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  • Interesting consists

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1539527  by MACTRAXX
 
RCT: That Cynwyd line run X448 is a deadhead "patrol train" most likely.
With bad weather 4/13 out of service lines are probably being checked on.
Surprised that this train was posted on the public app...MACTRAXX
 #1539536  by Silverliner II
 
MACTRAXX wrote: Tue Apr 14, 2020 7:14 am I have been tracking the consists running between 30th and Jefferson on the app every couple hours. Seems to be the same pattern of 4 car Silverliner IV consists.

Answering my own original question I came up with three train sets making six
one way trips each between Malvern and Lansdale over the course of a day.
The train numbers are included on both timetables making figures easier.
With four MU cars assigned to each set that is just 12 cars total.

It would be interesting to combine the other two routes FXC-ELW and WAR-AIR
along with what the Trenton Line requires to get an idea of how many cars are
needed to provide the current Lifeline Service...MACTRAXX
I just went through the remaining schedules, and this is what I came up with, subject to the same conditions you based your numbers for Malvern-Lansdale (4-car trains) on:

Malvern-Lansdale
3 sets of equipment, 3 round trips for each set.
Total for all three equipment sets: 12 cars

Trenton
2 sets of equipment for the base service, 5 round trips for one set, 4 and a half round trips for the other set.
1 set of equipment on an early inbound trip from Trenton (1704), also balances equipment since 703 comes out of Roberts.
Total for all three equipment sets: 12 cars


Airport-Warminster
1 set of equipment for the trip (which also may double as an equipment swap run during the day) working 403/1406 and 1465/468.
2 sets of equipment for the base service, 5 round trips each.
Total for all three equipment sets: 12 cars.
45-minute layovers at both the Airport and Warminster, with exceptions on 4 trips that have much shorter or much longer layovers.


Fox Chase-Elwyn
1 set of equipment for the base service (6 round trips, with the last only being an Elwyn-Center City turn at the end of the day).
1 set of equipment which covers one full route round trip in the morning, then probably yards at Media (3860/8381). This same set may also cover the one trip out of Media yard for a trip to Center City in the afternoon and return (9398/9399).
1 set of equipment out of Roberts Yard to Fox Chase for a run to Center City.****
2 sets of equipment out of Powelton making one round trip each to Fox Chase and back to Center City in the evening (assuming one of the two sets was used on the morning tripper to Powelton).****
Total for all equipment sets: 16 cars
24 to 28-minute layovers at both ends, with the exception of a 2hr 28-minute break between the turn for 8377/3862 at Elwyn

**** These trips may be in conjunction with SEPTA shuttle bus service that has been spotted operating several trips between Fox Chase and Holy Redeemer Hospital, in a service paid for by Holy Redeemer (as I am hearing) to enable workers to get to and from the hospital, since neither bus routes 24, 88, or West Trenton Line services are running.

Total cars needed for lifeline service, assuming all 4-car sets: 52 cars.
This does not account for the fact that equipment is being rotated. Of note, only Silverliner IV's are being used.
 #1540387  by glennk419
 
Horns through Roslyn at 1:06, definitely not Silverliners, sounded like a push/pull set.

Does anyone know if they are running patrol trains on the lines that are curtailed?
 #1540388  by scotty269
 
glennk419 wrote: Wed Apr 22, 2020 12:16 pm Horns through Roslyn at 1:06, definitely not Silverliners, sounded like a push/pull set.

Does anyone know if they are running patrol trains on the lines that are curtailed?
Likely pilot trains, training exercises, or maintenance moves.
 #1540389  by Silverliner II
 
They are running pilot trains on the lines that are shut down.
 #1540415  by glennk419
 
Just heard the return trip around 3:30. Sounded like diesels, assuming it was a PNER freight run to the spaghetti factory in Warminster.
 #1617854  by rcthompson04
 
Back on Tuesday morning, I was trying to get my toddler son back to sleep and was curious what SEPTA consists run at 440am. I saw an interesting one on the Trenton Line. Train 9703 from Jefferson to Trenton had 9 cars. I presume the train is for deadhead purposes to bring cars for inbound train to Trenton in the AM. I never saw a train on the tracker with 9 cars.

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 #1617866  by MACTRAXX
 
RCT - Train #9703 is a regular weekday Trenton Line train starting out of Roberts Yard -
Temple Univ - 4:30 AM; JS - 4:35 AM; SS - 4:40 AM; 30st - 4:44 AM; All stops to Trenton - 5:40 AM
Most likely the head two cars are open with the other seven closed - This equipment is cut at TRE
into a 5 car and 4 car train for AM Peak service to Center City judging by the car numbers - 4 pairs
with a single car in the center of #9703's 9 car consist - a partial equipment train to TRE.

In the current schedule there is #9701: Starts RY; First stop TU 3:50 AM; JS 3:55 AM; SS 4:00 AM; 30st 4:04 AM
All Trenton Line stops (except Eddington) to TRE 5:00 AM - turns for ?
#1701; Suburban Station 5:35 AM; 30st 5:39 AM; All stops (except Eddington) to TRE 6:31 AM - Turns for ?
Both trains may have extra equipment assigned for AM Peak service to Center City.
Early AM trains are run to allow connections to NJT service to Newark, NJ and Penn Station New York.

Before "The Problem" began three years ago there was at least one evening train from TRE that ran to
Suburban Station with 8 or more cars that was in part an equipment move - ending up in either Powelton
Yard and/or Overbrook Maintenance Facility at some point afterwards.

In the current schedule evening train #1756 may run with extra equipment similar:
Leave Trenton 6:29 PM - All stops (except Eddington) to 30st 7:17 PM; Suburban Station 7:22 PM.

The only equipment that overnights at TRE is the one assigned push-pull train as far as I know...
MACTRAXX
 #1617943  by Silverliner II
 
MACTRAXX wrote: Fri Mar 10, 2023 11:05 am The only equipment that overnights at TRE is the one assigned push-pull train as far as I know...
MACTRAXX
Currently, there are no push-pull sets assigned to the Trenton Line, and all trains run local making all stops (except for alternating trains skipping Eddington, which is a flag stop for the trips scheduled to stop there).
 #1618100  by CNJGeep
 
9703 in the morning and 975....4? in the afternoon bring extra cars between Roberts & Trenton. Both are programmed for 9 cars.
 #1618147  by MACTRAXX
 
CNJ: #9754 from Trenton (5:56 PM) looks to be the PM train in question -
Leave Trenton 5:56 PM - All stops to 30st 6:45 PM; SS 6:50 PM; JS 6:55 PM; Temple U 6:59 PM(Last Stop) - to RY.

One set of MU cars now overnights in Trenton noticed on my last trip through TRE - Has the P/P set been off of
the Trenton Line since the start of RRD service reductions with "The Problem" three years ago? MACTRAXX
 #1618152  by Silverliner II
 
MACTRAXX wrote: Wed Mar 15, 2023 2:47 am CNJ: #9754 from Trenton (5:56 PM) looks to be the PM train in question -
Leave Trenton 5:56 PM - All stops to 30st 6:45 PM; SS 6:50 PM; JS 6:55 PM; Temple U 6:59 PM(Last Stop) - to RY.

One set of MU cars now overnights in Trenton noticed on my last trip through TRE - Has the P/P set been off of
the Trenton Line since the start of RRD service reductions with "The Problem" three years ago? MACTRAXX
A push-pull set had been back on the Trenton line when they resumed using them again. It only got yanked off back in August when the Wawa extension opened; it is one of 2 sets on that line now.
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