Penn Line AM Peak and Reverse Peak that use electrics

Hello All,
Next week, I'm going to be in DCland for a wedding. I will have plenty of time to railfan, and am wondering which Penn Line AM Peak and Reverse Peak that use electrics? I may be at New Carrollton photographing one morning. thanks.

I think the priority assignment of electrics is given to the Perryville trains. For example, even the 9am departure from Perryville has sometimes used an electric, while the afternoon 5:10 NB Baltimore express is always diesel, even though it's "express". I can see the NEC from one of my job sites and seldom see an electric pulling any MARC in the early afternoon, either direction. And even today, the 534, probably one of the most important trains needing an electric to keep schedule, was using 2 of the new-fangled diesel chuffers (mp36) and consequently it felt like we were moving through molasses, and were over 20 minutes late to Baltimore. (although I think some of that was just scheduling) The electrics must be having another bout of issues. So, there are no guarantees. But generally speaking most of the peak AM trains coming from Perryville will use them, most but not all of the reverse peaks will not. Presumable, for example, the 530 might become the 443 after deadheading to Baltimore, (to finally become the 544) which would constitute a reverse peak electric movement. Maybe someone who commutes DC to Baltimore can address that...I'm never around late enough to see that!

Pretty much everything during the rush periods is electric, with the occasional exception of train number 405 (not sure what runs in the afternoon that set covers).

The double MP-36 train that you saw was a test - I don't know if the delays that you all had were a result of the power or other factors.

HokieNav wrote:Pretty much everything during the rush periods is electric, with the occasional exception of train number 405 (not sure what runs in the afternoon that set covers).

Train 450 in the afternoon is definitely a rush period - an express to Baltimore leaving at 5:10pm. It's always diesel as far as I've seen. On the 534 behind it, we often encounter a MARC SB (439 maybe) that uses diesel traction. Maybe you are right there is more consistent use of electrics in the morning, I usually ride one of the cross-honoring Amtraks (and try to sleep if I'm on the early one) so I wouldn't notice these things.

As explained above virtually every Penn Line set from the #426 (3:20) train onward is electric, or more accurately a 6-9 car train which should be electric. #450 is the exception since it is a 4 car diesel express train. After it heads to Baltimore it deadheads back to DC to run the last Brunswick Line train (#880) out to Martinsburg, WV. The train that dt_40 is seeing is prob this deadhead.

As for the 9 car set (503/402/415/534) the smart thing to do is to just use two electrics during the summer rather than the two diesels which reduce the top speed and acceleration of the set. MARC now has 10 electrics (since AEM-7 4900 is back as HokieNav reported) but only six dedicated Penn Line trainsets so they could probably get by with using two AEM-7's on one train.

dt_rt40 wrote:

HokieNav wrote:Pretty much everything during the rush periods is electric, with the occasional exception of train number 405 (not sure what runs in the afternoon that set covers).

Train 450 in the afternoon is definitely a rush period - an express to Baltimore leaving at 5:10pm. It's always diesel as far as I've seen. On the 534 behind it, we often encounter a MARC SB (439 maybe) that uses diesel traction. Maybe you are right there is more consistent use of electrics in the morning, I usually ride one of the cross-honoring Amtraks (and try to sleep if I'm on the early one) so I wouldn't notice these things.

That's why I said most - sounds like the set that runs 405 in the morning runs as 450 in the afternoon (and that explains why I've never seen it, since I only ride to Odenton). One of these days I'll sit down with the schedule and spend a day spotting at Odenton and figure out what runs each train set makes.

I think that the 9 car set is running with 2 AEM-7's now, I came in on 411 (leaving OTN at 7:27 this morning) and saw a northbound with 2 AEM-7's just after we left (I'm pretty sure that 4902 was the second in line, so maybe 4900 is leading now). Makes sense that that 503 (which uses the 9 car set) would arrive in WAS at 6:23 then turn around and head North at 7:12 as 506 to make the run back out to P-ville.

I'm a regular on the 506, and I think it's the same set as the 405 which arrives at WAS at 6:52. They usually come in on Track 13, and as soon as the passengers disembark they call boarding for 506 around 7:00.