Hudson and Harlem Push-Pulls

This may be mentioned somewhere else, but why is it that on Harlem and Hudson line push-pulls by diesel engines, there are often Connecticut "red" cars mixed in with the traditional blue New York one's?

Red stripe, blue stripe, it's all Metro-North. The old management used to go to extra effort to try to keep "matched" sets together, but it's not such a huge concern now. Railfans are the only ones that notice.

-otto-

Well I thought the red cars were owned by the State of Connecticut and the Blue by New York Metro North. It follows that at Fordham...a passenger cannot board an inbound New Haven line. If Metro North is Metro North, then why should it matter?

Not only can't you board an inbound NH train at Fordham, NH Line tickets are only good on the NH Line. The NH line is basically run like another railroad. MN should do the world a favor and stop the NH trains from stopping at Fordham. A Harlem or Hudson line ticket from GCT or 125 is good zone for zone on either the Harlem or Hudson line but not true of the NH line. By the way, what are the people going to do when basically there are no red and blue trains?

Technically the red and blue cars designate different state sponsorship, but it's all part of the SAME EQUIPMENT POOL. This doesn't bother the rest of us, why does it bother you?

-otto-

Well then how come there are never all red trains running on the harlem line? It appears to me that they belong to two different transit companies. Why would Connecticut want to sponsor a car used on the Hudson line?

I have seen "all-red trains" run on the Harlem and Hudson Lines. That's what an "equipment pool" means. Both states contribute resources no matter what rails they end up on. It's all Metro-North. I'm sure CDOT would love it if only the red cars served lines in Connecticut, but as long as they contract with Metro-North to operate their trains, MN will use any cars available to them anywhere they need them.

-otto-

CDOT does not care if their owned cars run on Harlem or Hudson as long as The New Haven line trains do not run short of cars.
For every red car that goes up de Harlem/Hudson a Bleu car goes to Danbury/Waterbury or New Haven.
Currently MNCR runs at least 4 Bomb trains to Stamford and New Haven plus 4 trains to Danbury plus the shuttles.

Otto Vondrak wrote:Railfans are the only ones that notice.

That's not quite true. When lots of families from the suburbs come to the city (especially in the summer), I've heard more than a few of them board a Hudson red shoreliner wondering if they were on the correct train, because they thought the "red trains" go to Connecticut.

95% of people don't know differece between MNCR/ CDOT or Amtrak.

mncommuter wrote:

Otto Vondrak wrote:Railfans are the only ones that notice.

That's not quite true. When lots of families from the suburbs come to the city (especially in the summer), I've heard more than a few of them board a Hudson red shoreliner wondering if they were on the correct train, because they thought the "red trains" go to Connecticut.

Precisely my point. That and the big sign on it that says "State of COnnecticut" I am sure throws people off.

I think the only people who will be confused will be those poor Waterbury Branch patrons who are being pulled by an Amtrak unit in full dress!

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:This doesn't bother the rest of us, why does it bother you?

-otto-

Well, it does bother me a little, but I understand and agree with all the points in this thread so there's really nothing we can do about it.

This reminds me of a story I once heard about P32's being painted in NH McGinnis livery - someone commented that the design was over forty years old. A lady overheard the comment and asked if the trains really hadn't been painted in forty years. And it wasn't even an FL9, it was a gennie. The general public doesn't really notice equipment changes except the clean-to-dirty issues...

Heck, I once was on a SEPTA Bomber set to Trenton, and was witness to a passenger who got rather upset when he tried to use his Amtrak ticket on the train....and was told he was on the wrong train....

Yes, he thought he was on an Amtrak Regional to Newark. Don't ask me how he made that mistake when Amtrak and SEPTA board at different levels at 30th Street Station!

I also hear Amtrak conductors repeatedly announcing to Metropark boarders that they are NOT the NJ Transit local to Trenton...and occasionally running into a rider who "didn't figure it out"....