SOAC cars at Seashore Trolley Museum

[BusHunter]

In my search for SEPTA #480's, checking museums I came across this. http://trolleymuseum.org/exhibits/SOAC.php I didn't know the SOAC's were preserved in a museum. There's a picture of the cars interior here, something I've never seen before. I also located a youtube video on this. http://youtube.com/watch?v=S5GxapmbTJc

I believe I heard a story that when the SOAC's were used on the Skokie Swift they would only use the first track at Howard due to clearance issues. Those trains would single track to the switch at Asbury and cross over the WB track.

[ctrabs74]

Those interiors looked more suited for WMATA or BART than they did for the CTA. But, that was very a interesting clip to say the least.

[chicagopcclcar]

The concept was doomed to failure as no transit agency would ever considering ordering rail cars from off the shelf. Each property had their own little peculiarities. Chicago's might have been the "railfan seat", LOL, among other things. One car was more urban with space for fast loading while the other car had seating suitable for longer sit-down rides. In my eyes the closest off-the -shelf was the PCC style of car from St. Louis Car Company in the 50's, fielded in Boston, Hudson & Manhattan, Cleveland and of course Chicago. After the barnstorming tour the units stayed at Pueblo, CO for years. Finally they went to the museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, the same place a President of that time liked to visit. Driving across the Halsted St. overpass in Riverdale, IL one day I spied the two cars sitting on flat cars being shipped to Maine. Of course I went down to the yards and explained to personnel there what they had and they responded by giving me the final destination. The cars were in sad shape then.

P.S. Yes, I've got video, black and white, reel to reel, of the cars on the Skokie line....another hunting expedition.

[geneking7320]

I was fortunate to ride the SOAC when they were here in Chicago. It was not until some years later that I read the SOAC was based on the R44 car.

[sw4400]

I believe I heard a story that when the SOAC's were used on the Skokie Swift they would only use the first track at Howard due to clearance issues. Those trains would single track to the switch at Asbury and cross over the WB track.

This photo #1 is the switchover I believe you refer to. Photo #2 shows the extension built at on the Yellow Line that allowed for the SOAC to be used there. If these extensions are still part of the platforms there or not, I don't know.

Photos Copyright ® Chicago-l.org

[Busjack]

This photo #1 is the switchover I believe you refer to. Photo #2 shows the extension built at on the Yellow Line that allowed for the SOAC to be used there. If these extensions are still part of the platforms there or not, I don't know.

Photos Copyright ® Chicago-l.org

Krambles's book (page 66) says one flap at Howard and two at Dempster.

The Dempster station was rebuilt after that.

As far as Howard, there is no indication now.

[trainman8119]

This photo #1 is the switchover I believe you refer to. Photo #2 shows the extension built at on the Yellow Line that allowed for the SOAC to be used there. If these extensions are still part of the platforms there or not, I don't know.

Photos Copyright ® Chicago-l.org

The platforms look like the old ones at Dempster street, so I doubt very much they would be part of the new ones.

[buslist]

The 2 passenger cars did go to Seashore, the support car, a much more interesting REA express reefer (with ice bunkers intact) lives in East Union Il.

[BusHunter]

Driving across the Halsted St. overpass in Riverdale, IL one day I spied the two cars sitting on flat cars being shipped to Maine. Of course I went down to the yards and explained to personnel there what they had and they responded by giving me the final destination. The cars were in sad shape then.

P.S. Yes, I've got video, black and white, reel to reel, of the cars on the Skokie line....another hunting expedition.

Chicago-l.org says they went to Philly after Chicago.

[chicagopcclcar]

Chicago-l.org says they went to Philly after Chicago.

They went to Philly after the demonstration on the Skokie Swift. I am talking about seeing them in the railroad yard, in Riverdale, being shipped to the state of Maine after being stored for years at the test facility in Pueblo, Colorado, sitting out in the sun I imagine. They looked in bad, bad shape. I knew they were going to Maine then because I went to the rail yard office and asked. Sorry if I didn't make that clear. But when they finished their demonstration and no transit agency grabbed them up, they sat for years at Pueblo. The other interesting thing I saw being shipped to Pueblo was an Amtrak HHP-8 electric locomotive. It was sitting in the Amtrak locomotive service south of Roosevelt Road. With no catenary around for 1000 miles that had 13 to 25 K volts, people wondered "what for??" The answer was simple. Amtrak and the Department of Transportation had a new test car capable of testing Class 8 track at 125 MPH. The HHP-8 is one of few locomotives capable of that speed. The test track at Pueblo is capable and equipped with catenary so the locomotive was deadheaded on Amtrak trains to Denver and back. Today the new Sprinter electric locomotive for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor is going to Pueblo, but from the west coast where it was assembled.

[BusHunter]

Which would make me wonder if the Amtrak Acela was tested at Pueblo,CO.

[chicagopcclcar]

Which would make me wonder if the Amtrak Acela was tested at Pueblo,CO.

