Cycles of equipment consists

A few years back a fan from the MARC service area told me he was under the impression that some of the diesel consists off the Brunswick and Camden lines ran on the Penn Line mid-day to free up space and use diesel power on the NEC.

After observing some consists recently on the Penn Line, which I had never done before, I don't believe this is correct or is no longer the current situation.

Was this ever an accurate statement? Or have cycles changed in the last few years?

Since some of the tracks MARC uses at Union Station are not needed mid-day and some are not even electrified space doesn't seem to be an issue.

After looking at the Penn consist they seem longer and are often all double deck cars.

Today it would seem that there are dedicated diesel consists that cycle up and down the Penn.

I am looking for any pattern of cycling that can be counted on?

Your friend was right, MARC does use shorter diesel consists (3-5 cars mostly single level) from the Brunswick and Camden Lines for midday trains on the Penn Line. During the midday at Union Station the tracks are packed with MARC trains laying over plus Amtrak uses one or two of the MARC tracks on the upper level, and according to the MARC website two sets have to be sent to Baltimore to layover there during the day, so space is actually a major issue.

The Penn dedicated consists are longer (6-9 cars mostly bilevels), and mostly electric but some are powered by diesels even though MARC should have enough electrics to power all of them. The general pattern of consist on the Penn Line would be longer bilevel trains in the morning (401 to 521 Southbound; 400 to 408 Northbound), shorter trains during the day, and longer trains again in the evening (426 to 448 Northbound; 437 to 447 Southbound).

This is still accurate - the midday consists are usually the diesel 4-5 car Camden/B-wick consists.

Speaking of space, train 426 always gets put on 28. I think there are two Regionals and an Acela that leave all around the same time as 426 (which still causes 426 to leave almost around its original time). I don't know what the rationale for moving the departure time back 7 minutes when it still gets held by K tower to let the Regional and Acela through first. The 3:34 leave time was okay and that train was mostly on time, but when it moved back 7 minutes, it didn't change a thing.

Also, the equipment for P855 in the evening comes from a morning train (probably P844). I've seen this equipment idling at Camden all day with its HEP running (for reasons I don't know). Yeah, the space issue is something thats come up all the time.

realtype wrote:Your friend was right, MARC does use shorter diesel consists (3-5 cars mostly single level) from the Brunswick and Camden Lines for midday trains on the Penn Line. During the midday at Union Station the tracks are packed with MARC trains laying over plus Amtrak uses one or two of the MARC tracks on the upper level, and according to the MARC website two sets have to be sent to Baltimore to layover there during the day, so space is actually a major issue.

The Penn dedicated consists are longer (6-9 cars mostly bilevels), and mostly electric but some are powered by diesels even though MARC should have enough electrics to power all of them. The general pattern of consist on the Penn Line would be longer bilevel trains in the morning (401 to 521 Southbound; 400 to 408 Northbound), shorter trains during the day, and longer trains again in the evening (426 to 448 Northbound; 437 to 447 Southbound).

When I took my trip down to DC over the Summer 521 Southbound was a 3 car Single Level train. It even had the West Virginia Star or something like that in it. I figured it must have come from West Va.

Has this train changed?

Also when I was down I noticed Train 433 was Bilevel did that change too?

CentralValleyRail wrote:

realtype wrote:Your friend was right, MARC does use shorter diesel consists (3-5 cars mostly single level) from the Brunswick and Camden Lines for midday trains on the Penn Line. During the midday at Union Station the tracks are packed with MARC trains laying over plus Amtrak uses one or two of the MARC tracks on the upper level, and according to the MARC website two sets have to be sent to Baltimore to layover there during the day, so space is actually a major issue.

The Penn dedicated consists are longer (6-9 cars mostly bilevels), and mostly electric but some are powered by diesels even though MARC should have enough electrics to power all of them. The general pattern of consist on the Penn Line would be longer bilevel trains in the morning (401 to 521 Southbound; 400 to 408 Northbound), shorter trains during the day, and longer trains again in the evening (426 to 448 Northbound; 437 to 447 Southbound).

