Passenger Trains > Sfgate on Caltrain EL equipment debut

https://www.sfgate.com/travel/article/caltrain-debuts-new-electric-train-fleet-17464553.php?IPID=SFGate-HP-CP-Spotlight

gotta admit - looks pretty cool.

Do these have batteries to allow them to move a limited amount without wire?

sphogger

I agree that those Caltrain Stadler MU cars look great. Hopefully they will perform fine and last for a very long time. There are many stops on Caltrain that are very close to each other. It's been 16 years since I rode the system last but I remember observing many stations being a mile apart from each other. To me, that makes the line more designed for MU operation. I know because I live in the Greater NYC area in Montclair NJ right along NJT's Montclair-Boonton Line and the 8 car push pull electric sets that we have don't really cut it when Arrow III MUs should be used. The Arrows can't be used on Midtown Direct trains to Montclair and Dover because of phase gap issues at Swift Interlocking where the Midtown Direct trains switch voltages from the NEC to the M&E Line. It doesn't matter now as the Arrow IIIs are nearing retirement. Their successors, the Multilevel III MUs, will be able to change voltages at Swift Interlocking and hopefully will make an appearance more on Midtown Direct trains.

Back to Caltrain-no battery powered units but it would be nice for the trains continuing onto Gilroy. There will be a couple of diesel trains still running and probably have MP36 units on them. The F40s on Caltrain are very old.

Missed your post SPHogger, saw the article too and thought they did a nice job, especially with all the photos.  No batteries (at least not to operate the units).  These require overhead catenary, the pans are down in these photos.  They actually tuck down nicely below the roofline so they don't stick out at all.

Nathan