Hard to tell if you're being humorous, scarcastic, or serious. Yes, the Acela trainset was tested at Pueblo. Why wouldn't it? It also set its top speed in the 135 MPH territory in New Jersey. That stretch went back to 125 MPH but has since gone back to 135 MPH. In 2012, Amtrak again tested Acela in New Jersey trying to beat the old record.. I'd have to look up the exact numbers. This stretch used the original Pennsy style of catenary, not the latest European design used between New Haven CT and Boston.

[buslist]

The Acella was tested at TTC unofficially reaching a speed of 173.3 MPH, officially 165 (10% over the intended operating speed). The plan now is to increase the certified operating speed to 165.

Catanery in the Trenton/Newark segment is scheduled to be replaced with constant tension design starting soon if not already, this will be the 165 MPH segment.

The first of the new ATK electrics arrived in Pueblo early this week.

[buslist]

ATK 600 arriving Avondale Co.

[Amtrak41]

Why did they even bother testing them on CTA ? Restricting a NY-sized car to a limited-use shuttle was hardly practical. Maybe the South Chicago Branch of the IC would have been a better use of them, with a step-up in frequency.

[buslist]

Probably could not be operated on the ME as they are not FRA complaint.

[Busjack]

Probably could not be operated on the ME as they are not FRA complaint.

The voltage probably wouldn't be compatible either.

This was represented as "the feds want to run a test," so CTA let them. Sort of similar to when the feds thought that the Boeing Vertol LRV was going to become standard, and pushed the Transbus, all in about the mid-1970s.

The link in BusHunter's original post describes the background of the SOAC and LRV efforts. Essentially, though, the theory was that since the feds were then starting to pay for the equipment, it should be standardized. Didn't turn out that way, though, especially with regard to buses.

[buslist]

The other interesting thing I saw being shipped to Pueblo was an Amtrak HHP-8 electric locomotive. It was sitting in the Amtrak locomotive service south of Roosevelt Road. With no catenary around for 1000 miles that had 13 to 25 K volts, people wondered "what for??" The answer was simple. Amtrak and the Department of Transportation had a new test car capable of testing Class 8 track at 125 MPH. The HHP-8 is one of few locomotives capable of that speed. The test track at Pueblo is capable and equipped with catenary so the locomotive was deadheaded on Amtrak trains to Denver and back.

Actually Amtrak had nothing to do with the test car other than it was
to test on their track as well as all over the US, it was purely an FRA
operation. However I got FRA to twist arms at Amtrak to loan us a
locomotive capable of 125 if they (FRA) wanted the car tested at that
speed. Amtrak sent an HHP-8 as they consider them unreliable (frequently double headed for reliability's sake) rather than an AEM-7 that they like.

Surprised you missed the "unit train" of 14 NJT Comet 1B cars headed west that
came through Chicago in July of '11. The cars are being stored in Pueblo
as a favor to NJT (that's the official story and I'm sticking to it). I
imagine that they will be getting some exercise in the next couple of
weeks with the testing of the new electrics.

[Amtrak41]

So you think the ComArrows now at Pueblo are for load testing with the Siemens electrics ?

I had assumed it was for FRA crash testing, as they did with SEPTA Silverliner I's and several LIRR Budd M-1's in the last decade

[buslist]

I don't think, I know they are not for crash testing. They are there to officially get them out of the way for NJT with free storage (FTA still has a financial interest in the demotering etc. so they can't be scrapped). TTC can use them for anything they want except destroy them. What they do do is provide a 125 MPH capable test load for whatever might be applicable. The original intention was to get them out for the ALP 45DP tests, but transport complications prevented that (thank you BNSF). The Amtrak locomotives are the next test with that requirement.

[buslist]

An addition and a correction to the post above. We were all surprised when we saw that all the signage in the NJT cars was in French, became clear when we found out their last revenue service was on AMT in Montreal.

Secondly I said TTC could do anything with them, that's not exactly correct as TTC (Transportation Technology Center) is the facility, owned by DOT/FRA, located on land owned by the state. The folks with the power to do something is TTCI (Transportation Techonogy Center Inc) a for profit, but not for dividend company owned by the AAR that has Care Custody and Control of the facility until 2022. Seems like a hair split but it was 50 lashes with a wet noodle to any TTCI,AAR or FRA employee that got them mixed up.

[SlickFlair_859]

On 5/29/2013 at 12:01 AM, chicagopcclcar said:

Hard to tell if you're being humorous, scarcastic, or serious. Yes, the Acela trainset was tested at Pueblo. Why wouldn't it? It also set its top speed in the 135 MPH territory in New Jersey. That stretch went back to 125 MPH but has since gone back to 135 MPH. In 2012, Amtrak again tested Acela in New Jersey trying to beat the old record.. I'd have to look up the exact numbers. This stretch used the original Pennsy style of catenary, not the latest European design used between New Haven CT and Boston.

They do 150 in Rhode Island and I heard they got up to 165 up there.