Passenger Trains > Amtrak Cities Sprinter #658 through Croydon w/snow

They keep coming!  This is the highest numbered Sprinter I've seen yet. 
What's the number of the latest Sprinter in testing/ service on the NEC?

AMTK#658 at 7:42 AM eastbound through Croydon, PA during the mini-
blizzard which started just after 5 AM and was all but a memory by 10.
Philly must have been on the cusp of the storm - I see north Jersey got
quite a bit more.

In the foreground, I believe we are looking at "dragging equipment detectors".
Am I correct - and if so, using the right terminology?  They don't seem to
be capable of "detecting" anything, but instead better at knocking off what
ever might be hanging.  If that's the case - why put them near a platofrm?

And, as long as I'm asking questions - how does one tell one Amtrak train
from another, other then a Keystone with its cab car?  Memorizaion of the
schedule or consist recognition?

/Mitch

---

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> ...
> And, as long as I'm asking questions - how does
> one tell one Amtrak train
> from another, other then a Keystone with its cab
> car?  Memorizaion of the
> schedule or consist recognition?
>
> /Mitch

Mitch,
When I get home after photographing the NEC, I check the times of the photos with Amtrak's timetable, then go to Amtrak's website and check "train status" for confirmation.
Bob

TT info is the most helpful tool ... just print out the latest NEC schedule and keep it with you ... after a while after checking it the trains will become recognition ...

I have Amtrak's app, and one called "Rail Bandit" which work well on the spot, but I have a
tendency to not care, lol - until I'm writing the caption, at which point, I have to count on
Amtrak being timely and my camera having the right time stamp.

I was wondering if it could be determined based on the consist - reliably.  Or the length.

Still curious about the rubber flaps in the ROW.  Dragging equipment detectors?  And if so -
how do they work and reasons for where they are placed.

/Mitch

Nice photo as always Mitch!  Re consists, Regionals all seem to use the same eight car consists, so timetable or Amtrak.com is your best aid in identifying specific trains.  The various beyond NEC LD day trains are most easily identified by having baggage cars, and in some cases Amfleet II coaches in the consist.

Dave

Also re consists, Keystones have no cafe car.  

Nice shot!

Yes those are Dragging equipment detectors. If someone hits the rubber flap then it will radio a warning to the crew or more likely to the dispatch center. As for it being in the station, that seems a little odd but would still work.

Posted from iPhone

howeld Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Yes those are Dragging equipment detectors. If
> someone hits the rubber flap then it will radio a
> warning to the crew or more likely to the dispatch
> center. As for it being in the station, that
> seems a little odd but would still work.
>
> Posted from iPhone''

those are metal not rubber ... rubber wouldn't necessarily guarantee an activation of the alarm ... the old rubber hose detectors were eliminated and the metal ones were installed when CETC was instituted ... they are upside down angle metal flaps connected to a spring loaded pipe connected electrically to the track circuit  ...  they are center point spring loaded when they are hit they return to center ... when they are hit and activated, they are sprung in either direction which sends an alarm signal to CETC who then advises the train they activated the detector and to stop and inspect their train ... they are usually located at the exit of an interlocking, movable bridge checking to make sure all was intact and on the rails after negotiating the switch points and frogs ... when i use to walk (inspect) track eons ago,  there were certain dispatchers up in CETC i knew well enough that i use to mess with and break their balls ... i would kick the metal flap enough (doesn't take much) to activate it and he would call me asking if i hit the detector (no trains around) ... i would tell him no but he knew i was out there) and he'd have to reset to alarm ...

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They keep coming!  This is the highest numbered
> Sprinter I've seen yet. 
> What's the number of the latest Sprinter in
> testing/ service on the NEC?
>
> AMTK#658 at 7:42 AM eastbound through Croydon, PA
> during the mini-
> blizzard which started just after 5 AM and was all
> but a memory by 10.
> Philly must have been on the cusp of the storm - I
> see north Jersey got
> quite a bit more.
>
> 
I live in North Jersey and we haven't seen one snowflake today! All of that snow stayed east of the Hudson river. Friday's snow gave us about 3 inches..

Christmas card.

BobP Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Christmas card.

Yep, it's a dandy!

Andy

Nice work again Mitch.   You're asking too much of Amtrak to mix up the consist enough to identify it.  It's not like the old days when the Congressional was distincly different from the Senator. 

Tominde Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nice work again Mitch.   You're asking too much
> of Amtrak to mix up the consist enough to identify
> it.  It's not like the old days when the
> Congressional was distincly different from the
> Senator. 

What about a train with nothing but Metroliner cars, and
no Metroliner cab car on either end.  Would that not be
a Regional Express and nothing else?

Then it gets trickier - but a train with a baggage car would
be?

And a Long Distance train would be identifiable by?

The schedule comes in handy, but was wondering if there
visual identifiers.  And the timetable does not take into
account my camera's time stamp "forgetting" Daylight
Savings Time.

/Mitch

You describe the dragging equipment detectors very well, but Amtrak has installed rubber icicle breakers adjacent to its detectors to knock off hanging ice that may otherwise falsely trip the detector.  Dragging equipment will break the rubber and trip the detector, but this reduces the number of nuisance detections.  I believe that's what we see in the foreground of the photo.

