Disabled Electric Trains

I need to be educated on electric trains. This morning all trains into NYP were significantly delayed due to a disabled train in the tunnels. What are the reasons a train becomes disabled in the tunnels?

I am puzzled because I rode trains weekly for two years in Europe some time ago and never had a case of a train on which I was on or a train which was in front of us become disabled. The most I remember happening was a broken pantograph. The train stopped in the middle of nowhere. A minute or two later the crew was down on the track (it was a single track) looking for/at something on the ground -- presumably pieces of the pantograph, but within 10 minutes we were on the move after they raised the other pantograph. I do not know if they collected the broken pieces or if a catenary maintenance crew was sent immediately after. I am sure this was an old electric locomotive without any computers and software.

What is different here with NJT and Amtrak's locomotives and or trains? What are the reasons for the trains to become so disabled that the delays exceed 60 minutes? I understand that they may need to inspect the catenary and the track after an incident, but what type of problems make the disabled train remain stuck for so long?

If a train looses a pan in the tunnels,power MUST be shut down to clear the the remains of the broken pan there's not that much
clearance(the pan is close to the roof,almost in Lock down position),If it's an Arrow MU set,the towing loco need to use
a "cheater" compromise coupler to tow the set in and connect to the air brake system with a air hose.
In most cases what ever is the Protect Engine at NY Penn will tow the effected Equipment in,and there're
rules about how this is done,for safety of all envolved.

The tunnels are fairly steep based on maps I've seen. That probably doesn't help things. I have read on here that some locomotives struggle to make it up the far side. Not sure about the arrows.

There's plenty of reasons why a train may be disabled. Could be an issue with the brakes, the control gear, door interlocking (not sure if these units have it) to name just a few.

talltim wrote:There's plenty of reasons why a train may be disabled. Could be an issue with the brakes, the control gear, door interlocking (not sure if these units have it) to name just a few.

I have heard that if a door sensor is tripped, the train will go into emergency, is this true?

Unless the door was "keyed" open by a crew member,the door train line will not allow the train to take power(MU trains),
that's a safety interlock.
Seems that Push-Pull trains have the same interlock,only exception is there's a freight unit towing the train.

TrainPhotos wrote:The tunnels are fairly steep based on maps I've seen. That probably doesn't help things. I have read on here that some locomotives struggle to make it up the far side. Not sure about the arrows.

When I worked jO tower, (off the east end of track 12 in Penn station) in 1957, we had a lever on the interlocking machine that controlled a westbound signal at the east end of Line Two. When a New Haven train was reported, we put that signal to stop if there was a train ahead of it in the tunnel, and only cleared it when he tunnel was clear. The New Havens had to have a clear shot all the way or they might stall.

The arrows have 2-3 million miles on them since they're last rebuild so maybe they breakdown because they're worn out.

kilroy wrote:The arrows have 2-3 million miles on them since they're last rebuild so maybe they breakdown because they're worn out.

I was referring to the comet 5's & door issues, not "breaking down".

philipmartin wrote:

TrainPhotos wrote:The tunnels are fairly steep based on maps I've seen. That probably doesn't help things. I have read on here that some locomotives struggle to make it up the far side. Not sure about the arrows.

When I worked jO tower, (off the east end of track 12 in Penn station) in 1957, we had a lever on the interlocking machine that controlled a westbound signal at the east end of Line Two. When a New Haven train was reported, we put that signal to stop if there was a train ahead of it in the tunnel, and only cleared it when he tunnel was clear. The New Havens had to have a clear shot all the way or they might stall.

The same thing is in place at the bottom of the grade in the eastbound North River tube; any train likely to have trouble on the upgrade (2%?) can be held there until a proceed indication can be displayed at A for a move into Penn Station. A train stopped at that signal has its entire length on the downgrade and thus can get started and generate some momentum when the signal clears. (It dates from 1910 and was intended for the 18-car trains of heavyweights they had back then; I don't know how often it's necessary today, but it's still there and now has a name: I think it's called MIDDLE.)

ExCon90 wrote: The ting same thing is in place at the bottom of the grade in the eastbound North River tube; any train likely to have trouble on the upgrade (2%?) can be held there until a proceed indication can be displayed at A for a move into Penn Station. A train stopped at that signal has its entire length on the downgrade and thus can get started and generate some momentum when the signal clears. (It dates from 1910 and was intended for the 18-car trains of heavyweights they had back then; I don't know how often it's necessary today, but it's still there and now has a name: I think it's called MIDDLE.)

That's interesting, I was just wondering about that. I never worked A tower. I wonder how many DD1s they'd put on those eighteen car trains? On third trick in the station, in 1957, they still used DD1s to pull the wire train around. I loved the sound of their side rods clanking like a drifting steam engine's.
An old timer posting me at Q tower told me that they got a huge number of trains through Penn Station one Memorial Day, and that was probably before the track layout was made more efficient.