why does septa rr car doors automatically close?

[Woodcrest295]

why do septa rr car doors automatically close when the train leaves the station? and what does njt need to do to implement on their emu's?

[Matthew Mitchell]

why do septa rr car doors automatically close when the train leaves the station? and what does njt need to do to implement on their emu's?

You mean the parlor doors--the door between the passenger compartment and the vestibule? There's a catch that releases when the engineer applies power. I thought the Arrows were so-equipped too, but I don't ride NJT very often.

[Tritransit Area]

I'm pretty sure that the Arrow IIIs have this feature as well, if he's referring to the vestibule doors.

[gardendance]

I guess it's not proper for the spider to invite the fly "welcome to my vestibule", but I thought only parlor cars had parlor doors, lowly commuter equipment would have vestibule doors.
And I'm tempted to answer the question with a question. Why should'nt doors automatically close? Certainly the platform doors should close BEFORE the train starts to move for safety reasons that I hope are obvious. As for the vestibule doors, I'd hope everybody but the squirleyest railfan would want them closed to maintain a comfortable passenger area environment, keep noise out at all times, cold out in the winter, heat out in the air conditioned summer.

[octr202]

IIRC, wasn't that a Reading innovation on their original MU's, designed to save energy by keeping heat in the cars?

As a commuter railroad passenger in another state, I long for those door releases. Up here in the land of 100% manual doors, you realize how brilliant that door catch/release mechanism is, when you see how many people don't close doors behind themselves.

[ExCon90]

IIRC, wasn't that a Reading innovation on their original MU's, designed to save energy by keeping heat in the cars?

As a commuter railroad passenger in another state, I long for those door releases. Up here in the land of 100% manual doors, you realize how brilliant that door catch/release mechanism is, when you see how many people don't close doors behind themselves.

I believe that's correct--the automatic door-closing arrangement was original equipment in 1931. Another Reading innovation (I think only the RDG had it) was a signal button next to the steps so the conductor could give two buzzes while still standing on the platform, whereas on the PRR the conductor had to climb 3 steps and pull the cord, something that took a few seconds more at each stop.

ExCon90

[Kaback9]

why do septa rr car doors automatically close when the train leaves the station? and what does njt need to do to implement on their emu's?

Don't expect NJT to implement anything new on the Arrows, they are reaching the end, I believe this year they actually will be looking into a replacement for them.

[cpontani]

The Arrows and the Silverliner IV's are the exact same cars, minus the center doors. They both have the door releases. Sometimes, they don't work, as do many things that are over 30 years old...

[gardendance]

Another Reading innovation (I think only the RDG had it) was a signal button next to the steps so the conductor could give two buzzes while still standing on the platform, whereas on the PRR the conductor had to climb 3 steps and pull the cord, something that took a few seconds more at each stop.

I have wondered about how is that such a great innovation? It must be a serious safety issue, since you increase the chances that Mr. Conductor Person standing on the platform presses the button, then tries to board the train just as it starts to move. I'd rather have had a button one could reach while standing at least on the bottom step.
Whether it really was a safety issue though would get some proof if it caused any accidents. It's been many years since I've ridden, but I had seen personnel use that type of signal button while standing on the platform, so I imagine the crews didn't shun it. Does anybody else have any opinion or data about its safety?

[Matthew Mitchell]

It must be a serious safety issue, since you increase the chances that Mr. Conductor Person standing on the platform presses the button, then tries to board the train just as it starts to move. I'd rather have had a button one could reach while standing at least on the bottom step.
Whether it really was a safety issue though would get some proof if it caused any accidents. It's been many years since I've ridden, but I had seen personnel use that type of signal button while standing on the platform, so I imagine the crews didn't shun it. Does anybody else have any opinion or data about its safety?

Well you can idiot-proof anything, but then you just get better idiots as a result.
While I'm sure the buzzer can be pressed while the conductor is standing on the bottom step of the trap, what I usually see is the conductor pressing it while still standing on the platform, then stepping up before the train starts moving. A few individuals do step up after the train starts moving, and it is a potential safety risk, but as always, the best safety device is a careful employee.

[Woodcrest295]

thanks for the info ... it helps alot... i tried to ask the same question on the njt subforum ( I was half awake at the time) and they totally shot me down for poor grammer.

[ex Budd man]

I ride the R-3 every day from Langhorne, at Bethayres a passenger would detrain to buy a newspaper. Paper in hand she would reboard the train. The conductor told her repeatedly she could NOT do that. After threatening to leave her at the station several times she got very indignant. On morning as the conductor stood on the platform she pressed the buzzer above her seat twice and the train pulled away from the station sans conductor! The next day she was forbidden to get on the train and was told she could face charges for a misdemenor offence.

[scotty269]

I ride the R-3 every day from Langhorne, at Bethayres a passenger would detrain to buy a newspaper. Paper in hand she would reboard the train. The conductor told her repeatedly she could NOT do that. After threatening to leave her at the station several times she got very indignant. On morning as the conductor stood on the platform she pressed the buzzer above her seat twice and the train pulled away from the station sans conductor! The next day she was forbidden to get on the train and was told she could face charges for a misdemenor offence.

That's a good one. What train # is this?

[gardendance]

And that's another of the things that strikes me as being weird: in order to operate the public address system from inside a silverline 4 you need a key, even though I'd expect the engineer to recognize the conductor's voice telling him to start moving, but no key required for anyone to press the signal button twice.

[yyo]

I ride the R-3 every day from Langhorne, at Bethayres a passenger would detrain to buy a newspaper. Paper in hand she would reboard the train. The conductor told her repeatedly she could NOT do that. After threatening to leave her at the station several times she got very indignant. On morning as the conductor stood on the platform she pressed the buzzer above her seat twice and the train pulled away from the station sans conductor! The next day she was forbidden to get on the train and was told she could face charges for a misdemenor offence.

Wow, that's a highly inappropriate thing for a passenger to do, yet it makes a good story. When you say "she pressed the buzzer above her seat" - are there buzzers in the car interior? I thought they were only in the vestibules.