When I took my trip down to DC over the Summer 521 Southbound was a 3 car Single Level train. It even had the West Virginia Star or something like that in it. I figured it must have come from West Va.

Has this train changed?

Also when I was down I noticed Train 433 was Bilevel did that change too?

Well, my post contained a general approximation. There are a few exceptions, such as train 433, which is probably a longer bilevel train stored at Penn station during the day and rushed back to DC in time for rush hour. 521 and 450 (the 5:10pm express) are also exceptions, so they probably were always like that. The WV paper must have been the night before on WB #883, since the 2 Eastbound/Soutbound trains are both 5 or 6 cars long.

It's too bad MARC doesn't list the consists on its website like VRE does.

A few years back when VRE had 4 types of cars, they put which cars where on which train.

davinp wrote:It's too bad MARC doesn't list the consists on its website like VRE does.

A few years back when VRE had 4 types of cars, they put which cars where on which train.

MARC switches cars and sets far too often to realistically do that. From experience, a train could use 5 different trainsets 5 different days. Now, train length they could probably do since they don't change all that much,but some trains, particuarly reverse flow Camden Line and midday Penn Line trains do vary a good deal.

VRE has a much simpler set up--run the trains on each line to DC in the morning, and run them back in the evening on the same lines, and they pretty much run unit consists unlike MARC, which (like Massachusett's MBTA) loves to mix and match bilevels and single levels. Just today I saw the last Camden train out of DC (3 cars lonG) with a single level Quiet car, a single level cab car, and an (ex-VRE) bilevel in the middle. But yeah, something like that would be really neat.

realtype wrote:

CentralValleyRail wrote:

realtype wrote:Your friend was right, MARC does use shorter diesel consists (3-5 cars mostly single level) from the Brunswick and Camden Lines for midday trains on the Penn Line. During the midday at Union Station the tracks are packed with MARC trains laying over plus Amtrak uses one or two of the MARC tracks on the upper level, and according to the MARC website two sets have to be sent to Baltimore to layover there during the day, so space is actually a major issue.

The Penn dedicated consists are longer (6-9 cars mostly bilevels), and mostly electric but some are powered by diesels even though MARC should have enough electrics to power all of them. The general pattern of consist on the Penn Line would be longer bilevel trains in the morning (401 to 521 Southbound; 400 to 408 Northbound), shorter trains during the day, and longer trains again in the evening (426 to 448 Northbound; 437 to 447 Southbound).

When I took my trip down to DC over the Summer 521 Southbound was a 3 car Single Level train. It even had the West Virginia Star or something like that in it. I figured it must have come from West Va.

Has this train changed?

Also when I was down I noticed Train 433 was Bilevel did that change too?

Well, my post contained a general approximation. There are a few exceptions, such as train 433, which is probably a longer bilevel train stored at Penn station during the day and rushed back to DC in time for rush hour. 521 and 450 (the 5:10pm express) are also exceptions, so they probably were always like that. The WV paper must have been the night before on WB #883, since the 2 Eastbound/Soutbound trains are both 5 or 6 cars long.

That's makes a lot of sense now.

I realize it's difficult to list the consists of every train because MARC changes them so often, how about providing a list or roster of the rolling equipment they have?

How many single level cars do they have, and how many bilevel cars do they have?
The best list I can find on the internet is http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=MARC, is it anywhere close to being accurate?
7800s and 7900s (?ex-VRE?) being Kawasaki BiLevels?
1 thru 7700s being single level cars from various manufactures?
Can someone still lease #1 for a day?
How many of each does MARC still have in service, how many are set aside in reserve, how many are set aside for major repairs, and how many have been set aside to be scrapped or sold?

electricron wrote:I realize it's difficult to list the consists of every train because MARC changes them so often, how about providing a list or roster of the rolling equipment they have?

How many single level cars do they have, and how many bilevel cars do they have?
The best list I can find on the internet is http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=MARC, is it anywhere close to being accurate?
7800s and 7900s (?ex-VRE?) being Kawasaki BiLevels?
1 thru 7700s being single level cars from various manufactures?
Can someone still lease #1 for a day?
How many of each does MARC still have in service, how many are set aside in reserve, how many are set aside for major repairs, and how many have been set aside to be scrapped or sold?

