M8's and Shore Line East

It will be up to Amtrak to determine if the catenary will get strung on the track in NLC closest to the water. Amtrak owns the right of way and it’s part of the NEC. Amtrak calls the shots for whatever portions of the NEC that they own.

njtmnrrbuff wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 7:11 am It will be up to Amtrak to determine if the catenary will get strung on the track in NLC closest to the water. Amtrak owns the right of way and it’s part of the NEC. Amtrak calls the shots for whatever portions of the NEC that they own.

I'm not 100% they own that track. That's the lead to the NECR (ex-CV, nee New London Northern.) When I was in college in New London in the early/mid '90s it was used by the Montrealer. About 300 yards TT east of the station it diverges to cross Winthrop Cove on a trestle and run underneath the Shore Line heading north.

Traingeek3629 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 05, 2021 7:59 pm At least they got the Guilford and Old Saybrook sidings done.

Guilford still needs to get wired up. Old Saybrook has had all 3 tracks wired since 2000/2001.

Guilford is wired for all three tracks. Not sure when they did it but it is wired.
It did take a long time though.

And Clinton station is being worked on.
Not sure about Madison or funding for it.

Train322 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 06, 2021 7:53 pm Guilford is wired for all three tracks. Not sure when they did it but it is wired.
It did take a long time though.

If that did occur, it came in way under the radar. Haven't seen any news about it on the forum, and during my last ride on SLE in early March '20, it was not wired.

And Clinton station is being worked on. Not sure about Madison or funding for it.

The Clinton (and eventual Madison) projects are more for operational flexibility. You don't need either of those projects to be complete to run electric SLE service. No tracks are being added in Clinton, and Madison is still a ways off... don't even see it in the bid schedule sheets for at least a year.

Had to go back and look through some more recent YouTube vids from the last few months to see that Track 4 is indeed wired. And has been for some time.

NH2060 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 11, 2021 1:01 pm Had to go back and look through some more recent YouTube vids from the last few months to see that Track 4 is indeed wired. And has been for some time.

Wow... you're all right... (not that I doubted).... my apologys. Good for Amtrak for getting that done! So M-8s will be coming at some point... that's proof right there. If not, then Amtrak probably never would've wired it up!

This NEC FY21-25 Capital Investment Plan is a pretty good source of information.

http://nec-commission.com/fy21-25-cip/s ... projects/

Wiring New London's track 6 is in here as Shore Line East Track & Catenary Improvements (FY 22), to start this spring and last a year, apparently fully funded to the tune of $10 million.

Platforming at New London on track 6 is already a challenge with the existing coaches, but I think it would be essentially similiar with an M8. I figure a bridge plate would be used to board and de-board the train via one door. With long dwells and low ridership at NLC for the foreseeable future, it shouldn't be much of a problem. Platform improvements are of course a need longer term at that station, but not a problem exclusive to SLE.

A meeting of the CT Commuter Rail Council last year seemed to demonstrate a real lack of enthusiasm for operating M8s on SLE. Among those present, it was only Jim Gildea who affirmed that the M8s should be used on the line, for thru-service to Stamford at the very least. One CDOT staffer's comments demonstrated an eagerness to get the testing over with and the whole project retired to the history books. I hope this attitude is changing in favor of a permanent transition to an electric fleet which would seem to be a better use of assets with numerous additional benefits.

dha10001 wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 12:57 pmA meeting of the CT Commuter Rail Council last year seemed to demonstrate a real lack of enthusiasm for operating M8s on SLE. Among those present, it was only Jim Gildea who affirmed that the M8s should be used on the line, for thru-service to Stamford at the very least. One CDOT staffer's comments demonstrated an eagerness to get the testing over with and the whole project retired to the history books. I hope this attitude is changing in favor of a permanent transition to an electric fleet which would seem to be a better use of assets with numerous additional benefits.

Seems like a no-brainer.... go all electric on SLE and move the diesel trainsets to the Hartford Line. Then return the MBTA's coaches back to them. That, and the combination of the P40s in the process of being rebuilt, should subside the need for new equipment right away, especially in the current commuter rail climate.

An operational question that concerns both Amtrak and M=8 operation. How do the electric motors, Acela-1s, Acela-2s ,and the M-8 transition from the 12.5 Kv to / from25 Kv CAT ? . An eight car M-8 or Acela wll take a certain amount of time from 1st Pan to last Pan. does the engineer have to do anything for the transition on each of these different equipment's or is it automatic ?

As I understand it these M-8s are special transition equipped ?.

west point wrote: ↑Tue Jan 12, 2021 9:07 pm An operational question that concerns both Amtrak and M=8 operation. How do the electric motors, Acela-1s, Acela-2s ,and the M-8 transition from the 12.5 Kv to / from25 Kv CAT ? . An eight car M-8 or Acela wll take a certain amount of time from 1st Pan to last Pan. does the engineer have to do anything for the transition on each of these different equipment's or is it automatic ?

As I understand it these M-8s are special transition equipped ?.

Train goes through Phase Break, MCB opens. Once the train hits power again the MCB closes. The change over is seamless just as it is around GATE Interlocking in Queens or any of the other gaps in power along the New Haven Line.

So say on M-8s do each of the cars in order drop MCB as its circuits detect the phase break dead spot?
Once power is again detected does voltage detector place transformer tap relay into proper position ?Then does MCB closes to power transformer ? My use of relays would expect that it would take only less than a second.
Is it operational practice for engineer to coast thru any phase break ?

west point wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 7:55 pm So say on M-8s do each of the cars in order drop MCB as its circuits detect the phase break dead spot?
Once power is again detected does voltage detector place transformer tap relay into proper position ?Then does MCB closes to power transformer ? My use of relays would expect that it would take only less than a second.
Is it operational practice for engineer to coast thru any phase break ?

This is correct. If you're ever riding an electric train on the NEC and hear the HVAC go out briefly, you are most likely hearing this process. If you sit towards the B end of an M8 you can actually hear the MCB open and close.

I suppose that no one has ridden an M-8 to determine if a transformer tap relay(s) operates as well. What about Mid town direct trains trains that have a voltage change and frequency change. ??

The CT Commuter Rail Council has a meeting on Wednesday, January 20th at 7pm on Zoom. I imagine they will discuss this topic, so please come with thoughts! Unfortunately they are very strict about the 3 minutes of public participation each and then that's it for the rest of the meeting and I think that's silly, but oh well. They haven't posted the agenda on their website (bad, emailed them to ask but no luck yet), but excerpt from their email and the low-res image of the agenda is below:

Are you interested in learning more about the Transportation and Climate Initiative or the Hartford Line?

If so, please attend the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council meeting that will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 20 at 7:00 p.m.

Jonny Dach from the Governor’s office, Garrett Eucalitto from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Jamie Flynn from the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection will be available to discuss the Transportation & Climate Initiative in greater length.