New Red and Orange Line Cars

[Equilibria]

Originally Posted by kingofsheeba

Is Seashore set up for heavy rail operations?

They have the first article (maybe the one in the picture) reserved already.

[F-Line to Dudley]

Originally Posted by kingofsheeba

Is Seashore set up for heavy rail operations?

Yep. They have 600V DC overhead, same voltage as all Boston trolley/LRV, heavy rail, and trackless trolley vehicles throughout history. And have their tracks ground to the same wheel profile as all Boston rapid transit vehicles throughout history.

2 ways of running a third-rail vehicle on their tracks:

1. They attach a small trailer called a "bug car" that has its own trolley pole for collecting current and a bunch of jumper cables that are run on the undersides of the HRT cars and clamped to the third rail shoes. They can only run a 2-car pair at a time, but any/all third rail stock can be run that way.
2. Modify the car for a trolley pole so it's natively usable on their overhead without the bug car. Their recently rehabbed pair of Red Line 01400's got new pole installations (even though that was never a configuration used in Boston) so they can be used more easily for excursions: https://youtu.be/4obfSge3fSs?t=182.

For pantograph vehicles incompatible with the trolley pole wire hangers they just replace the roof-mount pantograph with a stock trolley pole. The Blue Line 0600's and Boeing LRV's that they have run direct on poles even though that wasn't their configuration in Boston. Same thing will happen when they eventually get their Type 7's and Type 8's.





Parade of various Boston rolling stock, from 2017. . .
https://youtu.be/SW314gpAmv8?t=67

1. Orange Line 01000 (retired '62)
2. MTA PCC being pushed by Red Line 014000's (this is how Mattapan PCC's used to be ferried through the subway to Harvard Shops for servicing)
3. Blue 0600's

[swtat]

One of the slides in the "Orange Line Improvements" presentation at today's FMCB meeting suggested that Orange Line trains could operate at 60 MPH between Malden Center and Wellington once the Charles and Adams Street bridges are upgraded.

[statler]

What is the current max?

[F-Line to Dudley]

Originally Posted by statler

What is the current max?

Set by the signal system. Probably no higher than 49 MPH, likely less.

[Jahvon09]

The fastest subway trains that I've been on are the ones in Washington, DC. Those trains really FLY!!! That is because there are longer distances between the subway stations.

[F-Line to Dudley]

If you've got a non-blocked cab window view, you can see the speedometer from the end seats (including in the non-occupied cabs). On Orange and the older Red cars it's an analog dial; on the Red 01800's it's digital. You can ascertain what the ATO signal system is enforcing as the speed limit by watching the speedometer during acceleration, and feeling the propulsion ease up by 1 MPH when it hits track speed (e.g. the digital readout on the 01800's will show a throttle to 49 MPH instead of 50 MPH, and you might see a slight bounce/re-settle on the analog dials).

Central-Kendall is one of the easiest places to see this in action, though same phenomenon is in action everywhere on both lines where trains rev up to coded track speed in regular service.

[Jahvon09]

It has been a while since I rode on the lead car of the Red, Orange or Blue.

Most of the time, the platforms are so packed with commuters that I don't even try to get up there for fear that all that running & killing myself may be a waste!!

[bakgwailo]

Originally Posted by Jahvon09

It has been a while since I rode on the lead car of the Red, Orange or Blue.

Most of the time, the platforms are so packed with commuters that I don't even try to get up there for fear that all that running & killing myself may be a waste!!

You can do it/see it in any of the cabs in the train, not just the lead car.

[Jahvon09]

I would like to try getting aboard one of the new trains, but U know it'll be next to zero to try, until more of them come online for revenue service.

Everyone will be overly anxious to try them out, at lease for the first few months or so as they whisk threw the station platforms!

[Equilibria]

Rollout on Tuesday in Springfield:

https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news...ars/1658280472

[Jahvon09]

I wonder exactly when the new cars will begin being delivered to the MBTA.

[F-Line to Dudley]

Originally Posted by Jahvon09

I wonder exactly when the new cars will begin being delivered to the MBTA.

Uhh...the article says exactly when: next week. They'll have a little ceremony for the first production pair to be finished in Springfield, then off on flatbed trucks they go to Wellington.


Revised date for revenue service with the 8 pilot cars currently on the property is after New Year's.

[Jahvon09]

Thanks.