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SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012 I am a member of the Philadelphia Section of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers). Yesterday they ran an invitational tour of SEPTA Control Center. Of course, they didn't have to ask me twice...... Our first stop was an all glass enclosed board type room that is their crisis center. Here, on the table with the phones would, sit crisis managers in case of a bad storm, terror attack, etc and coordinate with external agencies such as police and fire and Homeland Security. The monitors can show any part of the system they care to. Right now it's showing the Center City portion of regional rail on top and the MFL below. (More about reading the model board later)  Our next stops were the bus and SEPTA police suites. Needless to say I took no pictures there. But, in case you didn't know or realize it, on SEPTA - and presumably NYCT too - you are under almost continuous surveillance. Here we are at BSS / MFL control center. The BSS is on top. The bulge on the right is Fern Rock with its yard. The woman at right is the "Towerman" for the yard. Below is the MFL - two tracks all the way with the 69th St loop seen at left.  Next up was surface/high speed rail. Top: Norristown High Speed. Below: trollies.  A view showing the other end ...  There is also a power center. Here you can see that the BSS and the MFL are totally powered up with red third rails... It also shows the feeders and sub-stations  And then finally.... finally.. we were brought to Regional Rail! It is hard for me to capture the relative scale for you. But, if the other operational suites were like tug boats, the Regional Rail operation was like the Queen Mary! There were some interesting demographic differences as well. Whereas the other systems were maned by young, very cool, hip, mostly african american men and women; regional rail was handled by older white guys. Probably ex towermen and block operators form the Pennsy and Reading? Get a feeling for the size here.... model board as far as the eye can see.  The skinny part in the middle is the Center City Connector. So everything to the left of it is former PRR; everything to the right is Reading.  Here's a part of the system whose PC's (physical characteristics) I'm familiar with - Cane interlocking to Media on the R3 (which, I think you know is still referred to as the West Chester Branch). This will also serve as your lesson to reading the board. Lets start with the blue vertical line. That's the Crum Creek Trestle. We see Train 3724 as a red arrow. It's the 4:05 out of Elwyn and has entered the block just north of Swarthmore Station. The change between green and red track behind it is the automatic signal just past the station (automatic signals do not show on the board). That block is occupied, so it's red. 3724 is about to enter Cane interlocking and its home signal is set clear - green as you can see. Of course home signals are controlled by the operators here. The white sections of track are not aligned. You can see that in the lower track diagram: Train 845 has been lined up out of Chestnut Hill West in normal direction of traffic.  Here's a zoomed out view of that section of the board. You see Arsenal interlocking in the upper right and proceeding out on the R3 you see Cobbs and Darby Creek trestles. Cane interlocking. Then Crum Creek bridge and you can see a train coming out of Media yard. Behind Media yard is Ridley Creek Trestle and south of that the line goes single track at Elwyn and not in service.  A great 2.5 hrs on a Saturday afternoon.... |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by chuchubob on Sun Apr 29 13:45:15 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Excellent photos and narration, Frank! |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by trains61 on Sun Apr 29 13:47:31 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Thanks for posting an inside view. |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by chud1 on Sun Apr 29 14:13:24 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. A+ on da pictures and narration.chud1 |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by kp5308 on Sun Apr 29 14:17:16 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Nice Frank! It is indeed quite the place :o) |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 15:20:33 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Thank you all. It was fun. |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Sun Apr 29 16:40:25 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Thanks for sharing! |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Jersey Mike on Sun Apr 29 18:47:36 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. I'm involved with a similar group in Baltimore and the best they could do was a tour of the harbour tunnels control center and fan plant. :-( |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Mark S. Feinman on Mon Apr 30 13:48:09 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Awesome!!--Mark |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Chris R16/R2730 on Mon Apr 30 14:20:30 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. 
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by G1Ravage on Mon Apr 30 14:38:17 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Nice that they let you take pictures. Cameras are strictly prohibited at our Rail Control Center. |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by The Flxible Neofan on Mon Apr 30 16:31:13 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Wonderful pictures! I had the opportunity to visit the control center and it really is quite amazing up there |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Fulton Frank on Mon Apr 30 19:18:18 2012, in response to Re: SEPTA Control Center, posted by G1Ravage on Mon Apr 30 14:38:17 2012. Thank you and all of you too.I was indeed surprised at being allowed to take pictures. But as impressine as the place is, I can only imagine NYCTs center. In fact it brings up the question: is all MTA - NYCT, LIRR, MNR - controlled at one location? What is/ are they? Our tour guide did say that if the center at 1234 Market, 19th floor were to be knocked out they did have another totally redundant control system at an other location. Of course THAT location he couldn't disclose to us. |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by kp5308 on Mon Apr 30 19:32:57 2012, in response to Re: SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Mon Apr 30 19:18:18 2012. I was indeed surprised at being allowed to take pictures.The WJC Informal Group got permission to visit back in 2010 & I was also surprised when there was no prob posting pictures on the net. What surprised me was when I asked after the tour about the train photography policy the boys running the tour were more concerned about that! BTW will you be on the Silverliner trip this Sunday? |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by G1Ravage on Mon Apr 30 19:35:01 2012, in response to Re: SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Mon Apr 30 19:18:18 2012. Our RCC is NYCT subways only. Each network has their own place. |
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Re: SEPTA Control Center |
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Posted by Terrapin Station on Tue May 1 12:37:06 2012, in response to SEPTA Control Center, posted by Fulton Frank on Sun Apr 29 13:32:16 2012. Thanks for sharing! |
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