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| Re: PHOTOS: SEPTA Rail Rodeo-2 (983387) | |||
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Re: PHOTOS: SEPTA Rail Rodeo-2 |
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Posted by WillD on Sun Sep 26 21:20:31 2010, in response to Re: PHOTOS: SEPTA Rail Rodeo-2, posted by arnine on Sun Sep 26 18:56:29 2010. The cab size IINM is the same size as the current Silverliners, am I wrong?It may be smaller, especially with the half cabs, but in terms of depth from seatback to controller/front window it is larger, which should be easier on the engineers. But when I mentioned comfort I was more or less referring to the creature comforts and climate of the new cabs. The seats are better, the controllers are more ergonomic, the HVAC is vastly superior, and the tinted window on the cab door provides more privacy than they ever had with the window in the bulkhead door. Admittedly I have yet to sit in the Silverliner V cabs, but just looking at the cab layout leads me to believe it'll be a much better workspace for the engineers. It's possible the crews will be unhappy with the change, but I think those who have operated the AEMs will find the Silverliner Vs a nice change from the older MUs. I have gotten a few cab rides in Silverliner IIs and IVs, and in the winter they were remarkably cold, with an icy blast from the doors that don't quite seal and a pathetic amount of heat from a ventilator that can't keep up. A sealed cab integrated into the passenger cabin HVAC is a tremendous boon to the engineer's comfort, far more so than a crew lounge for his conductors. Also, how come SEPTA hasn't complained about the $6 Million lost before?? Because it was never lost before. The Silverliner IIs and IVs may have full width cabs in the vestibules, but they also have full length 3+2 seating, which gives them a capacity of 120 passengers (or more for the SIIs, perhaps 130). The Silverliner Vs have 2+2 seating between the doors, with 3+2 at the car ends beyond the doors. This was done because the Delaware Valley Association of Rail Passengers requested SEPTA avoid full 3+2 seating on their railcars. Thus with 108 passengers the Silverliner Vs represent a reduction in capacity relative to the prior cars of about 12 passengers per car. However, that is a voluntary reduction in the supply of seats on the part of the customers, and as such one can expect SEPTA to raise their rates according to the relatively constant demand for those seats, so in theory it should be revenue neutral. Space given over for the sole benefit of the crew comes at a cost to both SEPTA and the passengers. Well, if SEPTA trains are rear ended that often to keep the end cab full-width SEPTA should be taken over by another agency. It's all hypothetical, because the only argument against half-cabs, other than the 'we want our R&R space', is "but, if..." rationalization. We've heard lines about "but, if a freight car tips over beside the engineer, how will he escape?", or "but if a train is about to hit a wall, how will the passengers get out?", or "but if a rock is thrown at the train, how will the passengers deal with it?" All these arguments fall flat because we don't have these problems with the existing rolling stock. Every excuse offered is just a hypothetical situation which could happen and thus represents a reason to reduce the seating capacity in the Silverliner Vs. But all of these excuses focus solely on the front end, because that is where the crew can congregate. If the front of the train really is so dangerous, then it stands to reason the rear end should also be off-limits because it is almost every bit as dangerous. |
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