Re: (erielack) RE:

[RSmollin_@_aol.com]

I seem to remember that NJT looked into this at one time and was told by the 
New York City fire department that their rules would not allow the running of 
the diesel locomotives with full or partially full tanks of diesel fuel 
through the hudson river tunnel. They didn't explain why they allowed FL9s to 
run through the tunnels into Grand Central though.

Ray



In a message dated 3/24/03 4:35:53 PM Eastern Standard Time, 
paultup_@_optonline.net writes:

> > Does anybody out there in EL land know why NJ Transit didn't 
> > just build a 
> > shoe fly from the Main Line - Bergen County tracks to the North East 
> > Corridor high line, and run trains with third rail diesels 
> > into New York 
> > City?  The third rail extends the length of the tunnels under the 
> > Hudson River, and of course out to Sunnyside.  It would have 
> > been a lot 
> > cheaper than building this Manhattan Transfer Taj Mahal 
> > thing, and like the 
> > original Manhattan Transfer, people wouldn't have had to 
> > change trains.
> 
> 
> Logistically, there are several issues:
> 
> 1) The third rail would need to be redone; it's not fit for 60 mph
> service through the tunnels.
> 2) The grade coming off the Main/Bergen Cty lines would be fairly stiff,
> and there's an awful lot of "junk" in the way around Croxton Yard that
> would have to be bulldozed to make this connection.
> 3) [most importantly] The Hudson River tunnels can *BARELY* handle
> today's corridor traffic and Midtown Direct (DL&W) service. They
> couldn't fit any more trains in! Long range solution is to build more
> tunnels. We'll see.
> 
> As for "a lot cheaper," I don't think so. With the 3rd rail/diesel
> locomotives running $4M a pop (let's say they got 20 for NYC service 
> $80M just for motive power), and the required new tunnels (several
> BILLION dollars), I think the Manhattan Transfer station is cheap in
> comparison!
> 
>     - Paul
> 
> 

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