New Double Deckers

does anybody know the status of high platforms for dune park?

superbad wrote:does anybody know the status of high platforms for dune park?

Plans exist but we're waiting to identify a funding source.

question was posted thru email, I am relaying it, essentially...

was pouring thru these posts I thought it ws answered somewhere...

what was the limitation the BiLevels were not being used east of Michigan City?

was it clearance issues or because of one pantagraph on each car or what...

dinwitty wrote:question was posted thru email, I am relaying it, essentially...

was pouring thru these posts I thought it ws answered somewhere...

what was the limitation the BiLevels were not being used east of Michigan City?

was it clearance issues or because of one pantagraph on each car or what...

It's because of the state of the wire, and the fact that there is only one pantograph per car. Until the catenary is replaced out there, senior management feels that it would be a risk, and an unnecessary one at that, to send a train equipped with the new cars out there right now.

I would assume a dewire event on the east end could tie up that line for half a day. The passengers must be unloaded, a bus called, a diesel called to move the train, and then a crew must be called to rework the wire. That could easily be a 3-6 hour event. It's no wonder they're leaving the bilevels on the west end.

Tadman wrote:I would assume a dewire event on the east end could tie up that line for half a day. The passengers must be unloaded, a bus called, a diesel called to move the train, and then a crew must be called to rework the wire. That could easily be a 3-6 hour event. It's no wonder they're leaving the bilevels on the west end.

Plus, it could be in a relatively inaccessible part of the line - that portion of the route is the most rural and least accessible from the road network. If there are ADA passengers, it's very difficult to get them off the train, to a place of safety, and then to a waiting bus. Worse yet if there is snow or extreme cold such as we've experienced this winter. There are some spots that would likely even require a response from emergency services. The level of service out east, while it's growing in the sense that the railroad has been sending longer trains to South Bend, is not growing in terms of the number of trains just yet. So, the new cars are just not needed out east at this point. It'll happen one day, perhaps after the airport realignment and Phase III of the catenary replacement work.

http://www.nictd.com/TempPDF/Status_of_New_Cars.pdf

Just got this, basically the alternate power system of the cars failed in tests and the car maker is working on a fix. As things get fix/tweaked, the cars might get into service in March as the report says, pretty much dependent on the fix/testing I presume.

dinwitty wrote:http://www.nictd.com/TempPDF/Status_of_New_Cars.pdf

Just got this, basically the alternate power system of the cars failed in tests and the car maker is working on a fix. As things get fix/tweaked, the cars might get into service in March as the report says, pretty much dependent on the fix/testing I presume.

It's the auxiliary power supply, and the problems occurred during extreme cold weather testing; the vendor has identified a fix and is applying it to the 14 new cars. NICTD is still looking at the end of March for the first revenue runs.

http://www.nictd.com/TempPDF/Status_of_New_Cars.pdf

this has more info and pics on the new cars, inlcuding the interior.. official notice from the NICTD website,..

Any body know what the top speed is on these new cars although the MAS via current regulations limits them to 79mph it would be nice to know how fast they could really go if put through the paces. What did Nippo build them to 85,90,110 ? and are they governed? as I said I cant find any hard data fact sheets on these or the Metra cars.

buddah wrote:Any body know what the top speed is on these new cars although the MAS via current regulations limits them to 79mph it would be nice to know how fast they could really go if put through the paces. What did Nippo build them to 85,90,110 ? and are they governed? as I said I cant find any hard data fact sheets on these or the Metra cars.

The new cars are governed at 85 MPH, meaning that the engineer gets a warning as he/she approaches 85, then gets a little 'grace period' to get the train under control, and failing that gets a penalty application of the brakes, bringing the train to a stop.

jb9152 wrote:

buddah wrote:Any body know what the top speed is on these new cars although the MAS via current regulations limits them to 79mph it would be nice to know how fast they could really go if put through the paces. What did Nippo build them to 85,90,110 ? and are they governed? as I said I cant find any hard data fact sheets on these or the Metra cars.

The new cars are governed at 85 MPH, meaning that the engineer gets a warning as he/she approaches 85, then gets a little 'grace period' to get the train under control, and failing that gets a penalty application of the brakes, bringing the train to a stop.

No SB-MC undocumented speed running here....(sounds like computers are interfaced into the throttle, no physical electrical contacts on the throttle here...ahh the old days...)

Still beats the highway speed limits and the wall to wall cars..
I think I have an 8mm film shot riding the SS on the Orange cars beating out the highway traffic. Prolly the old 55mph limits tho...heh

dinwitty wrote: Still beats the highway speed limits and the wall to wall cars..
I think I have an 8mm film shot riding the SS on the Orange cars beating out the highway traffic. Prolly the old 55mph limits tho...heh

oddly enough 20 years later and all the highways in the Chicagoland area are still 55mph ( not to say thats the actual speed you will catch anyone doing, more so like 70 mph when not stuck in traffic) given that the Southshore still has one good leg up on the competition if they can push 80.

I would like to see the new cars be able to pull off 90-95 mph just in case SS in the future finds a legal loop hole to get around the 80mph limit. and eek a bit more speed on there long stretch or express runs.

Railroads hire pretty good lawyers for dealing with things like legal loopholes. If there was such a loophole in the DOT/FRA's rules, someone would have found it by now. What's required for operation above 79 mph are cab signals - which are probably a good idea at those speeds anyway.

ya byte proubly wont find a easy loop hole just have to wait for a rules rewrite or cab signaling system.

I found this picture online.... first it is labeled as one of the NICTD cars not a Metra one. I haven't seen any other shots of the new cars in this building stage. I'm wondering if anyone has an Idea of where it was taken? Supersteel, NICTD shops, or overseas at Nippo's plant.