Caltrain Electrification

lensovet wrote: ↑Wed Mar 27, 2024 2:43 am Hell, a single-level Comet V cab has 109 seats, is accessible at all positions, has 3 (!) doors for boarding, and is also made of stainless steel!

Because they have 3+2 seating. Nobody likes 3+2 seating except the purchasing agents.

I'm sure we could come up with something more innovative after all these years?

Well the multi-levels and BBD cars require two trips of the conductor through each car, which is not easy during frequent stops. They also place the engineer much closer to street level in case of grade crossing accidents. There is a solid argument to be made that the gallery car is more innovative than the following series of cars.

Also sometimes innovation hits a dead end and that's not a bad thing. Do we really need a lot of new ideas? Or do we need a fleet of cars that will last for 40 years without rusting or causing problems?

The AK-47 is also incredibly durable, simple, and easy to repair, but somehow I don't see the US Military using them.

If you study your history, there is a lot of controversy about the M16 procurement process. I would not use the M16 v AK47 as a benchmark for best practices in government procurement. In fact the M16 procurement has all sort of documentaries written about the problems and hiccups.

Siemens cars (and Amtrak does a poor job maintaining them)

I love the completely unnecessary and irrelevant dig at Amtrak though.

Amtrak's failure to maintain their equipment and the Siemens equipment's failure to perform in cold weather is cold hard documented fact. You are welcome to your own opinion but not your own facts.

screech machines

IS this a technical term? It's really hard to have a discussion with people who use terms like "screech machines" and deny the documented evidence and facts.

Trains News Wire is reporting the full section between SF and San Jose has been energized.
https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... -corridor/
Fair Use:

Caltrain’s entire 51-mile electrification corridor between San Francisco and San Jose, Calif., has been successfully energized and tested for the first time, the commuter rail agency has announced. The milestone in the project by Caltrain, power company Pacific Gas & Electric and contractor Balfour Beatty enables full-speed testing of the electric trainsets along the entire corridor in preparation for electrified revenue service in September.

Wonder who will try to steal the live wire? It will be interesting to find out how much the base load with no cars operating or connected to live wire. I would think that Caltrain will keep data on each train set connected to CAT to find any stealing of electricity?

west point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:24 pm Wonder who will try to steal the live wire? It will be interesting to find out how much the base load with no cars operating or connected to live wire. I would think that Caltrain will keep data on each train set connected to CAT to find any stealing of electricity?

That's 25 thousand volts ac they would be stealing. You would need a step down transformer to lower the voltage to a usable level, and transformers are relatively easy to see.

Has 938 moved under its own power since arrival?

electricron wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 10:12 pm

west point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:24 pm Wonder who will try to steal the live wire? It will be interesting to find out how much the base load with no cars operating or connected to live wire. I would think that Caltrain will keep data on each train set connected to CAT to find any stealing of electricity?

That's 25 thousand volts ac they would be stealing. You would need a step down transformer to lower the voltage to a usable level, and transformers are relatively easy to see.

Anyone trying will probably end up fried . 25K.v throws a mean arc . Often , they will energise unused catenary to deter thieves. Another problem is thieves removing copper earth wires , thinking they are at ground zero volts. well , as soon as you detach them from the earth , they could be at any inducted or leaky voltage.

west point wrote: ↑Wed Apr 10, 2024 1:24 pm Wonder who will try to steal the live wire? It will be interesting to find out how much the base load with no cars operating or connected to live wire. I would think that Caltrain will keep data on each train set connected to CAT to find any stealing of electricity?

I remember once reading that a museum, perhaps it was IRM, left the wires energized all winter to prevent wire theft.

On a sadder note there was recently a bad accident in Buenos Aires resulting from signal wire copper theft. A commuter train rear-ended a work train and 60 were injured.

Tadman wrote: ↑Wed May 15, 2024 8:12 pm I remember once reading that a museum, perhaps it was IRM, left the wires energized all winter to prevent wire theft.

Yep. So far, it's worked. Nobody's stolen it, and I'm not aware of anyone getting killed trying, but 600V would certainly knock someone on their ass trying....

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 624014.php

Caltrain debuts electric trains that are faster, more spacious and quieter than past models


Caltrain, the oldest continually operating rail service west of the Mississippi River, once again became a pioneer Saturday with the debut of its new electric fleet.

The 160-year-old Peninsula commuter rail system’s transition from diesel to electric service is the first project of its kind in North America. Completion of the decades-long project means riders will board sleek and spacious new trains, powered by overhead electrical wires, that run faster and quieter than their diesel-fueled counterparts.

The electrification project also carries major implications for California’s high-speed rail project and San Francisco’s planned downtown rail extension to Salesforce Transit Center.
...

I saw on another website a video suggesting full electric service between SJ and SF will not begin until September, two months away. Amazing how quickly press events occur during election years.....

All-electric service (save for the handful of Gilroy trains) is still scheduled for September 21. Today is just two electric trainsets in revenue service, and they will gradually replace diesel trains over the next 6 weeks.

September is also a month away, not two last I checked.

Caltrain Welcomes First Passengers on New Electric Trains | Caltrain

Sunday, August 11, the electric trains will run their first regular service. Additional electric trains will be introduced every week until the launch of the new schedule and full electrified service between San Francisco and San Jose on Saturday, September 21.

Caltrain Electrified Service Plan | Caltrain
Overall features:

• Trains are to run every half hour instead of every hour on middays, evenings, and weekends.
• Trains are to run every 15 to 20 minutes at peak times to 16 stations instead of 7.
• Local trains are to take 77 minutes instead of 100 minutes between SF and SJ
• Peak-time express trains are to take less than an hour instead of 65 minutes between SF and SJ.

San Jose - Gilroy trains will remain diesel, and they will be run on the same schedule as currently, but they will only go to SJ instead of all the way to SF -- one will have to transfer at Diridon station to go further north.

The local service and frequency improvements are definitely significant. I hope they have the money for it.

Electric Trains | Caltrain
Some news stories:

• How it feels to travel onboard the new electric Caltrain
• Caltrain debuts electric train | Local News | smdailyjournal.com
• Caltrain welcomes first passengers on new electric trains - Global Railway Review

From the first one,

Each car has 85 to 100 seats. The trains feature Wi-Fi, tables, onboard digital displays with trip information, expanded storage under seats, coat hooks, security cameras and two bike cars with room for 36 bicycles each. All but the side-facing seats have power outlets. The cars feel more spacious than the models they’re replacing.

...
Caltrain expects to switch completely to the new trains by Sept. 21, except between Tamien Station in San Jose and Gilroy. That un-electrified segment will continue using diesel trains until battery-powered trains are ready.

Battery-powered trains?
Caltrain to Pilot First-in-the-Nation Bi-Level Dual Electric and Battery Powered Train to Expand Zero-Emission Service | Caltrain - 08/17/2023

"The 4-car vehicle consists of three passenger cars and one battery-head, which houses the battery and power equipment. " - unlike a DMU, an EMU won't have much room for batteries, so a train will need a battery car.