No Diesel on SEPTA

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C

CSXfoamer1997

OBS Chief
Joined
Dec 23, 2015
Messages
575
I'm curious about why SEPTA no longer uses diesel rolling stock. All they have are electric locomotives and EMU's.
 
SEPTA did inherit a bunch of diesel services at its inception. In a massive cost reduction scheme they got rid of all of them and just retained the electric lines. Since then they been hostile to getting any diesel service back on line. They could potentially run 30th St terminating service at least on the Pennsy side to various potential outer zones outside electric territory. But that is not going to happen.
 
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Of course, they may have some diesel powered maintenance equipment.... Metra certainly does. But do they have a contract for the power or just with Amtrak?

Not to offend any Philadephians, but when I took Septa to and from the airport I wasn't particularly impressed, it felt like the 1950's onboard (or the South Shore) with small windows, slow trains and schlubby uniforms (windbreakers!!! I guess I'm used to Metra's comparatively spiffy uniforms which most of the conductors wear pretty proudly).
 
Metra Electric Rider said:
Of course, they may have some diesel powered maintenance equipment.... Metra certainly does. But do they have a contract for the power or just with Amtrak?
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They inherited two different power systems, the Pennsy side and the Reading side. I believe the entire Pennsy side system is managed by Amtrak and SEPTA simply buys power from them. The Reading side OTOH is most likely managed by them. I am not quite sure. Maybe PRR60 knows the layout with greater certainty since he used to work for PECO.
 
John Bredin said:
Because all SEPTA regional trains run through a tunnel under downtown Philadelphia that connects what had been two different commuter rail systems. Breathing while waiting for a train would be rather difficult if SEPTA used diesels. :giggle:
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You're correct about that. You sure wouldn't wanna be breathing "diseasel" while waiting for a train. :lol:

As a matter of fact, this is the main purpose for Dual Mode locos in certain areas.
 
CSXfoamer1997 said:
John Bredin said:
Because all SEPTA regional trains run through a tunnel under downtown Philadelphia that connects what had been two different commuter rail systems. Breathing while waiting for a train would be rather difficult if SEPTA used diesels. :giggle:
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You're correct about that. You sure wouldn't wanna be breathing "diseasel" while waiting for a train. :lol:
As a matter of fact, this is the main purpose for Dual Mode locos in certain areas.
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Much easier to just electrify everything that you can, and have transfers.
 
Metra Electric Rider said:
Not to offend any Philadephians, but when I took Septa to and from the airport I wasn't particularly impressed, it felt like the 1950's onboard (or the South Shore) with small windows, slow trains and schlubby uniforms (windbreakers!!! I guess I'm used to Metra's comparatively spiffy uniforms which most of the conductors wear pretty proudly).
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When I rode Metra a few years ago, I am not even sure I noticed the uniforms because the train was so bad. Trash everywhere and the windows were so dirty it was like watching a scrambled cable channel.
 
benjibear said:
Metra Electric Rider said:
Not to offend any Philadephians, but when I took Septa to and from the airport I wasn't particularly impressed, it felt like the 1950's onboard (or the South Shore) with small windows, slow trains and schlubby uniforms (windbreakers!!! I guess I'm used to Metra's comparatively spiffy uniforms which most of the conductors wear pretty proudly).
Click to expand...
When I rode Metra a few years ago, I am not even sure I noticed the uniforms because the train was so bad. Trash everywhere and the windows were so dirty it was like watching a scrambled cable channel.
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Obviously one of the west suburban lines.
 
Bob Dylan said:
SEPTA and NJT are both known to their riders for their cleanliness and friendly, professional staff! Not!!

Ditto for METRA!!
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I'd have to disagree about Metra, my line is generally very clean and 95% of the staff are friendly and professional (I have witnessed some odd, two in fact, one regarding the quiet car and I've forgotten the other, incidents lately from conductors when I've been on different trains than usual). Can't speak for the diesel lines, since I rarely ever ride them.
 
Metra Electric Rider--

When you took SEPTA to the airport, were you on one of the old ones that looks like it has 100-year-old coffee stains ingrained in the floor? They have been introducing new trains for a while now, and they are much nicer.

I like SEPTA's new trains, and I have almost always had friendly and professional conductors when on SEPTA. In fact, I love SEPTA. But that may be because my daily commute is on NJ Transit, and the grass is always greener on the other side of the river! :p
 
Glad to hear that SEPTA is doing better and it looks like METRA is cleaning up its act too?!!

Is there any hope for NJT???

