New Electric District Railcars

Today, i was working train 9212 and at 57th st across the platform was a train of the new cars, the car across from me being 1212, both trains headed northbound.

Well guys were up to 1220 now in service.

there's typically a set laying over at BI most days at lunch. I need a ride.

Well, depending on the train, I can get you as far as 115th lol

What time/train ae they in Blue Island?

not sure what time/train exactly, but usually late morning to lunch time the 1200's can be found laying over on the east track.

i may have missed this, but why are there traps, when there won't be low platform stations if only a small size of the fleet can serve them.

Those are there for crew members getting on and off the trains in the yards. The old highliners have a ladder right under the door to the cab, which leads right out onto the platform. Since the new ones don't have a cab on the first floor, they integrated the ground-level boarding provision into the public doorway.

They are also for special situations where they have to load/unload passengers on ground level if a platform is out of service or for emergencies.

If you recall H1's, there was an end and center vestibule. The center vestibule had hi-level double doors on either side. The end vestibule had single doors with hi-level boarding and a rudimentary ladder on one side, and a full-scale trap on the other side. I believe it was the fireman's side.

From WBBM Newsradio 780:

Posted: Saturday, 18 March 2006 7:48AM
Metra Electric To Put Last Of New Cars Into Service Next Week

http://www.wbbm780.com/pages/16462.php?

Bob Roberts Reporting

CHICAGO (WBBM) -- There's good news for long-suffering Metra Electric riders -- and it's coming just as an influx of riders is expected because of the Dan Ryan reconstruction project.

WBBM Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts reports the last of the 26 new restroom-equipped Electric District bilevels have arrived, and will be put into service next week.

Metra Deputy Executive Director Rick Tidwell told WBBM Friday that the cars have operated well so far, except for an auxiliary power unit that failed on the first of the cars in bitterly-cold weather.
Tidwell said that redesigned units, encased in heavier insulation, have been retrofitted to all 26 cars and that no further major problems have occurred.

A dozen of the 35-year-old Highliner cars, which Metra inherited when it took over the service from the Illinois Central R.R. (IC), have been retired. But Metra has elected to keep 14 additional cars ready for service with Dan Ryan Expressway reconstruction hitting full stride on April 1, in case motorists look to Metra as an alternative.

Metra Executive Director Phil Pagano (puh-GAH'-noe) said that the cars will assure extra capacity on the Electric District and that extra capacity also exists on Metra Rock Island District trains. Many rush hour South Shore Line trains are already at or beyond capacity by the time they reach Hegewisch station, the only boarding station in close proximity to I-94. The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District, which operates South Shore commuter service, does not have extra cars available.

Metra would like to replace the entire fleet of Highliners it inherited from the IC, and has until the end of July to exercise an option for the additional 160 cars needed. Tidwell said that is dependent on Metra's ability to obtain the needed state matching funding, which is part of the infrastructure package Gov. Rod Blagojevich has presented to the General Assembly for consideration.

We might have already covered this one, but can H1's couple to H2's? For that matter, can either couple to CSS MU's?

Yes. Last summer several NICTD cars went down to Union Station behind NIRC 1, the same engine that pulls the highliners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if NICTD looked into buying some of the old highliners. Keep in mind the South Shore runs a close route to I-94. I think that there is going to be a spike in ridership on that line in the coming months

Scotty Burkhardt wrote:Yes. Last summer several NICTD cars went down to Union Station behind NIRC 1, the same engine that pulls the highliners.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if NICTD looked into buying some of the old highliners. Keep in mind the South Shore runs a close route to I-94. I think that there is going to be a spike in ridership on that line in the coming months

I thought that the Highliners weren't usable for NICTD because of their low platforms, or are there enough high platforms that they could see some limited service?

Tadman wrote:We might have already covered this one, but can H1's couple to H2's? For that matter, can either couple to CSS MU's?

They can all couple to each other. They cannot be MU'ed in any combination.