Silverliner Design Questions

Silverliner II wrote:

Head-end View wrote:Well, just for the record: Long Island Railroad MU's do not have bells, or strobes, and their ditch lights do not flash.

The same would apply to Metro-North MU's as well.

I seem to recall these cars (the NY MTA M1-6 series) being a special case. Aren't what are now the ditchlights on the M's really the old headlights? I thought they were built with low mounted headlights (like most subway cars), but when the FRA started the ditch light rules, they needed to add the high mounted headlights to create the required "triangle" of lights.

I can't seem to find one right now, but I recall photos of them w/o the top headlights. Maybe someone from MN or LIRR territory can tell us which are considered the headlights on an M-x car.

octr202 wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:

Head-end View wrote:Well, just for the record: Long Island Railroad MU's do not have bells, or strobes, and their ditch lights do not flash.

The same would apply to Metro-North MU's as well.

I seem to recall these cars (the NY MTA M1-6 series) being a special case. Aren't what are now the ditchlights on the M's really the old headlights? I thought they were built with low mounted headlights (like most subway cars), but when the FRA started the ditch light rules, they needed to add the high mounted headlights to create the required "triangle" of lights.

I can't seem to find one right now, but I recall photos of them w/o the top headlights. Maybe someone from MN or LIRR territory can tell us which are considered the headlights on an M-x car.

You are correct.....the current ditch lights on the M1 to M6 MU cars were the original headlights. When the ditch light requirement went in, Metro-North and the LIRR added new headlights to the top of the MU's and the original headlights became the ditch lights.

On the M7's, the headlights are on top, and the ditch lights are next to the tail markers.

A conductor told me yesterday that the Silverliners have a governor on them that limits them to 80-85mph. Can anyone confirm?

Yep that is correct. The Budds and Louies have a higher limit though.

no wonder they're so slooow.

You kidding me? I find those damned GEs slower than the other two.

SEPTA has a slow rail system though. The stations are too close in to permit any kind of speed on any line.

No I think they're just plain slow. In places where they could run fast, they crawl. For example, trains leaving Claymont SB crawl from Claymont to Wilmington, even after they pass the interlocking there.

I also noticed a new speed restriction just outside the Market East portal heading North towards Temple. Wonder what's up there?

jfrey40535 wrote:No I think they're just plain slow. In places where they could run fast, they crawl. For example, trains leaving Claymont SB crawl from Claymont to Wilmington, even after they pass the interlocking there...

That's all signalling and Amtrak speed limits. After Bell Interlocking there is a 30 mph speed limit to Wilmington. After that it's 125.

jfrey40535 wrote:A conductor told me yesterday that the Silverliners have a governor on them that limits them to 80-85mph. Can anyone confirm?

I've been on an SL IV on the R5 Westbound at 100mph. No governor.

The signaling permits speeds that high?

Irish Chieftain wrote:The signaling permits speeds that high?

ATC didn't squawk.

Running at 95 mph + is very common on the R7, at least with a solid set of SL IV's trying to make up for lost time. Never went that fast with a mixed set.

Maximum authorized speeds for the Silverliners (per RRD timetable) unless otherwise restricted by signal indication or track speed....

Silverliner II and III = 85mph
Silverliner IV = 95mph

Bombardier coaches/cab cars = 100mph (pull mode) 90mph (push mode)

AEM-7 = 125mph w/train
ALP44 = 100mph w/train

As for riding the R2 between Claymont and Wilmington at 30mph, you must have either been following someone, or had signal problems, OR been run up Track #1 from Holly to Landlith. If you'd been run up or down #2 or #3, normal track speed would apply (90mph IIRC)....though a slowdown for the crossover move at Landlith would put an end to that.....

It is Amtrak signal spacing that forces northbound R2 trains on #1 track to slow to 30mph from roughly after passing the Elmwood carbarn all the way to Phil interlocking....you'll get an Approach at the distant signal if no route is lined at Phil yet, which always seems to happen to me when I ride.