NJT Dual Modes In the Near Future?

Actualy, I can honestly say that the FL-9 was biggest lie in American railroading. I know of only the cdot FL-9m's that ran in electric.
even the amtraks only ran in diesel in GCT or PENN. the third rail switchover disabled by a fearfull mechanical dept.
the P32acdm's do work but again some engineers just don't bother to switch over, and in GCT nobody realy bothers them from managment to correct them, I personaly go in and out in electric and put my tax money to work, its paid for and lifted the locomotive price by a cool million or so.

I remember talk years ago about NJTransit buying or leasing some FL-9's so that Raritan Valley Line trains sould go directly to New York Penn Station. The problem was and is with any dual mode locomotive, locomotives carrying fuel is prohibited in the tunnels under the hudson river.

there is NO prohibition on fuel in tunnels, Amtrak regularly pulls work trains trough with electrics but with diesels behind them.
and todays newer locomotives have options to be ordered with a fuel cell inside the tank eliminating leakage or fires.

The NYFD tends to frown on it, but allows it anyway. As for the FL-9's? what a scam on the part of EMD. I don't think those units ever worked, period. As for the biggest lie? IMHO, that can be applied to dual mode, period, or at least EMD's ideas of it - the DM-30s stink too. Anyway, gas turbines for high speed rail is up there too - I mean, geez, 3 different attempts at it, none have really gone anywhere...

Anyway, when NJT was doing their last wireup the other year, one question on the Q&A part of their web page was why they didn't buy DMs, and they stated pretty much that they don't want any....

Diesels can and do operate in the north river tunnels, but there are many restrictions and requirements.......and the third rail is non existant or not in service in about 3/4 of the tunnel, so there goes electric third rail running

there is talk about replacing the third rail anyway , but NJT would need to built its own substation. these days to do third rail is not that much of a deal to do.
but your right there needs to be some investment of infrastructure to make it happen, if Amtrak would even consider letting NJT with more trains.
(something these commuter proponents and politicians don't know Jack about).

But the way things are run in this state, I wouldn't be surprised if they told the passengers the world, back then in 67.....sort of like better and faster service on the Monclair/Boonton line with the Montclair Connection........[/quote]

BUT in fact they did!!!!

I have a chart of proposed Commuter Rail Improvements that came out of the then approved 1968 Transportation Bond Intiative,

amoung the highlights;

The Montclair Connection with electrification to Mountain View

Complete Electrification of the Coast line to Bay Head

Electrification of the CNJ to Raritan

The Kearny Connection a/k/a/ Midtown Direct

and on all lines

Station Ticket Validation

Rebuilt Stations, Platforms and new Parking Lots


Needless to say some of these "improvemnts" are yet to even be formally proposed, and some have just recently been completed.

Ken

SOURCE: Page 12 of the book "Commuter Railroads" by Patrick Doran,
circa 1969.

No, you will see rail service on the Lackawanna Cutoff BEFORE any of those lines are electrified...Maybe the extension of electrification down to Bay Head will take place before then, but not anything else!

njt4172 wrote:No, you will see rail service on the Lackawanna Cutoff BEFORE any of those lines are electrified...Maybe the extension of electrification down to Bay Head will take place before then, but not anything else!

Yeah, Cuttoff will probably happen next. The Financial wheels are already and supposedly in the works for it. God knows though how long it will take for that wheel to turn!

Nick,

Your right......That wheel probably won't even turn an inch until 2006 at earliest. Then we have another 5 years or so for construction money to be allocated the way the gov't works...Hate to be pessimistic, but its reality!

Steve

They should make a loco which looks like an EP5 and AMD-103 combo with a pantograph on the roof.

Again what ever happened to Amtrak's dual mode capable F40PHs ?

the height of F40 is to much to even put a HO scale pantograph on them before grounding the wire at Penn station.