Private car on Metro-North? "NORTHERN LIGHTS"

I believe last year it came in via New Rochelle and then it went up to Croton and left on an Amtrak from Croton. People were very nice that were on it, stopped by it Thursday in the terminal.

I saw that car in NYP after just coming in on an Amtrak train this past tuesday.

MNCRR9000 wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:What would DHS be doing here?

I was wondering the same thing. Seems kind of overkill to have guys with flak jackets and high powered rifles there.

As someone who's been in GCT a minimum of twice a day every work day for 10+ years I've seen uniformed members of pretty much every security service short of the US Coast Guard patrolling the place at one time or another. DHS doesn't surprise me at all... they actually look a lot less intimidating that the NYPD Hercules Squad, who show up in black uniforms and body armour carrying submachine guns.

Folks - off topic again - this topic is about a private car in grand central terminal - NOT about which federal, city or state agency dujour is providing security there. If thats what you want to discuss make a thread for it. The question was asked and it was answered. It is a family from down south who charter a private car every year over thanksgiving weekend and come to NYC as one of their family traditions. Nothing more, nothing less. I have met the family while working in GCT - very nice folks.

Back *on* topic-- can private cars travel in any scheduled Metro-North train, or are there restrictions? (apart from the obvious fact that you couldn't cut a Pullman into an MU consist... )

no. for simple fact private cars rarely have push pull wiring.
plus we can't guarantee a certain train will go a certain route, we do switch equipment a lot.

When the Private Car came into New York last Tuesday the PMMO Crew picked it up in New Rochelle by using the BL14s Locos then it got arrived in GCT a little bit after midnight Wednesday.

Train2009 wrote:When the Private Car came into New York last Tuesday the PMMO Crew picked it up in New Rochelle by using the BL14s Locos then it got arrived in GCT a little bit after midnight Wednesday.

It was supposed to be the PMMO, but it was an extra crew that did the move. The PMMO had other plans for the night..

Ridgefielder wrote:Back *on* topic-- can private cars travel in any scheduled Metro-North train, or are there restrictions? (apart from the obvious fact that you couldn't cut a Pullman into an MU consist... )

Metro North operating policy, as previously stated to AAPRCO, is to handle movement of privately owned passenger cars as a special train, rather than to operate them in the consist of regularly scheduled passenger trains.

Contrary to Dutch Railnut's claim, many private cars certified for operation on Amtrak and Via Rail Canada have 27 pin MU trainlines installed, but this capability it is not required by Amtrak, Via Rail Canada or other railroads. However, the lack of a MU trainline will prohibit the car from operating in certain push-pull consists on the Amtrak system.

Due to their tariff charges and policies, operating a private car on Metro North is much more expensive than operating a car on Amtrak or Via Rail Canada.

Train2009 caught private car NORTHERN DREAMS on video, traveling northbound thru Tarrytown on Saturday afternoon November 27th, on the rear of Amtrak #49. That would indicate the car moved from GCT back to Sunnyside Yard via SHELL on a joint Metro North / Amtrak special move.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=251NyJFG ... er&list=UL

Much as I love trains, I don't think I'd want to spend my holiday weekend in a railcar, in a cave, that costs big money. Were I to charter a PV to NYC for the holiday, I'd probably get off at NYP and let Amtrak park the car at Sunnyside while I relaxed at the Plaza.

Now lets get things clear, the car name was " Northern dreams" the company name was Northern Sky Charters.
So lets all see the light, but not the "Northern lights"

DutchRailnut wrote:camp cars are covered under FRA rules:
http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2009/ ... 218.75.htm

to me a occupied car should be under same rules as a occupied MofW car when laying over.

Did you take the issue up with management or the FRA, or just venting on a railfan board? Were there flags and derails protecting the car?

I don't think that the Northern Dreams car would classify as a camp car according to the FRA definition of a camp car... in particular the part about housing "railroad employees".

Camp car means any on-track vehicle,
including outfit, camp, or bunk cars or
modular homes mounted on flat cars
used to house rail employees. It does
not include wreck trains.

A more typical camp car...

Tadman wrote:Much as I love trains, I don't think I'd want to spend my holiday weekend in a railcar, in a cave, that costs big money. Were I to charter a PV to NYC for the holiday, I'd probably get off at NYP and let Amtrak park the car at Sunnyside while I relaxed at the Plaza.

Got to say it would be kind of cool to be in GCT in the middle of the night when you were the only people there, though...

Ridgefielder wrote: Got to say it would be kind of cool to be in GCT in the middle of the night when you were the only people there, though...

I can say that I have been there (GCT) and done that onboard private car MOUNT VERNON in January 2005.

http://www.dominionrailvoyages.com/page ... 005_2.html

We spent Friday night parked on track 34. That was a very convenient location, easy to walk to/from the car. After our special train of two locomotives and three private cars returned from Poughkeepsie late on Saturday afternoon, Metro North parked us in the coach yard on the east side of the terminal. This was not a very convenient location, as it was away from a platform and required walking on the ballast between tracks and third rails. MOUNT VERNON was spotted almost right underneath a sidewalk ventilation grate, so the snow that was falling passed thru the sidewalk grate and came down to track level right near my bedroom window. You could also see the snow coming down from the observation lounge of KITCHI GAMMI CLUB. A memorable experience!