Passenger Trains > ACS-64 #608 working Keystone Service today

Thanks to amanwtf for the H/U: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?4,3553226

1. arriving Exton
2. arrived 30th Street
3. departing PHL pushing to New York

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Engineer in the second photo looks like Joe Boardman. Maybe being CEO has more perks than we knew. :-)

Dave

Sorry, I don't see the resemblance to Boardman.

I see they forgot to switch pantographs when putting the locomotive in push mode.....

chs7-321 Wrote:
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> I see they forgot to switch pantographs when
> putting the locomotive in push mode.....

They didn't forget. Keystone Service train crews don't change pantographs when they change direction.

chuchubob Wrote:
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> chs7-321 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I see they forgot to switch pantographs when
> > putting the locomotive in push mode.....
>
> They didn't forget. Keystone Service train crews
> don't change pantographs when they change
> direction.

Thanks for that info. Somebody mentioned a while back that changing the pans in the close confines of 30th Street station lower level is dangerous, so the pan position leaving Harrisburg or NY is the one which holds for the whole trip.

Apparently it hasn't been a problem in thousands of Keystone etc trips. (If it was, they could make the swap during station stops in Trenton, etc)

chuchubob Wrote:
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> chs7-321 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I see they forgot to switch pantographs when
> > putting the locomotive in push mode.....
>
> They didn't forget. Keystone Service train crews
> don't change pantographs when they change
> direction.


I have definitely seen a lot of instances of rear pantograph up in push and pull modes......much more than front pantograph up. So it seems they do change it.....or used to till recently....

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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Somebody mentioned a while
> back that changing the pans in the close confines
> of 30th Street station lower level is dangerous,
> so the pan position leaving Harrisburg or NY is
> the one which holds for the whole trip.

What exactly is more dangerous than doing so in the open? The pantographs are fully automated, so lower one, raise another. NJT does the same on its push-pull sets that flip at Penn Station (where height constraint is as much of an issue as at 30th Street)......I have yet to see an NJT set with leading pantograph up (not disputing they do show up once in a while, but.....)

> Apparently it hasn't been a problem in thousands
> of Keystone etc trips. (If it was, they could
> make the swap during station stops in Trenton,
> etc)

It can be, and runs counter to best accepted electric ops practices.

chs7-321 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> Somebody mentioned a while
> > back that changing the pans in the close
> confines
> > of 30th Street station lower level is
> dangerous,
> > so the pan position leaving Harrisburg or NY is
> > the one which holds for the whole trip.
>
> What exactly is more dangerous than doing so in
> the open? The pantographs are fully automated, so
> lower one, raise another. NJT does the same on
> its push-pull sets that flip at Penn Station
> (where height constraint is as much of an issue as
> at 30th Street)......I have yet to see an NJT set
> with leading pantograph up (not disputing they do
> show up once in a while, but.....)
>


I don't recall whether it was a public post or a PM, but the person making the assertion is an Amtrak employee. FWIW, I think the clearance on lower level 30th street is a lot tighter than the middle tracks in NY Penn. At least it seems that way to me.


> > Apparently it hasn't been a problem in
> thousands
> > of Keystone etc trips. (If it was, they could
> > make the swap during station stops in Trenton,
> > etc)
>
> It can be, and runs counter to best accepted
> electric ops practices.

I'll see if I can find the original information.

Here are two examples that are still not yet deleted on my computer:
AEM7 928 pushing train 648 to New York with train 125 southbound behind on Nov 8, 2013
952 pushing train 642 eastbound through Rahway on July 17, 2014

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Unless there worried about drawing a ark close to the platforms I don't see where location would disrupt a pan change.

Posted from Android

Is that Bridge in the back ground of your fist photo the abandoned Trenton Cutoff at Whitford?

Steve

bluesboyst Wrote:
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> Is that Bridge in the back ground of your fist
> photo the abandoned Trenton Cutoff at Whitford?
>
> Steve

Yes.
Bob