Questions abdout coaches and cab cars

What about cab cars? Comets? Another name? #?

CNJ GEEP, What about cab cars? I can tell you anything you want about Cab cars.......... growing up in Push- Pull country!

Septa has not been nearly as creative as NJT in naming its' equipment. All the MU's are generically referred to as Silverliners while the push-pulls are just that...although we do like to refer to the cabs and coaches as Bombers.

glennk419 wrote:...although we do like to refer to the cabs and coaches as Bombers.

That's 'cause they were built by the Bombardier Corp. And yes, the name in French means exactly what you think it does. I'm unaware of its origins ... perhaps someone else can enlighten ...

Uh, I knew that.

Oh well, nothing like my stating the merely bleedin' obvious(*)

I still do wonder why a company would have such a peculiar name, though.

(*) See Idle, Eric.

Why is it that NJT cab cars have that orange striping on the front while SEPTA's don't?

I never understood that striping business, like the RDC's used to have. What's the reason behind that?

The striping is merely for visual effects so that you can see the train, and to warn that a train is coming.

Striping is done to increase the visibility of an otherwise easily missed paint scheme. NJT Comet cab cars have the striping on the head end to make them more visisble at grade crossings or when a train is approaching an unlit Cabcar from behind. The grey overall paint scheme would make it rather difficult to see on in foggy or rainy conditions. SEPTA's Shoreliner or Bombardier Cab Cars have a red stripe across the front end of the car which would fufill the same role as the striping applied to NJT's cab cars.

But why did/do these cars have bright orange striping, where the MU's have little or nothing?

as to why some have them and others don't well there is no real reason.

For example there are some old Budd Metroliners runned by Penn Central back in the day where some of them had the striping while others didn't, and then when Amtrak inherited these they painted some with a complete white face others with a red and white face and some stayed with the striping.

I guess you can say if anything because of cost. Same reason why todays freight locos still have the paint scheme of its predecessors. even though they are own by a completely new and different company

Of course, these days all that caab front striping is getting somewhat redundant. With ditch lights, there's so many lights (often flashing) on the front end that you're not likely to even see the striping.

The side reflective striping that the FRA is starting to require on engines and cars (so that the more enlightened of our species don't drive into the side of a train*) is probably more beneficial.

*It pains me to think that we now need this, but such is our modern world.

Being that I almost ran into the side of a freight train 2 years ago, the reflective stripes are a good idea. It was a crossing w/o gates or lights with trees on both sides of the road and it was night time and the train had black tankers.

One of One-Sixty wrote:as to why some have them and others don't well there is no real reason.

For example there are some old Budd Metroliners runned by Penn Central back in the day where some of them had the striping while others didn't, and then when Amtrak inherited these they painted some with a complete white face others with a red and white face and some stayed with the striping.

I guess you can say if anything because of cost. Same reason why todays freight locos still have the paint scheme of its predecessors. even though they are own by a completely new and different company

I don't recall any striping on the Metroliners during the Penn Central era, nor when they ran as self propelled MU's under Amtrak. Striping WAS applied to the front of the Metro's after they were converted to push/pull cab cars and started running away from the Northeast and Keystone corridors where they would encounter many more grade crossings.

A few responses to the above posts.

Bombardier (Actually pronounced Bom-Bar-Dee-Ay, not Bom-Ba-DEER) is named after its founder J. Armand Bombardier. The company was founded in 1942 and its main products were snow mobiles and other tracked vehicles. They diversified and entered the rail transportation business when they won the contract for Montréal’s new Metros in the 70’s. Since the,n most know the history, products and acquisitions /mergers.

The new FRA requirement for side reflective stripping only applies to freight equipment. Majority of passenger train operators do apply reflective tape to their rolling stock for safety reasons, but they do not have to according to the FRA (I have the regulation).

Amtrak added the safety stripping to the front of the push pull cab cars (Former Metroliners) when they started service on the Atlantic City line. Many more dangerous grade crossings then on the Harrisburg line.

the sarge