor.

So, the answer is no.

scotty269 wrote:So, the answer is no.

The answer is yes if we had the funding. All they would really need is coupler change out and swap out some of the door controls.

25Hz wrote:

scotty269 wrote:So, the answer is no.

The answer is yes if we had the funding. All they would really need is coupler change out and swap out some of the door controls.

Sure, okay then.