Springfeild line Ridership is up.

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38 percent is a pretty good increase! Its glad to hear that many people are taking those handy Connecticut Valley Shuttles! 2 Amfleets sandwhiched between 2 P40s. or a single P40 and an Amfleet and a former metroliner cab car!
 
The shuttles usually only get the two engines during the Winter because of the vent problem the cab cars have. To me the shuttles seem like perfect canidates for Cabbage (not utilizing the baggage function though).
 
Ive always thought Cabbages would be perfect for this run too, its a short shuttle with tight turn around times, better then using two P40s on such a small train. What are these vent problems you speak of with the cab cars?
 
I'm not exactly sure as I've never been in one, but I'll explain as best as I can recall from my buddy's description. There is a vent over the Engineer's controls that lets fresh air into the cab. Well there's just one minor defect, there's no way to close it. They tried everything, trash bags, all sorts of devices, but whenever it rained, snowed or got cold, the controls in the car went to hell. So during the winter another control device is necessary for push mode.
 
I was under the impression that they could wye the trains in Springfield, which would make a cabbage or cab car unnecessary. There is the four-track intersection just west of Springfield Union Station, and I recall once arriving there and the train wyed by going straight (north) across the CSX (then Conrail) Boston-Albany main and then backing around a connecting track into the station. Now on the other hand, the Vermonter has used either an ex-Metroliner cab coach car, or a second engine on the rear, since it does have to change direction at the junction of CSX and New England Central RR in Palmer, MA.
 
So if the train was going along being headed by a cab car and it starts to rain the rain would come inside and possibly fowl up the equipment? well you cant have that! Not to mention that couldnt have been pleasent for the operator!
 
They can wye in SPG, I think the issue is either in New Haven, or the time it takes to do that. The entire idea behind cab cars is the quick turnaround time. All the Engineer should have to do is flick off his headlights, put up dem markers, go to the other end and do the opposite operation. That train should technically be ready to go on its next run within 5-10 minutes, not half hour to an hour.
 
battalion51 said:
They can wye in SPG, I think the issue is either in New Haven, or the time it takes to do that. The entire idea behind cab cars is the quick turnaround time. All the Engineer should have to do is flick off his headlights, put up dem markers, go to the other end and do the opposite operation. That train should technically be ready to go on its next run within 5-10 minutes, not half hour to an hour.
Probably more time-related. New Haven is where the yards are, and there are plenty of crossovers between the various station tracks (well utilized when they do engine changes there...The Vermonter and the 140-series trains still undergo an engine change). I would expect that endpoint station time is more of an issue now that the number of trips has been increased -- in fact push-pull might have been the reason they were able to add more trips back and forth without adding much more equipment.
 
Well SD crossovers doesn't really play much of a role in the matter. You can have 10 million crossovers, but unless there is a loop or a wye in there you are in trouble. Vermonter power is simply whacked one day, and sent out the next day. Elcetrics have dual cabs so there's really no issue on that front. Although now that I think about it they needed wye facilities for the diesels before NHV-Boston was electrified, my guess though is they want those shuttles working as much as possible with little dwell time, because as the saying goes "Time is money."
 
I know there is a good wye track available but it's a few miles west of New Haven in Milford, where Metro North's Waterbury Branch goes off the mainline. It looks like a serviceable wyeing facility; I don't know whether there is anything closer to NHV that they could use.
 
While I don't think that they have the room to wye an entire train consist in New Haven, they can turn the locos as needed. So it would not be a big deal to have a diesel waiting at the north end of the station, allow a shuttle to pull in. Then back down the motor on the north end, while at the same time pulling off the south end motor and sending it to the yard.

Then once the north end motor is ready off you go. Yes it's not quite as fast as a turnaround with either two motors already on the train or a cab car and one motor. However speed at New Haven isn't that big of a matter. There are enough tracks for Amtrak and Metro North ops at New Haven.

However other than the wear and tear on the locos, it probably does make more sense to just run the train with power at each end.
 
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