PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along

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PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008 edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d In honor of yesterday being a day off, I drove down to Oceanside, CA to ride the new NCTD SPRINTER light rail. This diesel-powered light rail (similar to the NJT RiverLINE) line opened on March 9, 2008 after a number of setbacks, and currently operates along the San Diego Northern Railroad's Escondido branch between Oceanside and Escondido. Travel time between the two points is roughly 50 minutes. I was highly impressed by the service. The cars (Siemens VT642 Desiro) were significantly more comfortable than the RiverLINE vehicles, and also allowed for full passage throughout the vehicle (the RiverLINE cars have the engine compartment in the center section.) A daypass cost $4.50, a bit expensive for such a short line -- although it was good on the NCTD buses as well, an option that I didn't find the need to exercise. The staff were courteous and helpful, and they must be used to railfan photography as my photographic activity wasn't questioned or even viewed as something out of the ordinary. (I even saw another railfan taking a photo of my train at the Coast Highway station.) And now, the photos (viewed in chronological order): Car 4008 is seen at the Escondido terminus. 4011 prepares to leave Escondido. Note the "bridgeplates" between the platform and the train, which are retracted when SPRINTER is not in service to allow for freight movement on the line. Car 4011, about to leave Cal State San Marcos westbound to Oceanside. This station is the only "elevated" station, actually located partially on an embankment. 4007 departs Cal State San Marcos toward Escondido. 4007 returns westbound to Cal State San Marcos. 4007 prepares to leave the Vista Transit Center westbound, viewed from the pedestrian crossing at the western end of the station. 4011 is seen going eastbound approaching the Vista Transit Center. Wide view. 4005 enters Vista bound for Oceanside. 4005 again, this time going southbound between Oceanside and Coast Highway stations. The trackway to the left is the COASTER/Amtrak line to San Diego. The Oceanside Transit Center can be seen in the background. Car 4008 entering the Oceanside Transit Center. Enjoy!
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Osmosis Jones* on Tue Sep 2 16:27:04 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Nice photos of probably the looking trains that I've ever seen, I need to go out there one day.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by TransitChuckG* on Tue Sep 2 16:27:47 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Excellent shots, thanks for sharing.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Hank Eisenstein* on Tue Sep 2 16:28:57 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Curiously, why didn't they build the cars slightly wider, instead of using bridge plates?
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Fred G* on Tue Sep 2 16:29:07 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d That's a very cool looking train. Your photos are outstanding as usual. your pal, Fred
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by AEM-7AC #901* on Tue Sep 2 16:33:21 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Hank Eisenstein on Tue Sep 2 16:28:57 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Curiously, why didn't they build the cars slightly wider, instead of using bridge plates? I suspect it's far easier and cheaper to order off-the-shelf equipment...
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by AEM-7AC #901* on Tue Sep 2 16:33:46 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Beautiful photos, awful looking rolling stock...
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(676082)	view threaded
Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by JournalSquare-K-Car* on Tue Sep 2 16:36:06 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d These are nice photos. That system looks interesting. Does it have cabsignals? Or does it have the magnetic trippers like on river line? I think I see an upside down canoe in the second to last pic, or is that a switch machine? The railcars themselves look like plastic chitboxes, however. By the looks of it, the platforms have extendable plates for the passengers to board, and plus I see th conventional signals, so is this over freight ROW? Also, wouldn't it be cheaper to go for an FRA approved vehicle like a BUDD RDC than some imported vehicle that needs waivers? I assume far control is POP. Also, how FAST are those vehicles?
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(676091)	view threaded
Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Hank Eisenstein* on Tue Sep 2 17:01:33 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by JournalSquare-K-Car on Tue Sep 2 16:36:06 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d No one builds Budd RDCs anymore. Budd is out of business. Equipment cost for 'heavy-rail' vehicles is higher than 'light-rail' vehicles.
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(676097)	view threaded
Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by monorail* on Tue Sep 2 17:07:30 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d wonderful!
