Silverliner V: Progress Reports

MACTRAXX, I don't follow your logic. You mention "biggest drawback ... and the fuel tanks were not large enough for them to carry a decent fuel supply"
You don't say anything about if the traps were a drawback or not,
then you say
"Silverliner 5 problems ...here we go again"
I don't see how fuel problems on the turbo-electrics tanslates into "here we go again" with the all electric silverliner 5. What do you mean?

In other words, What does this have to do with SEPTA and the Silverliner V ?

GD: The Turbo fuel tanks were too small for them to carry an adequate fuel supply with the MU design and their turbo-electric engines were bad fuel guzzlers-I recall being told it was more then two gallons at least per mile.

The traps on the GE cars with the movable steps could be a problem. The Garrett cars with the half-door trap was OK.

I spent hours looking at the Silverliner 5 mockup when it was on display at Suburban Station last year-I recall that a veteran SEPTA conductor was explaining to me and the car attendant on duty flaws like poor visibility at the door areas and that the movable stair would require a "No-Standing" zone there.

I took an entire page of notes on those cars-I hope that all SEPTA parties can agree on changes like the S-5 cabs and the delays to delivery can be minimal. We all know how bad SEPTA needs cars for the RRD! MACTRAXX

Anything yet?

KAWASAKI-FAN100 wrote:Anything yet?

No. All quiet on the Korean front....

Are the Silverliner V cars going to have open/exposed stepwells (when the traps are shut), or will they have sliding covers and long doors, like the NJT Comet III cars?

Mike Bartel
IHP
http://ihphobby.tripod.com

Long doors.

Small update:

I was down by the assembly plant in South Philly. There is still a fair amount of work to do, but they've laid the inside tracks and resealed the north end of the building. It looks like there is going to be a transfer table on the north end outside the building. The track that runs along the building is in terrible condition and doesn't appear ready for any sort of service, but it looks like a new switch was installed to the north west of the building on the line, though I can't figure out where it would connect to. I guess this is some progress.

what are the option cars? in addition to 120? or included...
after looking at the Rotem renderings of the Silverliner V, i think they look like rolling shitcans...

Fan Railer wrote:what are the option cars? in addition to 120? or included...

Base order 104: 35 married pairs, 34 single cars.
Option: 8 married pairs

after looking at the Rotem renderings of the Silverliner V, i think they look like rolling *...

Looking at the shell of the mock-up was even worse.

I work at the UPS facility right next to the Rotem site, and have for the past several nights wandered up alongside the tracks on an old street that runs between UPS' parking lot and the tracks; the road ends at the Rotem factory. For starters, directionally speaking the tracks are to the west of the Rotem building; UPS (mostly its parking lot) and Oregon Ave are to the south-there is a crossing on oregon ave; Wolf St. to the north, also with a crossing; and Weccacoe Ave to the east, in the direction of the Delaware River. With that in mind, there are transfer tables to the north AND south of the building. The north side transfer table is clearly visible from wolf street, the south side one is visible by going up that road, however to get a clear view one may be considered trespassing as the siding at that location is fairly close to the street at that point; in fact, the street is mainly gravel by this point.
Three switches have been installed off the siding; the middle of the three, alongside the building, is for a lead that goes through the property fence, where it joins two tracks coming out of the building. The three become one right before the tracks ends at the transfer table. Another switch, on the northwest side of the bldg-visible from the Wolf St crossing-is currently a stub heading AWAY (?) from the building; it has been recently installed. Likewise, on the Oregon Ave (southwest), there is another stub that has been installed heading away from the building at a point just before the siding heads back into the main track to cross Oregon ave; the siding picks up again on the other side, currently holding empty well cars.
There are letters in white spray paint-like that used to mark out a work site for utility locating-that say "OCA", "OC1", "OC2", and "OC3", with the first three between Oregon Ave and where the siding comes out. I am supposing they may intend to connect the siding to the other across Oregon Ave. There is a similar mark on the Wolf St-end as well, but there isn't a whole lot of room on the other side of the crossing for a third track.

good work man.

Upon a second look on the wolf street side I noticed there is a siding that served the warehouse across wolf street from Rotem. It runs parallel to the tracks. The siding is long overgrown with vegetation, barely visible, BUT my earlier thought that the location did not have enough room for a third track was incorrect. They'd have to dig it up and replace it (they wouldn't just clear the brush and use the old track, would they?) Also, after a discussion with a couple gentlemen doing some site work, there will be some type of transformer on the wolf street side of the building, on the northwest corner close to the tracks. Perhaps this transformer will be for the electric test track.

The transfer bridges for both transfer tables were installed yesterday. More interesting is the location of the electric test track. I saw a gentleman today who worked for Carr Duff doing work on the siding next to the track alongside the building. He explained that he was installing "bonds" on the rail, so that if something "hot" were to strike the rail, it would remain in the rail until it reached a "ground point", whereever they happened to install it on the track. It would seem that the siding is to have catenary installed overhead. Those white marks I saw alongside the tracks were evidently places where they will install the support poles. Perhaps the "switches to nowhere" near the wolf and oregon ave crossings are in fact derails.

Oh, and for those interested in working for Rotem, they will start hiring the 2nd week in August, or so said the security guard....

When the Silverliner Vs finally come into service, does this mean the end of ALL the IIs and IIIs? Or will SEPTA keep a few of them around in case of equipment shortages?