Consist and set breakdown...

Throughout this year, I've been compiling a list of the number of sets and consist lengths for every route. Information about equipment cycles, consists, and turns have been scattered among various posts at this site for the last several years, so I thought perhaps at least some of the basic info should be concentrated and centralized for quicker access, thus making it easier to update as well. Specifically, this list is comprised of the number of sets needed at the start of a day, where the equipment is based from, then it's broken down further by number of consist lengths. A note about UP: The N & NW lines have a few outbound departures during the morning rush that are turned from earlier arrivals off of other lines, and are marked as "shared", while six other sets are based there overnight, and are marked as such. Also, data for the Rock, Burlington and MED may have changed by now since these were the first routes I observed earlier this year, and haven't studied them as closely since. Without further ado:

UP-W: (13 sets)
4 cars= 1 (OTC-overnite)
6 cars= 4 (all/Elburn)
8 cars= 2 (both/Elburn)
9 cars= 6 (5/Elburn, 1/OTC-overnite)

UP-NW: (18 sets)
5 cars= 6 (2/OTC-overnite, 1/Barrington, 2/Crystal Lake, 1/Harvard)
6 cars= 3 (1/Barrington, 1/Harvard, 1/OTC-shared)
7 cars= 2 (1/McHenry, 1/Crystal Lake)
8 cars= 1 (Crystal Lake)
9 cars= 3 (2/Barrington, 1/Crystal Lake)
10 cars= 2 (1/McHenry, 1/Harvard)
11 cars= 1 (Harvard)

UP-N: (16 sets)
4 cars= 2 (1/Waukegan, 1/Kenosha)
5 cars= 2 (1/Waukegan, 1/OTC-shared)
6 cars= 6 (3/Waukegan, 1/Kenosha, 1/OTC-shared, 1/OTC-overnite)
7 cars= 4 (1/Waukegan, 1/Kenosha, 1/OTC-shared, 1/OTC-overnite)
8 cars= 2 (1/Waukegan, 1/Kenosha)

MD-W: (10 sets, all from Elgin)
4 cars= 1
6 cars= 2
7 cars= 4 (1 set is cut to 4 for midday runs)
1 each: 8, 9, & 10 cars

MD-N: (11 sets, all from Fox Lake)
5 cars= 2
6 cars= 3
7 cars= 4 (1 set is cut to 4 for midday runs)
1 each: 8 & 9 cars

NCS: (6 sets, all from Antioch)
3 each: 4 & 5 cars

HC: (3 sets, all from Joliet)
1 each: 3, 5 and 6 cars

SWS: (6 sets)
7 cars= 2 (1/179th, 1/Manhattan)
8 cars= 2 (1/179th, 1/Manhattan)
9 cars= 2 (both 179th)

BNSF: (19 sets, all from Aurora)
6 cars= 5
7 cars= 4
8 cars= 3
9 cars= 2
10 cars= 2 (1 set cut to six at Aurora for evening runs)
11 cars= 3 (1 set cut to six at 14th St. for midday runs)

Rock Island: (13 sets)
6 cars= 3 (all/BI)
7 cars= 1 (BI)
8 cars= 3 (2/BI, 1/Joliet)
9 cars= 5 (all/Joliet, one may be cut into a shorter set for midday or evening runs)
10 cars= 1 (Joliet)

MED: (15 sets *- see note below)
4 cars: 10 (Richton Park)
6 cars: 5 (Univ. Park)

Note- The above figures are for rush hour mainline service only, and is an approximation, although I do believe 2 four car sets are stored in Blue Island. The So. Chgo & Blue Island branches are typically 2 or 4 car trains, but because consists are combined and split frequently at Randolph St., it's a little harder to know precise details (without actually being employed on the inside) due to the lack of "static" consists. As always, comments and corrections welcome...

Impressive, pat yourself on the back for that. Its complicated enough trying to figure out the constant consist changes on one district.

Little update on SWS/RI:

SWS: (5 sets)
5 cars= 1 (179th)
7 cars= 1 (Manhattan)
8 cars= 2 (1/179th, 1/Manhattan)
9 cars= 1 (179th)

Rock Island: (13 sets)
5 cars= 1 (BI, recent change from 6 cars, likely temporary)
6 cars= 2 (BI)
7 cars= 1 (BI)
8 cars= 3 (1/BI, 2/Joliet*)
9 cars= 5 (all/Joliet*)
10 cars= 1 (Joliet)
*Cut into shorter sets for midday/evening/weekend runs.

doepack wrote:BNSF: (19 sets, all from Aurora)
6 cars= 5
7 cars= 4
8 cars= 3
9 cars= 2
10 cars= 2 (1 set cut to six at Aurora for evening runs)
11 cars= 3 (1 set cut to six at 14th St. for midday runs)

Small Update on BNSF:
The other 10 car set (which is the double header) sometimes cuts the 2 rear cars at Aurora for weekend runs.
One other 11 car set also has a cab car mid-train, which could also be used for one midday round trip.

metraRI wrote:Impressive, pat yourself on the back for that. Its complicated enough trying to figure out the constant consist changes on one district.

Little update on SWS/RI:

SWS: (5 sets)
5 cars= 1 (179th)
7 cars= 1 (Manhattan)
8 cars= 2 (1/179th, 1/Manhattan)
9 cars= 1 (179th)

Thanks for the correction on SWS Kyle, I actually had the total number of sets incorrect for SWS; it was five all along, not six (don't know how I came up with 2 nine-car sets). Nice to see Metra finally coming to their senses (a little bit anyway) with assigning a five-car set here...