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by AEM-7AC #901* on Tue Sep 2 17:10:26 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by JournalSquare-K-Car on Tue Sep 2 16:36:06 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d so is this over freight ROW Yes, this on a ROW under FRA jurisdiction that's shared with freights. wouldn't it be cheaper to go for an FRA approved vehicle like a BUDD RDC than some imported vehicle that needs waivers? 1) Besides CRC and their de facto vapourware units, nobody has mass produced a DMU since the Budd SPVs. 2) Since there are no DMUs on the market, you'd have to come up with a brand new design from scratch for a small order of units. It's considerably easier to simply procure off-the-shelf European equipment. 3) I suspect Siemens won the tender given San Diego's familiarity with their equipment (Avantos, U2 Bricks), and the large Siemens factory in Sacramento... Also, how FAST are those vehicles? Their European counterparts cap at speeds between 75 to 100mph, so I'll presume that they're designed for at most 80mph with MAS on the line between 60 and 80 mph.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by JournalSquare-K-Car* on Tue Sep 2 17:15:36 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Tue Sep 2 17:10:26 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d What exactly do they do at the "factory" in sacramento? Do they just peel the tape off? And thanks for the other info. BUDD RDCs were known to hit 90 MPH, in Austrailia. ery tough cars, especially since they held that speed for a long time due to the long distances...so those engines were at max RPM...
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(676117)	view threaded
Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by JohnL* on Tue Sep 2 18:00:59 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Hank Eisenstein on Tue Sep 2 16:28:57 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d …or use gantlet tracks?
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(676119)	view threaded
Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Easy* on Tue Sep 2 18:07:09 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Very nice photos and commentary. There was a guy that posted a few days ago on another forum that he did get slightly hassled while taking pics of the Sprinter. Glad that you didn't.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by The Port of Authority* on Tue Sep 2 18:44:15 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by JournalSquare-K-Car on Tue Sep 2 16:36:06 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d These cars go up to about 50 mph, but that's largely due to the circuitous nature of the line. The cars are not "voucherboxes" at all -- they're very comfortable and offer an excellent ride.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Olog-hai* on Tue Sep 2 18:48:57 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Hank Eisenstein on Tue Sep 2 17:01:33 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Equipment cost for 'heavy-rail' vehicles is higher than 'light-rail' vehicles Only because of politics. BBD still owns Budd designs. Might be that the RDC is among them.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Olog-hai* on Tue Sep 2 18:51:02 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Hank Eisenstein on Tue Sep 2 16:28:57 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d One would think that bridge plates were not necessary, as well? because certainly, that's not the mininmum height for AAR Plate B clearance. More rail follies. We need to see more AAR couplers, but instead we're seeing more Scharfenbergs.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by JournalSquare-K-Car* on Tue Sep 2 20:35:40 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Olog-hai on Tue Sep 2 18:51:02 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d True, I don't think River Line uses brisge plates. I don't think any light rail system has AAR couplers...unless you think that should be an RDC type line, and if that is the case, then I agree.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Forest Glen* on Wed Sep 3 00:11:10 2008, in response to PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by The Port of Authority on Tue Sep 2 16:16:17 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Awesome pics. It's quite sophisticated for a light rail.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by tErraPin staTION* on Wed Sep 3 08:15:49 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by Forest Glen on Wed Sep 3 00:11:10 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d How is it any more "sophisticated" than any other recently opened light rail line? I say it's not, and that you are wrong.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Hank Eisenstein* on Wed Sep 3 09:18:54 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by JohnL on Tue Sep 2 18:00:59 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d Gantlet tracks pose their own unique set of problems.
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Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along
Posted by Hank Eisenstein* on Wed Sep 3 09:21:35 2008, in response to Re: PHOTOS and commentary: SPRINTing right along, posted by JournalSquare-K-Car on Tue Sep 2 20:35:40 2008.* edf40wrjww2msgDetail:detailStr fiogf49gjkf0d The Riverline is low-floor, low-platform; no clearance issue.
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