Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

Moderator: lensovet

  by ST Saint
 
lpetrich wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2024 3:49 am 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.
At least we now know exactly what these will look like from the MBTA's Stadler render.
Image
  by Jeff Smith
 
https://www.fastcompany.com/91174458/ca ... e-tried-it
Caltrain’s electric trains started rolling out last week. The advantages go far beyond just cutting CO2 emissions.

If you ride on the newest commuter trains from San Francisco to San Jose, the first thing that you might notice is how quiet they are: Instead of the rumble of a diesel engine, the trains now run on 100% electricity.

By switching to electric trains, Caltrain, the rail service, can eliminate 250,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions a year, roughly as much as the pollution from 55,000 cars. But it’s also just a better experience for riders. That might convince more commuters to stop driving to work, cutting emissions even further.
...
  by HenryAlan
 
Jeff Smith wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2024 9:55 am https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 624014.php
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.
I suppose this might be true, but I'm curious what about this is the first of its kind? There have been other instances of conversion from diesel to electric service in North America, so what exactly is unique? At any rate, I wish Caltrain the best of luck, and hope a successful launch lights a fire with the MBTA and MetroLink to catch up.
  by electricron
 
HenryAlan wrote: Fri Aug 23, 2024 10:53 am
Jeff Smith wrote: Sun Aug 11, 2024 9:55 am https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/art ... 624014.php
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.
I suppose this might be true, but I'm curious what about this is the first of its kind? There have been other instances of conversion from diesel to electric service in North America, so what exactly is unique? At any rate, I wish Caltrain the best of luck, and hope a successful launch lights a fire with the MBTA and MetroLink to catch up.
Yes, from "diesel" to electric. The earlier passenger services switching to electric power were from steam powered locomotives. :wink:
  by David Benton
 
Possibly the first that is not an extension of an existing electrification, I guess. I immediately thought of New Haven - Boston, but then , that was an extension.
  by lpetrich
 
Caltrain Releases Electrified Schedule | Caltrain
noting
Caltrain Go | Caltrain - "Go Faster. Go Caltrain."
with a countdown timer and links to the new schedules under "Plan Your Trip".

Some peak-time rains skip some stops: "limited" and "express". In the new schedule the limited ones always skip the same stops, and the express ones skip the ones that the limited ones skip, and the same additional ones. In the current schedule, the limited ones have three patterns of stop skipping, two for peak time and one for weekday midday, and the express ones have one pattern.

Weekday midday trains are all local in the new schedule, and alternate between limited and local in the current schedule.

All off-peak trains are local in the new schedule, running every half hour in weekday middays, weekday nights, and weekends. In the current schedule, a local and a limited one run each hour in weekday midday, a local one runs roughly each half hour in weekday night, and a local one runs each hour in weekends.

Times:
  • SF-SJ Express: 59 m -- current 1h 6m (66 m)
  • SF-SJ Limited: 1h 9m (69 m) -- current 1h 18 m (78 m)
  • SF-SJ Local: 1h 18m (78 m) -- current 1h 40m (100 m)
  • SJ - Gilroy: 48 m -- current 50 m
The SJ station is the main one, Diridon station.

One gets the most speedup with the most stops.
  by west point
 
When the inevitable happens and an EMU set will not move from either end. Also, no problem such as broken axel or frozen traction motor. Will another EMU set be able to either push or pull the inoperative set to a location safely off the 2 main tracks?
  by lpetrich
 
west point wrote: Wed Aug 28, 2024 9:04 pm When the inevitable happens and an EMU set will not move from either end. Also, no problem such as broken axel or frozen traction motor. Will another EMU set be able to either push or pull the inoperative set to a location safely off the 2 main tracks?
I don't know about that, but I've found this:
Saw one of our #Caltrain yard engines out at San Jose Diridon after rescuing a stalled locomotive. This is #503 out of CEMOF in #SanJose.

I think that Caltrain will keep its yard engines.
  by rohr turbo
 
Had my first ride on the new electric Stadler train today.

Very nice! Extremely quiet and smooth ride. Good acceleration, working WiFi, and clean windows.

Door opening with extending step seemed slightly slow.

Some stupidity that new handicapped concrete ramp landing was about 2-3 feet out from one of the two bike car doors creating a cluster*** mess. I couldn’t exit cleanly with my bike as a bunch of boarding passengers with bikes were already trying to enter/ blocking me through that narrow channel.

But at least the train was fantastic.

Image
Image
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And the offending ADA platform that creates bottleneck. Image


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  by lensovet
 
Seems like poor spotting by the engineer – why would you place the door anywhere near this thing?

Realistically they should probably tear them down at this point since the new trains don't need them.
  by electricron
 
lensovet wrote: Tue Sep 03, 2024 12:26 am Seems like poor spotting by the engineer – why would you place the door anywhere near this thing?

Realistically they should probably tear them down at this point since the new trains don't need them.
They probably will remove these mini-high platforms and ramps once all the old trains are retired. As long as some old trains are in use they need these for legally required handicap/wheelchair access. Don't put the cart before the horse.

Take note of the very recent youtube videos of the DCTA A-Train. They have removed their mini-high platforms that once were on the south end of their platforms. They no longer need them, but it took several years for them to do so. Meanwhile, the TRE mini-high platforms are still present because they still own one last remaining RDC that is only used at marketing events.
  by rohr turbo
 
Not poor spotting -- the door lined up well with the mini-high and I suppose if there had been a wheelchair passenger they'd have dropped some sort of connector plate to the train floor.

And these mini-highs are brand new! Some are under construction at several stations. Seems this project is coordinated with the start of electric service.

I guess we bike passengers will slowly learn to use the other (southward) door.

Had they put the ramp and landing right up at the platform edge, then wheelchairs and bikers could both use it (mind the gap) and it would really be efficient, require no conductor involvement, and be nice. But I suppose plate-x freight train compatibility made that impossible?
  by lensovet
 
Why on earth are these brand new trains not compatible with the existing platforms? Bridge plates, really?
  by rohr turbo
 
Here's a still from a YouTube showing the "plate" for wheelchairs to the mini-high:
Image
I don't know if it extends automatically from the train or is manually placed by the conductor. I did not see any evidence of these mounted on the mini-high or in the interior of the train.
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