Silverliner IV questions

Hi, I am a current daily rider of the R8 (dubbed R-late) line and I had some questions about the trains in general.

1) When boarding from Fox Chase, the end of the line, I notice that before boarding, the train engineer moves the train a few inches forward, stops and then moves it again another few inches and stops. What on earth is the purpose of this?

2) I notice tweetie bird noises or mechanical whistling alarms coming from within the platform area outside the passanger seating area. What the heck is that?

3) On the silverliner IV's within the passanger seating area, there is a little black button in the center of each car above the two-seaters near the windows... what is that button for? because it looks tempting to push.

4) Before the conductors sometimes push the button on the platform to let the driver know all is clear and to move on, I notice a ringing bell. What is that?

5) Newtown line going to open soon? Walnut Hill station is 2 blocks away

I am a very curious person who like trains.... so many questions.. if anyone knows the answers to any of my questions, you will make me a very happy person. thank you for your time

phillyandrew wrote:Hi, I am a current daily rider of the R8 (dubbed R-late) line and I had some questions about the trains in general.

1) When boarding from Fox Chase, the end of the line, I notice that before boarding, the train engineer moves the train a few inches forward, stops and then moves it again another few inches and stops. What on earth is the purpose of this?

2) I notice tweetie bird noises or mechanical whistling alarms coming from within the platform area outside the passanger seating area. What the heck is that?

3) On the silverliner IV's within the passanger seating area, there is a little black button in the center of each car above the two-seaters near the windows... what is that button for? because it looks tempting to push.

4) Before the conductors sometimes push the button on the platform to let the driver know all is clear and to move on, I notice a ringing bell. What is that?

5) Newtown line going to open soon? Walnut Hill station is 2 blocks away

I am a very curious person who like trains.... so many questions.. if anyone knows the answers to any of my questions, you will make me a very happy person. thank you for your time

1) No clue

2) I think this is the overspeed warning. It tells the engineer that the train is going faster than allowed. I assume it rings in all of the cab areas because each car has a separate overspeed warning detector, so they go off in all of them when the train is overspeed because the car isn't "smart" enough to know which one is the control car.

3) I think this is an additional conductor-engineer buzzer. I think I've seen a conductor buzz the engineer from one once, but I can't recall for certain.

4) Not sure - I've heard that too. Might it have something to do with the sliding doors used at high platforms?

5) Don't I wish. Though if you wander through a number of the other active threads right now, you'll note that the common concensus is that stations are too close together, and two blocks is certainly too close.

Hope this helps and that other folks are able to fill in the holes and correct my mistakes. Welcome aboard.

That bell you hear is the warning bell for the sliding doors at high-level platforms.

1) When boarding from Fox Chase, the end of the line, I notice that before boarding, the train engineer moves the train a few inches forward, stops and then moves it again another few inches and stops. What on earth is the purpose of this?

It does this at Elm Street Station as well. I believe it's some sort of brake check.

I don't know if this sign is still there, but when I was wondering aimlessly waiting for the R-Late train to arrive, I noticed a sign within the track region of track 2 inbetween section A and B which states something about moving the cars back and forth to test the signal or something. I don't know what that means but that might be the reason why they do that "train dance" before allowing passengers to board at end stations. I just wanted to know for sure. But when they do it, man those brakes are wicked loud.... scared my sister half to death the first time i took her on the train

phillyandrew wrote: 1) When boarding from Fox Chase, the end of the line, I notice that before boarding, the train engineer moves the train a few inches forward, stops and then moves it again another few inches and stops. What on earth is the purpose of this?

3) On the silverliner IV's within the passanger seating area, there is a little black button in the center of each car above the two-seaters near the windows... what is that button for? because it looks tempting to push.

1) When the engineer switches ends, they must perform a break test. I'm assuming there is a bit of a slope to cause the train to roll a bit?

2) Never push the black button. Yes it is a buzzer button for the train crew (aka two-to-go)

2) I notice tweetie bird noises or mechanical whistling alarms coming from within the platform area outside the passanger seating area. What the heck is that?

In cabs where the cab signal unit is active you will hear the alertor go off when the cab signal becomes more restricting. In the main cab there is a deadman alertor with a different sound.

Along the subject of buttons in the passanger comparment, how about the emergency brake handles.

Can anyone explain why they are in the passenger compartment? It seems like it might be better to have it in the vestibule to reduce the chance of someone "trying it out". The conductor would have easy access to it, and he is better qualified to decide when something is amiss.

Why aren't the found on trolleys? Is this an FRA thing?

Also, does anyone know what happens when the train goes into emergency? Is it much a much harder stop than just a regular breaking?

Emergency means just that - that the train must be stopped as though life and limb depend on it. The deceleration force is enough to throw passengers forward out of their seats, and leave flat spots in all the wheels.

Mechanically speaking, when either:

A) a passenger pulls that (red?) handle

OR

B) the engineman releases the controller while moving

...power to the traction motors is cut, and all the air pressure in the brake pipe is dumped at once, resulting in a violent stop...

PLUS, a possible job action against the engineman AND conductor both!

Needless to say, don't mees with it, and report anyone who does to the crew.

Cheers,
Garry