Silverliner II And III Interiors

Were the interiors of the Silverliner II's and III's pretty much the same when they were new as they are today (same "ketchup and mustard" colored seats, overall appearance, etc.)??? If not, what were they like then? I remember my mom taking me on my first train ride from Morton (on the now R3) to Center City when I was around 4 or 5 years old (Late 1960's), and it was on a Silverliner II, but of coarse, I was too young to take notice of what it looked like then. All I remember was looking out the window the whole time!

The propulsion and mechanical systems have been refurbished at least once since they were new. I don't know if the interiors were redone but I would guess probably yes.

I remember seeing seats that were flesh colored way back when. These same seats are now in what was the Airport cars with the end luggage rack. These seats now have a nice blue cloth.

Guys: The Silverliner IIs now have the vintage interiors and seating mostly. Some cars are equipped with fixed seats while a few still have walkover seats. The Silverliner IIIs(Louies) that were Airport cars have the rainbow seats and the other cars of this group have older seats also. The former PRR/RDG Silver IIs never fail to impress me for something built in 1963 there are very much still alive and kicking...with the full complement of Reading cars 9001-9017 still in service. All were overhauled in the late 80s and early 90s by I believe MK. MACTRAXX

MACTRAXX wrote: ...with the full complement of Reading cars 9001-9017 still in service.

Reading's maintenance forces were always renowned for their high quality service, something which has obviously accounted for the longevity of their fleet, not to mention the quality of the cars to begin with!

i must say though these cars are too old to really run. the interiors are VERY dirty, the seats graffitized, and not really a pleasant ride compared to the push/pulls or silverliner IVs

when can we finally get the silverliner V!

Considering the fact that these cars are 40-43 years old and have run literally millions of miles, I think they look and run pretty darn well. Overall, I prefer the ride of the Budds over the SL IV's and they are generally quiter (without all the banging in the running gear on the GE's) as well. Are they reaching their end of life? Sure, but don't bury them yet.

glennk419 wrote:Considering the fact that these cars are 40-43 years old and have run literally millions of miles, I think they look and run pretty darn well. Overall, I prefer the ride of the Budds over the SL IV's and they are generally quiter (without all the banging in the running gear on the GE's) as well. Are they reaching their end of life? Sure, but don't bury them yet.

I think the IIs and IIIs are remarkably good shape for their age. These cars are still pretty fast and I will be sad to see them go.

Speaking as one who operates the Silverliners on a daily basis, the Budds and Louis' have surely seen better days. The actual ride quality on the II's and III's is, in my opinion, is better than that on the IV's, especially a good set. The Silverliner IV's are in much better shape, overall, for obvious reasons. The II's and III's are certainly not my first choice for operating on Amtrak territory, but I think they still have a little life yet for the Reading side operations. The problem is that SEPTA really doesn't maintain its RRD fleet the way it should. Given the age of the some of the fleet, SEPTA also has a hard time finding replacement parts and accessories for the equipment. Now, they just take a band-aid approach. Often during rush hour a lot of the four and five car budd car trains have one or two dead units (not taking traction power, causing some of the banging you may feel during acceleration) buried in the middle of the consist, effectively slowing down the train as a whole.

Thanks whovian. Actually it's the GE's that I was referring to with the bangs, maybe it's more of a "clunk" that happens anytime they're running at speed and hit any deviation in the rail. I always thought it was just worn suspension parts. I can usually tell when I'm riding in a "dead" car, I'm sure you can tell how many you might have in a consist just from the acceleration.

Actually, regarding the seats, I honestly think the SII and SIII seats are preferable to the worst of the SIV seats. Some of those approach the condition of the El's famous cloth seats. Also, for some reason several IV's seem to leak in the rain.

PARailWiz wrote:Actually, regarding the seats, I honestly think the SII and SIII seats are preferable to the worst of the SIV seats. Some of those approach the condition of the El's famous cloth seats.

I hear you. Trying to find a seat on a IV that doesn't look positively filthy is an adventure. Even so, I prefer those seats to the ones on the II's and III's. They're uncomfortable, particularly for someone like me who has long legs. Those small notches in the backs of the seats on the IV's and the Bombers makes a world of difference.

Also, for some reason several IV's seem to leak in the rain.

I've only noticed one or two. I've noticed considerably more II's and III's that leak in the rain.