Wild Sight on the R7

I just saw the coolest thing. While waiting at North Philly (R8), an R7 push-pull rolled by. What made it interesting, is that the AEM-7 was DIT, and the whole thing was being pulled by SEPTA's little diesel locomotive! Maybe they're training for possible ways to service Reading & Newtown ?

Were there any people on it? Maybe they've already started without telling us

Wonder if the AEM-7 was kaput? If so, why wouldn't they just cut it off and let the small diesel take it back to the shop and haul the train to Trenton without it.

can the switchers generate HEP to run the load of the consist? I'd be surprised if they could. I'd think that a real road engine would be required to haul passengers.

Sadly, I know the answer to none of those questions. However, I assumed the AEM-7 was kaput, and the diesel was just hauling everything back.

That's no biggie. I have seen the little SW1500 come to the rescue of a push-pull set on 2 non-consecutive occasions. Once comming out of the CC tunnel, another time at Warminster.

jsc wrote:can the switchers generate HEP to run the load of the consist? I'd be surprised if they could. I'd think that a real road engine would be required to haul passengers.

Only RL-1's 60 and 61 have HEP generators, but even both of them together can barely handle 4 cars on their own, let alone a fully-loaded 6-car train with the HEP operating.

Standard procedure when an AEM-7 or the ALP goes kaput is to annull the train, put the passengers on MU's, and send one of the switchers to tow the entire consist either to Wayne Electric, Powelton, or Frazer for repairs.