CONRAIL’S CAST-OFF COMMUTERS: 3 30 YEARS OF SEPTA
Erie Lackawanna in 1970. The push- pull trains are utilized only on week- days in rush hour service and at press time are mostly found on the former PRR routes although one trainset is in service on the West Trenton line. In 2006 a $274 million dollar con-
tract was issued for 120 new Silverliner V cars. Four cars were funded by Del- DOT for Wilmington and Newark, Del., service. The contract has been plagued with numerous supply problems and drifted a full two years behind schedule with the last cars being delivered in 2013. The Silverliner V’s are a marked improvement with very bright interior lighting, automated announcements and closed circuit TV screens which display destinations (in addition to commercials), improved seats, and cli-
mate control systems. They still lack one very basic necessity in common with the rest of the SEPTA fleet —rest- rooms.
SEPTA also maintains a small fleet of diesel-electric switchers for the wire trains and work trains, and to tow stranded m.u. cars and trains back to one of the repair shops. Three SW1200 switchers (50-52) inherited from Con- rail, were rebuilt by Brookville Equip- ment, repowered with new Caterpillar engines and obtained a new model des- ignation of BL15. Two RL60 locomo- tives, 60 and 61, were purchased new from
Republic Locomotive in
Greenville, S.C., and are equipped with Head End Power (HEP). In 2009 SEP- TA’s first ultra low emissions diesel lo- comotive, an N-ViroMotive 2GS14B, was delivered by National Railway Equipment (NRE). Numbered 70, it is the first locomotive in the fleet that us- es GenSet technology — multiple diesel engines mounted on easily removable skids with one main generator, reduc- ing emissions by having engines start and stop based on load.
Repair Shops and Yards
The original m.u. shop on the PRR was at Paoli and was opened in 1915 when the suburban service electrifica- tion was completed and the first MP54s were introduced on the Paoli local. The old Paoli shop was replaced in 1994 with a new shop in West Philadelphia named the Overbrook Maintenance Fa- cility. On the Reading side the m.u. cars were maintained at Wayne Junction in
Looking Ahead
When transit agencies take over op- erations from multiple railroads, they often leave the systems in their legacy configurations. SEPTA took up the challenge of uniting two operations into one in 1983 and continues to upgrade station facilities and infrastructure. Despite numerous setbacks, SEPTA is constantly striving to best serve the City of Brotherly Love.
LEFT: On May 11, 2012, a single ex-Reading Silverliner II stops at Bala, Pa., en route to Cynwyd. BELOW: A two-car train of Silverliner IVs pauses at Jenkintown on March 20, 2013.
the northeast corner of Philadelphia. Both of the SEPTA wire trains and most of the diesel switchers are nor- mally kept here when not in service. The system maintenance of way equip- ment shop is located here also. A new storage yard and inspection facility was built at Roberts Avenue next to the Wayne Junction as part of the center city tunnel project to store unneeded trainsets not required in the off peak mid day and weekends along with a car washer. When the new AEM7 and Bom- bardier push-pull coaches were ordered a new shop was constructed between the Amtrak main line and the former PRR Trenton Cutoff at Frazer, west of Malvern. This shop allows for mainte- nance of the entire push-pull consist and was initially staffed with Bom- bardier supervision and SEPTA work- ers; later management functions were taken over by SEPTA. This shop also leased space for Bombardier to perform warranty work on the 20 Amtrak Acela high-speed trainsets. Minor car repairs are handled at the Powelton Avenue yard just west of 30th Street station.
Visit the official SEPTA web site at
www.septa.org
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