MARC New Multilevels

MCL1981 wrote:Does anyone know what westboard trains generally use the new cars? I would actually settle for any westbound train that isn't 100% single level old clunkers. I normally take 891 (3:45pm) which is all single level cars. But if I work late, I'd like to avoid the old clunkers.

I rode in one of the new ones on Friday. It was dream compared to the older single level cars. I don't even want to think about the gallery cars....

I started taking MARC again last week. All of the longer (5-6 cars) Brunswick Line consists have the new bilevels (the MARC III Kawasaki cars seem to only be on the Penn Line now). Of course the cab car on all B-Line trains (and usually the Quiet Car) is always single level.

Here are the consists I've observed so far:

871/881/872- 4 cars (4S)*
873/870- 4 cars (4S)*
891/890- 3 cars (3S)
875/874- 6 cars (5B,1S)
877/876- 5 cars (4B,1S)
893/892- 5 cars (1S,3B,1S)
879/878- 5 cars (1S,3B,1S)
895/894- 3 cars (3S)*
883/872- 5 cars (1S,3B,1S)*

Car types are from Quiet car to cab car:
S- Sumitomo single level (MARC II)
B- Bombardier multilevel (MARC IV)

(*Not 100% sure of the car type of these trains. These are from when I last rode in March. Lengths should still be accurate)

You sir are my hero. Thank you. I will probably take 875 or 877 home today, and it's nice to know I won't feel like herded cattle.

The last time I took 875 was about 2.5 years ago. I hated it. It was awful. It was hot, crowded, an uncomfortable. And maybe only 4 or 5 cars. Wow what a difference it is today. 6 cars, 5 being the new multis. I love it. In fact, I am going to work an extra 35 minutes each day to take 875 instead of 891.

Glad to be of help! Yep, the difference between the "gallery cars" and new Bombardier cars is night and day. When I rode MARC a few years ago I also tried to schedule my commute around the two train pairs with gallery cars (877/874 and 876/875).

Another bonus is that the former gallery car trains can use the high platforms at Union Station now.

I laughed when you referred to the gallery cars as the "rail equivalent of school buses". That is spot on not only due to the design and environment, but also because it was full of all the private school kids taking the train to DC and Rockville/Bethesda.

These new cars, there is actually a cool breeze blowing through them thanks to working air conditioning that is up to the heat load. What a welcome change!

I'm guessing the NJT cars actually make use of the digital signs to announce the stops or train #? It would be kind of pointless on the MARC since everyone seems to know what they're doing without signs, at least on the Brunswick line.

Yes, NJT uses both the lighted signs and the automated voice to announce the stations on their Multi-levels. The train # is also posted.

You will need the cab cars to come online first before you see those destination signs in service. Sit tight.

ACeInTheHole wrote:You will need the cab cars to come online first before you see those destination signs in service. Sit tight.

Yep, that's what I figured. It's the same thing with the Kawasaki (MARC III) bilevels. I noticed that the automated the announcements (back when MARC still used them) would only work if there was a Kawasaki cab car in the consist. Otherwise they would just display the same scrolling messages ("Don't place feet on seats", "Thank you for riding MARC", etc) which some of them still do, just like the new Bombardier multilevels.

What logic is driving the automated station announcements? Is it programmed ahead of time and GPS tells it when to speak? Or does the engineer have to push buttons?

MCL1981 wrote:What logic is driving the automated station announcements? Is it programmed ahead of time and GPS tells it when to speak? Or does the engineer have to push buttons?

The former.

Cool. So does "the system" hold the list of stops for multiple different train numbers, since not every train makes every stop?

MCL1981 wrote:Cool. So does "the system" hold the list of stops for multiple different train numbers, since not every train makes every stop?

On NJT, at least, you plug the train number in and it talks to the host computer in a remote location to identify which stops are made by which train.

I was told by a VRE conductor that their equipment bases its announcements on the number of wheel rotations. i.e. after ############## rotations, play the "next stop Rolling Road" announcement. Not sure if this is specific to their galleries or if its untrue and he was misinformed. I thought the concept was pretty cool though.

Davis

strench707 wrote:I was told by a VRE conductor that their equipment bases its announcements on the number of wheel rotations. i.e. after ############## rotations, play the "next stop Rolling Road" announcement. Not sure if this is specific to their galleries or if its untrue and he was misinformed. I thought the concept was pretty cool though.

Davis

Honestly, I originally wondered if that was how the system on the Kawasaki bilevels worked.

strench707 wrote:I was told by a VRE conductor that their equipment bases its announcements on the number of wheel rotations. i.e. after ############## rotations, play the "next stop Rolling Road" announcement. Not sure if this is specific to their galleries or if its untrue and he was misinformed. I thought the concept was pretty cool though.

Davis

That's how the announcements are timed on the new tech subway trains in NYC. The computer knows the distance between stops, so once the desired route is programmed in for the specific run, the announcements are automatically played based on where the computer thinks the train is based on the number of wheel rotations / speed that the train is traveling at. So it's really not too far fetched if the commuter rail agencies use the same system for their automated announcements.