1243 goes to Track 2 starting next monday

Effective on Monday, 15 Oct, Metra BNSF Train No. 1243 (1558 CUS) will move to track 2, instead of Track 12 because adding one car to the equipment. Is any equipment changes other than this train?

cheerleader

If this is the case, then it appears that 1243 is going to be 11 cars now, since track 2 is the only one that can berth trains of that length. I'm curious as to which train the extra car was taken from...

I haven't heard of any other equipment changes other than the addition of this fourth 11-car set. It was just 2 years ago when the set used for 1243 was just 9 cars.

SWS has a spare car on one of its trains... 179th Streets 7 car set never runs with all 7 open, as far as I know.. most is 6... but the train was still 7 cars today, so not sure where the extra car is coming from. I would have said it could have came over from the Rock since there was a car missing from the 10 car set, but its back to 10 as of this week.. so thats not it either.

actually 1243 used same equipment of 1242 today. former equipment of 1243 (uses for 1240) was still at the yard as the train passes the yard.

cheerleader

tobuadantoq wrote:actually 1243 used same equipment of 1242 today. former equipment of 1243 (uses for 1240) was still at the yard as the train passes the yard.

I wonder if this new 11-car set is still cut at Hill at the completion of 1243's run. Remember that 1243 is cut at the end of its run to become a 6-car local train for evening service.

It will cut last 5 cars at Hill. 8592-779-816-747-7284 then 8588 and beyond will use for 1288. Prior to today, all three 11-car set were headed to hill without stopping at Aurora

Cheerleader

tobuadantoq wrote:actually 1243 used same equipment of 1242 today. former equipment of 1243 (uses for 1240) was still at the yard as the train passes the yard.

Prior to today, what morning train used the old 10-car set that does 1243 in the afternoon? Unlike the afternoon rush trains, I'm not very familiar with the morning rush assignments, with the exception of the Naperville and Downers Grove expresses.

It will cut last 5 cars at Hill. 8592-779-816-747-7284 then 8588 and beyond will use for 1288. Prior to today, all three 11-car set were headed to hill without stopping at Aurora

Cheerleader

MetraBNSF wrote:

tobuadantoq wrote:actually 1243 used same equipment of 1242 today. former equipment of 1243 (uses for 1240) was still at the yard as the train passes the yard.

Prior to today, what morning train used the old 10-car set that does 1243 in the afternoon? Unlike the afternoon rush trains, I'm not very familiar with the morning rush assignments, with the exception of the Naperville and Downers Grove expresses.

it was 1240.

cheerleader

If I'm not mistaken, at least one other 11-car rush hour set runs with an extra cab in the consist, so that 5 or 6 cars can be cut at 14th St. for midday runs. Theoretically, I wonder if this equipment could also be used for 1243 on some days, if only to minimize the chance of using the same equipment for the same trains every day...

The trainsets used for trains #1243 and #1277 switched, giving the former the 11-car set and the latter the 10-car set. However, train #1277's new set adds a second engine. Trains #1255 and #1277 are now the double headers. I have a feeling that BNSF wanted to keep a spare engine on the road during the midday after METX189 failed to load a few weeks ago and BNSF power was sent out to rescue it. Train #1277 was (and contunues to be) cut at 14th Street for trains #1229 and #1266. The midday set is now 6 cars vs. 5 from before.

With #1243 now boarding on track 2 and the extra Naperville express (#9405) departing at 3:50, I wonder what kind of set the extra train will use and what track it'll depart from. My guess the extra train is boarding from track 12.

Yes, it will depart at Track 2 with 1240/1277 equipment.

cheerleader

So did #9405 load from track 2, leave, then #1243 pull in and load after #9405 left?