( after all the NYC Subways have really cleaned up their act in the past few years!)
 
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Bob Dylan said:
Glad to hear that SEPTA is doing better and it looks like METRA is cleaning up its act too?!!

Is there any hope for NJT???

( after all the NYC Subways have really cleaned up their act in the past few years!)
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There might be as they just got a new director.
 
Bob D.--

I agree with CCC1007. (Check out my post about William Crosbie becoming new executive director here in the Commuter Rail section. Not only to see a bit more information on him, but also to give my post more than one reply! :p Apparently NJT isn't the hot topic I think it is :p .)
 
Mystic River Dragon said:
Metra Electric Rider--

When you took SEPTA to the airport, were you on one of the old ones that looks like it has 100-year-old coffee stains ingrained in the floor? They have been introducing new trains for a while now, and they are much nicer.

I like SEPTA's new trains, and I have almost always had friendly and professional conductors when on SEPTA. In fact, I love SEPTA. But that may be because my daily commute is on NJ Transit, and the grass is always greener on the other side of the river! :p
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Both times in recent years that I took Septa to the airport the cars were old. Very strange to me for an airport line there was no place for luggage and the conductor said to put my 24 inch bag in a seat.
 
Bob Dylan said:
SEPTA and NJT are both known to their riders for their cleanliness and friendly, professional staff! Not!!

Ditto for METRA!!
Click to expand...
Yeah us Philadelphians love our disgusting public transit system.. Why do you think some people call it Septic?

Mystic River Dragon said:
Metra Electric Rider--

When you took SEPTA to the airport, were you on one of the old ones that looks like it has 100-year-old coffee stains ingrained in the floor? They have been introducing new trains for a while now, and they are much nicer.

I like SEPTA's new trains, and I have almost always had friendly and professional conductors when on SEPTA. In fact, I love SEPTA. But that may be because my daily commute is on NJ Transit, and the grass is always greener on the other side of the river! :p
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Those cars, the Budd SL II's and St. Louis SL III's were the best cars that Septa had.

Ask any Septa RR employee what they think of those SL V's.. They'll tell you that their garbage. Septa picked a joke of a builder. I was on a set of SL V's that broke down in the middle of 16th Street Jct. Where the Manayunk/Norristown Line breaks off from the Septa Main Line. Lucky for Septa the engineer was able to kick start the pieces of trash. A friend who works for Septa says they're trash to maintain too..
 
Acela150--

I agree, the SEPTA employees I've talked to told me the same thing--the quality of the new cars is awful, and they don't like them. :(

I was looking at it from a rider's perspective (new and clean, as opposed to old and grimy). Also, remember what I get to compare it to on a daily basis--the bar doesn't have to be set high to look good next to NJT! :p
 
Or, from a passenger's perspective, most of whom are not looking at the engines, they are riding in:

the nice new double-deckers, the medium-old dumpy (might be lucky and get the Comet car, though), or the very, very old and dumpy. :p

Yes, some NJ residents are less than stellar citizens. Not me, of course--I try daily to bring up the tone of NJT by setting an example and not putting my feet on the seats or throwing my trash on the floor. :) But it seems to be a losing cause. :(
 
Mystic River Dragon said:
Acela150--

I agree, the SEPTA employees I've talked to told me the same thing--the quality of the new cars is awful, and they don't like them. :(

I was looking at it from a rider's perspective (new and clean, as opposed to old and grimy). Also, remember what I get to compare it to on a daily basis--the bar doesn't have to be set high to look good next to NJT! :p
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I can completely understand that. From a riders standpoint it's nice to have "new stuff" :)
 
I don't think I've ever been on a SEPTA commuter train but I rode several of the streetcar lines and rode on both the remanufactured PCCs and the Kawasaki cars and the ride was fine. The cars appeared clean enough and although the staff were not especially communicative they did their job professionally so what more is there to say? It seemed to me that SEPTA is trying to do their best with insufficient funds and resources. Especially on the 15 there were sections where the track looked strung together from whatever leftover bits they could find. It was full of kinks and bumps and I thiunk any modern stretcar would have given a really rough ride but the cars they have just mastered it perfectly.
 
The K cars are going strong. Their is talk of replacing them. Which I respond. Don't mess with it. If it ain't broke don't fix it. But Septa is the king of breaking what's not broke.

Here's the best part. These morons can't even get New Payment Technology up and working. How many public transit systems have contact less payment systems. And Septa can't get it right. Idiots. Septa is the only Public Transit System still using Tokens and Transfers. At this rate I'll be dead when Septa gets their new system going.
 

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