MNRR Bilevel/Double Decker Coaches Proposal

Steamboat Willie wrote:The Shoreliners are the best to work and ride the best. Coming from someone who deals with them on a regular basis.

the last train I work is a bomb train and it has never let us down (while I've been on that job). 1 day they switched us to electrics and we had inverter problems and had to switch consist. It was good to see a bomb train the next day.

spoke too soon went back to electrcs today.

Question about Grand Central, what is the height for the tunnels entering the station, is it able to clear a NJ style Bilevel car or is it single level only.

Thank you all in advance.

the NJT MLV's would fit as they are same height as our Genesis locomotives. next generation of push pull cars will most likely be multilevels like the MLV's

Amtrak is doing track work along the Empire Connection, so all Amtrak trains from Albany and beyond will be heading into Grand Central. However, due to clearance issues, the Lake Shore Limited (which uses bi-level coaches) is not able to go into Grand Central, so the Lake Shore Limited will be limited to only Boston until the work is done. For the first time in XXX years, there will be no direct service between NYC and Chicago. Just so happens, I'm taking the 10:55 to Grand Central today and I'm hoping to catch an Amtrak.

The LSL operates with all single-level equipment, so, in theory, it could very well run into GCT. The issue at hand presently is there's no way for a long-distance train at the present to be serviced/stocked in GCT, such as sleepers and [what's left of the] diners. They reopened to commisary at ALB to restock GCT-ALB trains. Previous times where the "Empire Connection" was o/o/s, the LSL did a time-consuming reverse move via Penn, Hell Gate, Woodlawn, and Mott.

main issue for Lakeshore limited would be toilet servicing and cleaning , supplies can be brought in.
but sending a train on a long haul with non working toilets would be a no no .

but we are way of the topic of original poster as his question had nothing to do with Amtrak in GCT.

Traingeek3629 wrote:Amtrak is doing track work along the Empire Connection, so all Amtrak trains from Albany and beyond will be heading into Grand Central. However, due to clearance issues, the Lake Shore Limited (which uses bi-level coaches) is not able to go into Grand Central, so the Lake Shore Limited will be limited to only Boston until the work is done.

It absolutely is not clearance issues, it's servicing issues like Jaap said. Viewliner prototype diner fit in Grand Central in 2012. I would have posted one of my own pictures but they were garbage, so I borrowed one from Otto

I apologize; I was thinking the LSL uses superliners, which would not fit.

Edit: I did catch a couple of Amtraks in GCT today.

There would have been two problem,fresh supplies for the Diner and Cafe/Lounge car as well as restroom servicing(holding tanks and fresh water)
Back in the day,All NY Central LD's were dragged to MO Yard to be serviced/setup,believe Highbridge yard was unable/unwilling to handle the
the holding tank "flush out" and supply fresh water to the Lake Shores consist.hence the Boston Diversion.

Any recent news on this?

still working on specs , no RFP yet.

This will become the 3rd gen of the MLV design,likely to be tagged C-5's by LIRR,"Shoreliner III's" by MN and ConnDOT.

https://www.thelirrtoday.com/2020/09/mn ... -rfei.html

https://1drv.ms/b/s!Alzm51r4FWdWidJRU0X3lD_J9yHw7w

Metro-North issues RFEI for new bi-level cars
Metro-North has issued a formal Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) for the design and construction of new bi-level railcars. An RFEI is not a formal RFP or an open solicitation to bid (which is often the official start of a public procurement process), but rather a less formal way for Metro-North to test the market for this type of equipment, and get some feedback from potential vendors on qualifications, price, schedule, design, etc. that can inform the overall decision-making process leading up to a formal RFP. In this particular case, given that the MTA is broke and has put an indefinite halt on awarding new capital program contracts, this is likely being used to help inform Metro-North's fleet planning priorities for when financial conditions improve.

Metro-North has been pondering how to replace it's M-3A fleet for a number of years now. While the LIRR dove head-first into purchasing the M-9 cars, which have turned out to be an extremely expensive and delay-ridden project, Metro-North instead fully overhauled all of their M-3A cars (in house in their North White Plains shop) to buy them some more time as they think about what they want to do. Their M-3A replacement plans haven't really gotten any clearer with this extra time, though, as MNR continues to hedge their bets and preserve options while not really advancing towards anything. They originally included between 140 and 170 option cars on the LIRR's M-9 contract, but abandoned those options when the LIRR also realigned its EMU strategy (though a 54-car option for the LIRR seems to be back from the dead). The MTA is now planning to include some option cars for Metro-North on the upcoming M-9A procurement, but that continues to be significantly delayed as a contract has yet to be awarded.

Metro-North has also reportedly been considering replacing its M-3A cars with a fleet of bi-level cars bracketed by third rail locomotives (I guess the theory is that bi-level cars allow for more passenger seating without the need to expand rail space, though once you add two locomotives into the mix, that becomes less likely). Language in the original New Dual Mode RFP (which included design options for dual motors running on third rail and overhead wire) as well as this new RFEI tend to give that rumor credence.

In the RFEI, Metro-North says it is interested in replacing its existing single-level push-pull fleet. These cars are made up of a collection of 146 Shoreliner cars (plus 15 Comet cars brought over from West of Hudson) built between 1983 and 1996 and used on the East of Hudson Lines and the New Haven Line branches in CT. In addition, Metro-North also joined NJTransit's Comet V order in the early 2000's and purchased 65 cars for West of Hudson service (it seems it now wants to replace these, too, even though they are relatively young in age and still in good shape).