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When the Safety Patrol Special does finally leave on the 16th I would recommend everyone avoid West Palm Beach station between 0800-0900. At 0845 there is a large convergance of trains. Not only will you have the 1000 or so kids waiting for the special, but also all of P098(16)'s passengers, Tri-Rail P609 and Tri-Rail P606. P606 poses the biggest of the non specials because of this reason. Tri Rail runs the School of the Arts trainset through West Palm at approx 0830-0845. The School Of The Arts trainset includes six Bombardier/Urban Trainsit Development bi level coaches, each full of about 150 people, most of them getting off at West Palm. It'll be a big crowd control problem on the 16th, and a Penn Station like atmosphere.
 
I boarded at WPB for the Silver Meteor and the "School of Arts" train pulled in just before us and there was at least 500 students getting off. I do hope though that the kids will stay in a desinated spot away from the regualr passengers so no havic breaks loose.
 
What Stops is the special making? I board the Silver Meteor in WPB every time except when I've gone to Orlando. Can Someone give me more background on "The School of Arts" Train?
 
"The School of Arts" train is just a Tri-Rail train that apparently carries students to a School of Art in West Palm Beach. I learned this from the baggage handler when I was on the platform waiting for the Meteor.

The special going to DC is run every year and takes West Palm Beach public (middle??) school students for a feild trip in DC. It's a big deal because when I was down there I heard some older woman at the pool mention that her grandson was going on it.
 
Amfleet said:
"The School of Arts" train is just a Tri-Rail train that apparently carries students to a School of Art in West Palm Beach. I learned this from the baggage handler when I was on the platform waiting for the Meteor.
The special going to DC is run every year and takes West Palm Beach public (middle??) school students for a feild trip in DC. It's a big deal because when I was down there I heard some older woman at the pool mention that her grandson was going on it.
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How often does the "School of Arts Train" run?
 
I'm glad to hear that school trips to DC are still taken by train. When I was in high school kids from all over the southeast went to DC on trains. Sometimes special trains, more often just as extra cars.

I had no idea it was still happening, at least on such a scale.
 
Viewliner said:
Amfleet said:
"The School of Arts" train is just a Tri-Rail train that apparently carries students to a School of Art in West Palm Beach. I learned this from the baggage handler when I was on the platform waiting for the Meteor.
The special going to DC is run every year and takes West Palm Beach public (middle??) school students for a feild trip in DC. It's a big deal because when I was down there I heard some older woman at the pool mention that her grandson was going on it.
Click to expand...
How often does the "School of Arts Train" run?
Click to expand...
I think it's just a regualr scheduled train that runs on the mornings and afternoons on weekdays, but railfans give it that name. The train also could be charted just for the school students. I'm not sure.
 
on 91 wed. night out of richmond, we had 5 deadhead horizon coaches behind the engines. we also had car #44550. amfleet I cab car, but all the windows on the cab were covered over. now looks just like ay amfleet I coach in phase IV. wild! only one i know of like this. i will try to check the net and find a pic.

ryan
 
CREW-DORM#2524 said:
on 91 wed. night out of richmond, we had 5 deadhead horizon coaches behind the engines. we also had car #44550. amfleet I cab car, but all the windows on the cab were covered over. now looks just like ay amfleet I coach in phase IV. wild! only one i know of like this. i will try to check the net and find a pic.ryan
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Actually thats one of eight like it part of a series of five Michigan Coaches, former control cars, #44550-44554, all of which are active and have capacity for 68.

Shown below is #44551

amt44551.jpg
 
Why'd they convert them from the control cars into straight coaches? Did Amtrak decide that the dedicated Amfleet control cars weren't needed after F40s started being converted into cab/baggages?
 
I don't know for sure the answer to that question, but I do think that is probably the case. I imagine they probably also thought it a safety issue as well. If one of those cab cars hits head-on, versus an old engine (even without its guts) it would be a lot more disastrous for the passengers.
 
Might have something to do with FRA regulations along with the conversion of the F-40's to cab cars.
 
The engineers don't like them either because the cars will not hold up if they hit dead on to a large vehicle and would likely derail the train. At least a locomotive can support some force with its heavy weight.
 
Amfleet said:
At least a locomotive can support some force with its heavy weight.
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While much of the hard steel frame remains in a cabbage, you can basically forget about its heavy weight.

The heaviest part of a diesel engine is the actual diesel engine. That engine has been removed, in order to create the luggage holding area. Next all of the traction motors have been removed, so there goes a lot more weight.

Now while I don’t have actual numbers, I would suspect that a cabbage doesn’t weight all that much more than a cab control car would. Again as I mentioned, the cabbage still has a much sturdier steel frame than a cab car would. Also there are no passengers riding in a cabbage. So therefore while it offers more protection, than a cab car, it’s not the same as having a real engine up front.
 
Viewliner said:
Okay, so are you saying the ex-metroliner cabs are more superior (safer) than a Cabbage?
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No, I said the Cabbage's are safer than the ex-Metroliner cabs. But as Alan said the Cabbage's do have a sturdier frame and do not carry passegers. Also the engineer is higher up off the ground. Every MBTA commuter train I've been on I have never seen them open to passengers. Maybe for safety reasons?
 
Wow, all of my Local Carriers, NJ Transit, LIRR, and Metro North always have the cab car open. Maybe MBTA has the capacity on its trains where it doesn't need the cab car open.

Actually, that's not true, as they try to fill up the front of the train (depending on the direction) on NJ Transit. They can't afford not to on rush hour, as now more than ever (because of 9-11 and even before) there aren't enough seats and people often are stuck standing on the aisles.
 
I've actually never traveled during rush-hour say they may open up the cab-car. On LIRR, MN, and NJT they operate mostly MU's so they open up the cab car anyway. When I was on MN from NHV to NYC(GC) we sat in the head-end cab car. I was able to view out the front. It was neat. B)
 
Amfleet said:
I've actually never traveled during rush-hour say they may open up the cab-car. On LIRR, MN, and NJT they operate mostly MU's so they open up the cab car anyway. When I was on MN from NHV to NYC(GC) we sat in the head-end cab car. I was able to view out the front. It was neat. B)
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Actually, only MNRR and LIRR have a real majority of MU's. NJ Transit uses mainly push-pull and won't be buying anymore MU's because of their maintenence costs.

On NJT the MU's can only be seen on:

1) Some trains on the NEC Line (NYP-TRE)

2) Some trains on the North Jersey Coast Line (NYP-Long Branch)

3) The Morris & Essex Lines (Dover/Gladstone-Hoboken ONLY, not to NYP)

I'm not sure if there are any MU's running to Montclair Heights from Hoboken Since the Montclair Connection.
 
LIRR does operate push-pull trains generally on the Montauk, Oyster Bay, Port Jefferson, and Main Line east of Ronkonkoma. They do leave the cab car open, but the cab is full width. Surfliners and Capitols also operate in a similar manner.
 
Just to clarify on the School of the Arts train, it is a Tri-Rail operation that is open to commuters, but NB in the morning and SB in the afternoon it also serves as a school bus of sorts for the West Palm Beach School of the Arts, which is located across the street from the Amtrak/Tri-Rail West Palm Beach station. Currently the train is hauled by 810 (former Amtrak 363) and is carrying six passenger cars, three of them Cab Controls, 501 leader with 505 and 506 right behind it. I'm pretty sure the trainset runs as P604, P609, P616 and P619. The trainset usually only runs on weekdays, as that is when the kids need it. At the end of the school year the train is broken down and the cars distributed to other trains.
 
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