New Haven mainline diesel sets

How many diesel sets are being run on a daily basis on the main New Haven line?

I know that (and the Metro North Commuter's Journal won't let us forget) that 1529 and 1560, which make stops only between Fairfield and New Haven and express the rest of the way to/from GCT, are consistantly diesel sets, but I see at least 5 diesels pass my train in the morning and evening and they can't ALL be Danbury trains. Are the rest of them scheduled to any specific route, or can they end up anywhere in the pool? I've only ever once gotten a diesel train going reverse peak, and that was the now retired 4:23PM out of Stamford back in 2003.

Two Stamford trains1333 ? and 1319?, Two New Haven trains and 3 Danbury trains 1811, 1819, 1833

Hmm, I take it they purposely assign the diesels to trains that make less than 5 stops? 1527 looks like the other likely New Haven candidate.

checkthedoorlight wrote:Hmm, I take it they purposely assign the diesels to trains that make less than 5 stops? 1527 looks like the other likely New Haven candidate.

I'm no expert, but since nobody else has replied yet, if you are correct in your assumption... it's probably because diesels take longer to get up to full speed. If a diesel and an electric ran side-by-side, making all the local stops, the electric would get to the destination considerably sooner because electrics can accelerate much quicker than diesels.

Because it takes diesels more time to speed up after a station stop, it makes sense to keep them restricted to express runs. The electrics can make local runs faster than the diesels can.

Hey Dutch,

3 Dumb questions.

Why diesels out of Stamford ? Shortage of MU equipment?

What power is used for the NH-GCT trains ?

Pat

btw my very good friend is retired MN engineer, and he says you should be in management.

McGinty26 wrote:Hey Dutch,

What power is used for the NH-GCT trains ?

Pat

Well I'm assuming that they run on diesel mode since I don't recall the New Haven line having 3rd Rail.

All Diesel trains going into GCT are P32acdm's.
yes the Diesel trains are to compensate for many M2's that are out of service, some 30 or so permanently.
with no new equipment in sight for another 5 year or so.

I'm sorry, I might have missed something, but I thought diesels couldn't go into the tunnel to GCT? Or is that only true for the tubes to Penn Station?

The P32acdm's are Dual mode Diesel/electrics rated at 3200 hp.
They run off third rail from 125 street to GCT.

acs85 wrote:I'm sorry, I might have missed something, but I thought diesels couldn't go into the tunnel to GCT? Or is that only true for the tubes to Penn Station?

When LIRR & Amtrak (NJT doesn't run diesels into Penn) use diesels into Penn, they use Dual-Mode diesels on 3rd rail mode if I remember.

4 Express wrote:

acs85 wrote:I'm sorry, I might have missed something, but I thought diesels couldn't go into the tunnel to GCT? Or is that only true for the tubes to Penn Station?

When LIRR & Amtrak (NJT doesn't run diesels into Penn) use diesels into Penn, they use Dual-Mode diesels on 3rd rail mode if I remember.

Yes, their (Amtk and LIRR) diesels that run into NYPenn are dual mode. However, sometimes you'll see MOW diesels (pumpkins or what not) in Penn, and they're not dual mode. I've always assumed they were brought into Penn unpowered.

Thanks.

again subject is MNCR and not Penn station, MNCR does not operate into Penn station.

I live right by the train tracks and I spot six diesels in the morning and six in the evening. The mainline morning sets are: train #1319, 1323, 1527 (sometimes), and 1529. And the three Danbury: #1811, 1819, and 1833. In the evening, mainline: #1556 (sometimes), #1560 (mostly), #1364 and Danbury: #1848, 1860, and 1868. I have seen #1527 and 1556 used mainly as electric MU sets instead of diesels; but sometimes they use them instead. Usually, when 1556 is diesel, 1560 is electric and vice-versa. All the others are just diesel. Does Metro-North shuffle around the roster a bit? Also, I spot unscheduled diesel runs in the late evening and Sunday evening sometimes. What are those for?

deadhead fuel and repositioning runs.