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Re: (erielack) MU's, was: EL fantrips
Originally, the DL&W started with an equal number of power and trailer
cars. As a result, in the early years, 100% of all trains had an even
number of cars. Over time, with accidents, a trailer car here or there
must have been scrapped, leaving a surplus of power cars. What was done
was to link two power cars together, creating the scenario, primarily
during rush hours--I don't think they were used off peak--where odd-number
car trains would appear. In the years that I most closely fanned the
EL--the early 1970s (when I was living in South Orange)--there was a 13-car
train that travelled westbound sometime around 6 pm (give or take) through
South Orange. (I never got to see when it travelled eastbound in the
morning.) I don't know if the power-power-trailer set was ever
transitioned out of the 13-car set, but Taber refers to such a 3-car set in
his book, but it's not clear whether he's referring to it theoretically or
in reality. His point was that such a three-car set might have been
capable of exceeding the 50-mph speed limit on the Orange curve westbound.
If memory serves, each power car was rated at 750 hp. Meaning that there
typically would have been a 325 hp/car ratio on 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 or 12-car MU
sets. But, a 3-car set would have had 500 hp/car--a significant increase in
hp. The ride--acceleration and maybe top speed--in such a 3-car train
might have been different than for the rest of the fleet. It makes for
interesting speculation.
By the way, the DL&W originally planned to electrify using 3000v DC all the
way to Scranton, so as to at least partially eliminate steam, particularly
for freight, over the Poconos. The idea was dropped because of the
Depression. And although dead MUs were pulled over the Cut-Off in the
post-WWII era, due to the spike in patronage, imagine if electrification
had occurred that we could have had MUs travelling westbound at 75 mph over
the Cut-Off under catenary. Now that's a fantasy!
bob gillis
<robertgillis_@_veriz
on.net> To:
Sent by: cc: EL List <erielack_@_lists.railfan.net>
erielack-owner_@_list Subject:
s.elhts.org Re: (erielack) MU's, was: EL fantrips
03/23/2006 10:49 AM
Please respond to
bob gillis
Gary R. Kazin wrote:
>
>In the later days (late 70's to 1984) that I saw, the MU's were always
>coupled in pairs, one power car and one trailer alternating down the
>train. I've seen an overhead photo of one train of -THIRTEEN- cars with
>seven power and six trailers.
>
I can understand a thirteen car train but with 6 power cars and 7
trailers. Weren't the parlor cars not part of permanently couple pair.
and i think they always ran with one power car and one trailer. The
trailer had the MG set and battery.
bob gillis
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