Out_Of_Service Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> howeld Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Yes those are Dragging equipment detectors. If
> > someone hits the rubber flap then it will radio
> a
> > warning to the crew or more likely to the
> dispatch
> > center. As for it being in the station, that
> > seems a little odd but would still work.
> >
> > Posted from iPhone''
>
> those are metal not rubber ... rubber wouldn't
> necessarily guarantee an activation of the
> alarm ... the old rubber hose detectors were
> eliminated and the metal ones were installed when
> CETC was instituted ... they are upside down
> angle metal flaps connected to a spring loaded
> pipe connected electrically to the track
> circuit  ...  they are center point spring
> loaded when they are hit they return to center ...
> when they are hit and activated, they are sprung
> in either direction which sends an alarm signal
> to CETC who then advises the train they activated
> the detector and to stop and inspect their
> train ... they are usually located at the
> exit of an interlocking, movable bridge checking
> to make sure all was intact and on the rails after
> negotiating the switch points and frogs ... when
> i use to walk (inspect) track eons ago,  there
> were certain dispatchers up in CETC i knew well
> enough that i use to mess with and break their
> balls ... i would kick the metal flap enough
> (doesn't take much) to activate it and he would
> call me asking if i hit the detector (no trains
> around) ... i would tell him no but he knew i was
> out there) and he'd have to reset to alarm ...

stevedavis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You describe the dragging equipment detectors very
> well, but Amtrak has installed rubber icicle
> breakers adjacent to its detectors to knock off
> hanging ice that may otherwise falsely trip the
> detector.  Dragging equipment will break the
> rubber and trip the detector, but this reduces the
> number of nuisance detections.  I believe that's
> what we see in the foreground of the photo.
>
> Out_Of_Service Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > howeld Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Yes those are Dragging equipment detectors.
> If
> > > someone hits the rubber flap then it will
> radio
> > a
> > > warning to the crew or more likely to the
> > dispatch
> > > center. As for it being in the station, that
> > > seems a little odd but would still work.
> > >
> > > Posted from iPhone''
> >
> > those are metal not rubber ... rubber wouldn't
> > necessarily guarantee an activation of the
> > alarm ... the old rubber hose detectors were
> > eliminated and the metal ones were installed
> when
> > CETC was instituted ... they are upside down
> > angle metal flaps connected to a spring loaded
> > pipe connected electrically to the track
> > circuit  ...  they are center point spring
> > loaded when they are hit they return to center
> ...
> > when they are hit and activated, they are
> sprung
> > in either direction which sends an alarm
> signal
> > to CETC who then advises the train they
> activated
> > the detector and to stop and inspect their
> > train ... they are usually located at the
> > exit of an interlocking, movable bridge
> checking
> > to make sure all was intact and on the rails
> after
> > negotiating the switch points and frogs ...
> when
> > i use to walk (inspect) track eons ago,  there
> > were certain dispatchers up in CETC i knew well
> > enough that i use to mess with and break their
> > balls ... i would kick the metal flap enough
> > (doesn't take much) to activate it and he
> would
> > call me asking if i hit the detector (no trains
> > around) ... i would tell him no but he knew i
> was
> > out there) and he'd have to reset to alarm ...

​yes you are correct ... each year i'm removed from work, 51/2 years now, i tend to fail to recall all the physical items associated with the track structure plus the new changes that were installed since my unfortunate unplanned departure ...

stevedavis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You describe the dragging equipment detectors very
> well, but Amtrak has installed rubber icicle
> breakers adjacent to its detectors to knock off
> hanging ice that may otherwise falsely trip the
> detector.  Dragging equipment will break the
> rubber and trip the detector, but this reduces the
> number of nuisance detections.  I believe that's
> what we see in the foreground of the photo.

To clarify, are you saying those objects in the ROW
in the photo above are rubber and desinged simply
to break icicles?  And should there be dragging
equipment, the rubber is typically destroyed needing
replacement?  Are they wired into the system or
simply there to break icicles?  And are DED rubber. 
rubber coated, or always bare metal?

Interesting discussion - thanks for cluing us in!

/Mitch

Mgoldman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> stevedavis Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > You describe the dragging equipment detectors
> very
> > well, but Amtrak has installed rubber icicle
> > breakers adjacent to its detectors to knock off
> > hanging ice that may otherwise falsely trip the
> > detector.  Dragging equipment will break the
> > rubber and trip the detector, but this reduces
> the
> > number of nuisance detections.  I believe
> that's
> > what we see in the foreground of the photo.
>
> To clarify, are you saying those objects in the
> ROW
> in the photo above are rubber and desinged simply
> to break icicles?  And should there be dragging
> equipment, the rubber is typically destroyed
> needing
> replacement?  Are they wired into the system or
> simply there to break icicles?  And are DED
> rubber. 
> rubber coated, or always bare metal?
>
> Interesting discussion - thanks for cluing us in!
>
> /Mitch

bare metal ... the rubber icicle deflectors are not electrically connected but are designed just as Steve stated to eliminate nuisance hits on the DEDs  ... the concept being if something is still dragging after hitting the rubber it's a real dragging concern ...



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/10/16 15:42 by Out_Of_Service.