The only single levels that MARC has in service these days are the Sumitomo-built "MARC II" cars. All the other single levels in those photos are long retired. Those were inherited or bought second-hand back in the day. The Sumitomos date from the late 80s, when most of the other northeast commuter roads were picking up Bombardier-built cars like NJTs Comets. The MARC IIs are actually quite similar in many respects.

Which leads me to my own question. I often wonder why MTA Maryland went with the Sumitomos then. After all, they are the only road to use them (though the single level cars on the NICTD South Shore Line are essentially EMU versions with center doors). I hazard a guess that MARC got a good deal, as Sumitomo was trying to break into the US market in general and was specifically hoping to get some of the orders that went to BBD at the time. Or am I off base with that?

@ electricon:

MARC has:
- (50) Kawasaki MARC III Bi-Levels Coaches:
(33) Standard (T) Cars
(7) Cars w/snack bar
(10) Cab Cars

- (13) Kawasaki Bi-Level Coaches (ex-VRE):
(9) Standard (T) coaches
(4) Cab Cars

- (60) Nippon Sharyo/Sumitomo MARC II Single Level Coaches and Cab Cars
(26) MARC IIA (rebuilt a number of years ago)
(34) MARC IIB (currently being rebuilt by Bombardier)

- (12) Pullman Bi-Level Gallery Coaches (70's era refurbished, ex-Metra)


@oknazevad:

As you said, MARC probably just got the best deal for the cars which were built by a consortium of Nippon-Sharyo and Sumitomo. Although they have a higher top speed than the single level Comets afaik (115mph vs 100mph[?]). I also think Sumitomo may have built some heavy rail or light rail cars in the past for American system. Nippon Sharyo built a fleet of new gallery cars for Chicago's Metra, and sold the same model to SF's Caltrain and VRE as well.

Personally I prefer the MARC cars to any other single level. While the interior of the cars are pracitcally identical to the Bombardier Comets (and virtually every other single level car), I prefer the seat material and color scheme in the MARC cars. I also think they look nicer on the exterior as well, sompared to the bland Comets.

realtype wrote:@ electricon:

MARC has:
- (50) Kawasaki MARC III Bi-Levels Coaches:
(33) Standard (T) Cars
(7) Cars w/snack bar
(10) Cab Cars

- (13) Kawasaki Bi-Level Coaches (ex-VRE):
(9) Standard (T) coaches
(4) Cab Cars

- (60) Nippon Sharyo/Sumitomo MARC II Single Level Coaches and Cab Cars
(26) MARC IIA (rebuilt a number of years ago)
(34) MARC IIB (currently being rebuilt by Bombardier)

- (12) Pullman Bi-Level Gallery Coaches (70's era refurbished, ex-Metra)


@oknazevad:

As you said, MARC probably just got the best deal for the cars which were built by a consortium of Nippon-Sharyo and Sumitomo. Although they have a higher top speed than the single level Comets afaik (115mph vs 100mph[?]). I also think Sumitomo may have built some heavy rail or light rail cars in the past for American system. Nippon Sharyo built a fleet of new gallery cars for Chicago's Metra, and sold the same model to SF's Caltrain and VRE as well.

Personally I prefer the MARC cars to any other single level. While the interior of the cars are pracitcally identical to the Bombardier Comets (and virtually every other single level car), I prefer the seat material and color scheme in the MARC cars. I also think they look nicer on the exterior as well, compared to the bland Comets.

Can't disagree with the seats. "Cushier" is the best word to describe them. BBD color schemes vary depending on the exact model and user, though I agree that MARC's subded darker scheme does work well. And I do like the fluted stainless exterior, which is a blatant rip off of Budd's old asthetic still seen on NJT Arrows and SEPTA Silverliners, but the flat aluminum of most Comets is what I grew up with, so it's special to me. I will say I've always liked MARC's simple blue and orange window stripe, too.