Obscure Facts about SEPTA

Interesting about the reason why the 1 midday round trip deadheaded to Lancaster. I was always under the impression that 1) it was all Parkesburg trains went to CORK and 2) it was because there wasn’t an interlocking close enough to the station to allow the trains the change ends and head back towards Paoli without disrupting other rail traffic. So I stand corrected.

RE: the proposed SEPTA takeover of Harrisburg service I don’t think that was a SEPTA proposal I believe that was pitched as being a separate entity called “Diamond Railway” to be operated with 40 refurbished ex-NJT Arrow II MUs. A stop at Leaman Place was also mentioned. It was in the April 1998 issue of Railpace. I believed it to be true as an 8 year old, but I don’t know how legitimate that claim was as I haven’t been able to find any official info on it.

There was an independent group around that time that approached Amtrak, but Amtrak turned it down and that ended it.

NH and EC: From what I recall PennDot was interested in purchasing the 104 mile Philadelphia-Harrisburg route
from Amtrak but could not negotiate either a price or how the route would be served...If PennDot became the
owner they would be seeking to find a contract operator - SEPTA or this upstart group that NH mentions now
that I vaguely remember would have probably submitted competing bids to provide PHL-HAR service...

During the 1990s the 104 mile PHL-HAR route was in a steady decline - service was being cut back along with a
noticeable ridership loss and the line track and station infrastructure was suffering from neglected maintenance.
Amtrak wanted OUT basically from providing PHL-HAR service which they saw as a losing proposition then...

Instead PennDot and Amtrak were able to come up with a "Keystone Service" plan that cost a fraction of what
a full line takeover would have been to improve services overall with this partnership that also benefits SEPTA
as a route "tenant" with Amtrak continuing its role as "landlord"...

On a personal note I joined Railroad.Net 19 years ago today - February 7, 2005...
This website should reach 1.5 million posts later this year - and in the next two years (2024-2025)
should reach 100,000 topics since this site (incarnation) began on March 11-12, 2004 - 20 years ago...
For me it has been an interesting "ride" as an active member...MACTRAXX

The mid day trip was part of a Q-Run, a series of jobs that if taken in their entirety, would keep an employee qualified over the entire railroad for another year.

The afternoon trains frequently turned at what was then the hand operated crossovers at Leaman.

CNJGeep wrote: ↑Wed Feb 07, 2024 2:51 pmThe mid day trip was part of a Q-Run, a series of jobs that if taken in their entirety, would keep an employee qualified over the entire railroad for another year.
The afternoon trains frequently turned at what was then the hand operated crossovers at Leaman.

One reason for running to Cork was to keep crews qualified that far West in case crossovers closer to Parksburg couldn't be used.

ExCon90 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 29, 2024 11:42 pmI'm sure it would require financial participation by Lancaster County, which might not be forthcoming -- cf. Berks and Lehigh Counties, which declined to support service to Reading and Bethlehem which was already running.

Change that from "it would" to "S.E.P.T.A. would probably". S.E.P.T.A. runs into New Jersey without any financial participation from elsewhere. They do charge higher fares.
One delay in reestablishing service beyond Marcus Hook was that S.E.P.T.A. wanted someone to pay the increased gross costs of the extension. Delaware replied that the new revenue from higher priced tickets for longer trips to Philadelphia would be more than the increases costs.

JimBoylan wrote: ↑Sat Feb 10, 2024 7:44 pm S.E.P.T.A. runs into New Jersey without any financial participation from elsewhere. They do charge higher fares.

Good point. Maybe the use of track space at Trenton and West Trenton compensates for being spared an awkward reversal (at MORRIS?). Do they store any trainsets overnight at Trenton or West Trenton?

Two trains lay over at Trenton
West Trenton has a four track yard which is packed with trains every night

Be interesting to know how the whole track rearrangement at West Trenton was funded, and in fact the whole "border" situation where NJ Transit overnights trains in PA and SEPTA does so in NJ. I assume it's easy enough to pay operating expenses in another state, but paying for capital improvements might involve some horse-trading -- I never gave it much thought until now.