NJ Transit on Hell Gate Bridge

[LI Loco]

Yesterday afternoon while driving across the Robert F. Kennedy (nee Triboro) Bridge I spotted an eight-car set of NJ Transit bilevels heading south on the Hell Gate Bridge. Does anybody know why they were there? Football season doesn't start for another six weeks.

[CNJGeep]

What's a Bilevel?
They're probably still qualifying crews on equipment and characteristics.

[DutchRailnut]

Correct , MNCR crews qualifying on Multilevels and ALP-46 and NYP and Hellgate line, for new Giant stadium service from New Haven.
The training trauin will run every saterday from June till Sept.

[ApproachMedium]

When the M8s are finally delievered, will they then be able to use the old new haven cars for this service or M8s?

[DutchRailnut]

When the M8s are finally delievered, will they then be able to use the old new haven cars for this service or M8s?

Neither, the M8's can not run on 12.5Kv 25 Hz and need the LIRR third rail to get to NYP.
Currently even that has about 1.2 miles missing betwen Harold and Gate.

on the M2/M4 /M6 and M8 once a third rail shoe touches third rail the pantographs drop immediatly.

[cobra30689]

When the M8s are finally delievered, will they then be able to use the old new haven cars for this service or M8s?

Neither, the M8's can not run on 12.5Kv 25 Hz and need the LIRR third rail to get to NYP.
Currently even that has about 1.2 miles missing betwen Harold and Gate.

on the M2/M4 /M6 and M8 once a third rail shoe touches third rail the pantographs drop immediatly.

Do the MN MU's have the capability of changing the shoe pressure to utilize the LIRR third rail now?

[DutchRailnut]

no, the shoe mechanism needs to be sprung both ways(up and down), and LIRR third rail, besides being upside down, is at a different distance from running rail than the NYC third rail.
A new dual position third rail shoe/mech is in development

[nyswfan]

Correct , MNCR crews qualifying on Multilevels and ALP-46 and NYP and Hellgate line, for new Giant stadium service from New Haven.
The training trauin will run every saterday from June till Sept.

So pax will have to switch trains at secaucus? Sounds like a waste. Driving from CT over the tappen zee down the parkway on a sunday is fairly simplistic.

[LI Loco]

Correct , MNCR crews qualifying on Multilevels and ALP-46 and NYP and Hellgate line, for new Giant stadium service from New Haven.
The training trauin will run every saterday from June till Sept.

So pax will have to switch trains at secaucus? Sounds like a waste. Driving from CT over the tappen zee down the parkway on a sunday is fairly simplistic.

Getting stuck in traffic on a Sunday afternoon for an hour or more waiting to cross the Tappan Zee or George Washington Bridge is a bitch.

The transfer at Secaucus falls into that category, too. But the ride from Secaucus to the stadium is about 10 minutes. It can easily take that long to walk from the parking lot (or take a shuttle bus) to the stadium.

IIRC, doesn't the Access to the Region's Core project, i.e. the new tunnels under the Hudson include a physical connection to NJ Transit's Mainline, Bergen County and Pascack Valley routes? If so, it could provide a one-seat ride from Manhattan to the Meadowlands. A connection off the Northeast Corridor would enable a one-seat ride from Connecticut, as well.

[sixty-six]

Correct , MNCR crews qualifying on Multilevels and ALP-46 and NYP and Hellgate line, for new Giant stadium service from New Haven.
The training trauin will run every saterday from June till Sept.

So pax will have to switch trains at secaucus? Sounds like a waste. Driving from CT over the tappen zee down the parkway on a sunday is fairly simplistic.

While you sit in traffic, everyone else will "endure" the wait at SEC. Taking the train != exorbitant parking fees, gas, and tolls.

[Taborite]

IIRC, doesn't the Access to the Region's Core project, i.e. the new tunnels under the Hudson include a physical connection to NJ Transit's Mainline, Bergen County and Pascack Valley routes? If so, it could provide a one-seat ride from Manhattan to the Meadowlands. A connection off the Northeast Corridor would enable a one-seat ride from Connecticut, as well.

With NJT's upcoming dual mode locomotives in play combined with ARC's Secaucus flyover loops, yes, it would conceivably be possible to run trains through to CT on game days (though only via New York Penn Station -- ARC's NYPSE dead ends at 34th street).

[cruiser939]

IIRC, doesn't the Access to the Region's Core project, i.e. the new tunnels under the Hudson include a physical connection to NJ Transit's Mainline, Bergen County and Pascack Valley routes? If so, it could provide a one-seat ride from Manhattan to the Meadowlands. A connection off the Northeast Corridor would enable a one-seat ride from Connecticut, as well.

With NJT's upcoming dual mode locomotives in play combined with ARC's Secaucus flyover loops, yes, it would conceivably be possible to run trains through to CT on game days (though only via New York Penn Station -- ARC's NYPSE dead ends at 34th street).

The loops will be duck unders, not flyovers. Loop 3 will connect to the stub ended track in LACK so such run thru service from CT is technically possible.

[Sirsonic]

Correct , MNCR crews qualifying on Multilevels and ALP-46 and NYP and Hellgate line, for new Giant stadium service from New Haven.
The training trauin will run every saterday from June till Sept.

So pax will have to switch trains at secaucus? Sounds like a waste. Driving from CT over the tappen zee down the parkway on a sunday is fairly simplistic.

OH MY GOD!!!!!! THEY ACTUALLY EXPECT PEOPLE TO GET OFF ONE TRAIN, RIDE DOWN AN ESCLATOR, AND GET ON ANOTHER TRAIN!!!!!! HOW STUPID!!!!!!!

Seriously, what is so wrong with changing trains? Its not like its going to be a long wait at Secaucus for the connection...

[newjackRR]

It's that one seat ride mentality. Everyone wants to step out of their front door right onto a train that takes them exactaly where they want to go. Heaven for bid any walking involed. Americans and walking how UNAMERICAN is that !! .

[alewifebp]

I don't think that Metro North and its passengers have that same anti-transfer mentality that we have in NJ. They seem to do it all the time with no quibbles.