Caltrain Storage/Equipment Moves

I’ve got a few questions for those who know Caltrain operations. Appreciate any input!

1. Where does Caltrain store trains overnight, and how many at each location? Looking at the schedule, I can guess 3 sets are stored in Gilroy, but besides that?

2. Does Caltrain run any deadhead equipment moves on a regular/normal basis? Such as to/from storage yards, flips of equipment etc.

3. How many sets of equipment are used on a typical (non-Covid) Weekday schedule?

Caltrain stores trains at San Jose and at San Francisco. They might also store a set or two over at the pocket platform at Tamien.

The Caltrain maintenance facility ("CEMOF") is just north of San Jose and for what ever insane reason was built in the middle of the right of way requiring revenue trains to curve around it to the east.

I don't know how many sets they normally run, but I know that they've ordered 19 sets from Stadler, and I think that only covers the local and limited schedules

Once electrification is done and the Stadler EMU trainsets are ready to run, it will be interesting to see what train may turn into an express and others that may turn into locals. In addition, what equipment will run on the locals and expresses. I can certainly say that I wouldn't be surprised if the local trains run between San Jose and San Francisco and they use EMUs. The distance between stops along the route from San Jose Diridon to San Francisco is close to each other. Some of the baby bullets should remain diesel and be extended to Salinas in place of the locals. Salinas is a very long trip by train to San Francisco-like 106 miles. That's a long distance to be sitting in a commuter rail vehicle. Here in the Northeast, LIRR's Montauk Line is about 120 miles but nobody commutes that far out. The commuting boundary on the Montauk Line drops off at Speonk with even more trains ending and beginning their journey in Patchogue. Many of the trains that start out in Montauk run express from Jamaica to Babylon.

njt/mnrrbuff wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 11:52 am Once electrification is done and the Stadler EMU trainsets are ready to run, it will be interesting to see what train may turn into an express and others that may turn into locals. In addition, what equipment will run on the locals and expresses. I can certainly say that I wouldn't be surprised if the local trains run between San Jose and San Francisco and they use EMUs. The distance between stops along the route from San Jose Diridon to San Francisco is close to each other. Some of the baby bullets should remain diesel and be extended to Salinas in place of the locals. Salinas is a very long trip by train to San Francisco-like 106 miles. That's a long distance to be sitting in a commuter rail vehicle. Here in the Northeast, LIRR's Montauk Line is about 120 miles but nobody commutes that far out. The commuting boundary on the Montauk Line drops off at Speonk with even more trains ending and beginning their journey in Patchogue. Many of the trains that start out in Montauk run express from Jamaica to Babylon.

I believe the plan is, unless they've increased their order with Stadler or acquired more money, to run the bullets with the newer and more comfortable bombers and sell and retire all the gallery cars.

With respect to Salinas, I'm pleased to see they've hardened on Caltrain as operator. They've flip-flopped back and forth whether that will be Caltrain or Capitol Corridor trains extended to Salinas. I believe the expected commuter market is going to be San Jose Commuters, rather than SF, with SF being more day-tripper oriented. Either way it's not going to be terribly large numbers of people

the 2:30 minute schedule to San Francisco is somewhat disappointing, as 2 hours to Salinas has been achieved in the past

https://www.tamcmonterey.org/wp-content ... h-2020.pdf

let's keep this on topic (equipment moves, not electrification). that said:

• pre-COVID, Caltrain ran 46 trains/day to SF on weekdays. 3 of those originated in Gilroy. they do this with 29 locos. the 3 Gilroys are almost certainly not turns, so figure 26 locos to run 43 trains.
• 14 trains/day to SF on saturdays, 12/day on sundays
• the EMUs obviously won't be used on Gilroy services.
• taking the ratio above, 19 train sets should be able to run ~31 trains. the 6 MPIs can run another 10, which leaves us with just 2 trains to run with extra equipment. wouldn't be surprised if they are counting on faster electric running to be able to turn trains quicker, so that they could dump all the older equipment.

the idea that they will put the newest trains on the slowest service shows that NEC mentality doesn't work here the newest, fastest trains will absolutely be put on the bullet services first on weekdays. on weekends, when almost all trains run local, the frequencies are so low that it won't matter.

Don't you thiink that using the EMUs on short lengths stops due to their very high rate of acceleration / The diesels can pull the bullets at the high speeds thru the local stops. EMUs have more powered axels .

i've already said what i think above nothing you said is news to me, it doesn't change what i said.

of course, given that Caltrain might not exist in another 6 months, who knows how relevant this even is.