I Don't Know What Kind of Train this Is: Norristown High Speed Line in Philadelphia 2023
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- Опубликовано: 13 сен 2024
- Small single vehicle (sometimes coupled) running in the suburbs of Philadelphia, with a 3rd rail, and a unique design. What kind of train is this?
The Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), also called the Purple Line, the P&W, or Route 100, is a 13.4-mile (21.6 km) interurban light rapid transit line operated by SEPTA, running between the 69th Street Transportation Center in Upper Darby and the Norristown Transportation Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania. Originally the Philadelphia and Western Railroad line (which is why the line is referred to by locals as "the P&W"), the line runs entirely on its own right-of-way. By 2020, the Norristown High Speed Line had an average weekday ridership approaching 11,000 passengers ~Wikipedia
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The cars running on the Norristown line have always been unique right from the line's beginning. Probably the most famous were the Brill bullet cars that ran from the 1930's to the 1990's. The first batches of cars up to the advent of the bullets were even equipped with trolley poles because there was a brief section of street running for a time where these cars would meet up with the Liberty Bell cars from Allentown. These cars definitely looked and operated like interurban trolleys even though they were 3rd rail. The N5's, even though they run mostly as single cars, have more characteristics of rapid transit cars.
@phillyguy8541: This is definitely high tech rapid transit unlike the other L Lines I've seen and much different from them. I'd like to see this line get extended further.
I personally call it an ERB (electric rail bus) for the following reasons:
- It uses electricity
- Its almost the size of a bus
- Stops are made upon request
- Fare is paid up front
Honestly, it's pretty clearly an interurban, only slightly weird for that in having third rail.
I think if it went all the way to Center City it would be classified as an Interurban
@@apluto12-z3e If we were to talk in historical terms, there wasn't much doubt of the classification of the Philadelphia and Western. It also wasn't a terribly uncommon situation in general to have a forced transfer from city streetcars to an interuban line, rather than actually sharing track into a city.
A beautiful and original train. Thanks for sharing !
The P&W brought high speed 3rd rail service to the western Philadelphia suburbs operating to Strafford originally. The Norristown branch became the mainline when Strafford was abandoned. Thanks Tim 💚😀
@scottyerkes1867: I know there's now another L Line now that runs to Stratford being an all stops line. Maybe an offshoot of the MARKET -FRANKFORD L LINE or a newer line.
It's certainly one of SEPTAs curious lines alongside the similar PATCO Speedline. Up front fare, more interesting to me is its usage of third rail. All those curves and a single car would make one think itd be better suited by catenaries, but I'm guessing the cost of maintaining that would not be feasible for its size and ridership.
i miss when the cars were allowed to do 70mph. i also hate they have to stop at every single stop now.
I attended Villanova in the late 80s, and rode the line regularly. There was nothing like riding a Brill Bullet at 70 mph over jointed rail. Especially the last car of the night, with the operator wanting to be done so he or she could go home. The Bullets at that time had been fitted with digital speedometers. Once the car got over about 30 mph, the speedometer would just spit out a display of random numbers, so it was really anybody's guess (including the operator) as to how fast we were actually going. Sure as hell felt faster than 70. 😂
Ah! The infamous Wild Mouse trains! I rode one back in the 1980s and realized it's "nickname" was well deserved. That line is more like a ride at an amusement park. Fun ride, but sometimes scary like when one of the drivers rammed the car into the 69th Street Station Terminal.
Route 100 has always been the most unique line on SEPTA, literally nothing else like it.
what a wonderful little train!
This is definitely high tech rapid transit! Unlike any other L Line I've seen. It's a 3rd rail Interurban.
Don't forget the Libertyliner [ex-CNSM Electroliner] and ex-CTA 6000s that ran here.
Never got to ride the Liberty Liner, but I put in a lot of time commuting to college on an ex-CTA car. Also the re-trucked Market-Frankford "Almond Joy" cars.
My friend Catie Bowman who occasionally rides the route 100 (in case if yous are confused, the Norristown high speed line used to be the 100 route, it was originally route 100, before SEPTA went like "alright. Got any ideas on what we could rename the 100 route to?" And 1 employee said "NORRISTOWN HIGH SPEED LINE!" and SEPTA renamed the route 100 to Norristown high speed line.) Would say "imagine that train as either the 101 or 102 trolley, but minus the poles or pantographs, and add the 3rd rail system, so it looks like a trolley that gave up on having a pole or a pantograph, and decided to be using the 3rd rail power system, like the ones that Market frankford line, broad street line, and broad ridge spur all use... the 3rd rail power system."
She rides SEPTA alot more than she rides PART (Pottstown area Rapid transit.)
She wears her father's work hat, which says "SEPTA Traffic Department" since her father doesn't wear hats, and he works at SEPTA, originally as a traffic checker, but now, as someone who puts together the kits of model trains, that SEPTA sells as whole model trains, in any scales, like HO, O, etc. At the transit gift shop.
I guess you can say, that her father gave her his work hat, and said "here, you can keep this hat." And she wears it whenever she goes outside, no matter the weather, season, temperature, etc.
If anyone asked her if she worked at SEPTA, she would just say "no, but my father does. Just he gave me his work hat, since he doesn't like wearing hats, because the hats feel weird on his head, and they block the view of what he's doing, due to the design of the hats, and he doesn't like hats due to many reasons, just I listed 2 of them." And the stranger usually said "oh ok. That's fine. I understand." And they just carry on about their day, and Catie usually just walks on, knowing life can be like a junction yard for a train, with many paths, and such.
Every city should have similar inter urban transportation. This way we could significantly reduce auto traffic, accidents, and pollution, while facilitating local transportation and commutation. The paid fares and business promotions will easily pay for the cost. By reducing accidents and casualties we save truckloads of money in the form of tax revenues. Every one wins with this type of system.
My only criticism of these vehicles is the seats. That shade of tan is extremely dull, and they look worn out. It would seem that SEPTA can replace them with seats from retired buses to make them look more modern.
The Norristown High Speed Line was at one time a bona fide RAILROAD, the Philadelphia & Western. From 1954 it was owned by Red Arrow, and as of 1970 it was taken over by SEPTA, who instantly turned it from a railroad into a "High-Speed Trolley" for cost efficiency. Nowadays SEPTA considers the NHSL a "Heavy Rail" line. As for the equipment, they are electric MU cars, but set up for one-man operation.
There’s light and heavy rail. So I guess we call this medium rail?
I've heard it classified as an 'interurban'. Pretty sure similar lines were mostly serviced by DMUs in the 20th century, but were similar single-car bus-sized units like this one
Between regional train and metro I guess ??
pretty funky looking trains, they sound quite similiar now scrapped trains of SL X10
I wonder why Septa has no plans to rebuild the trains or replace them with new Siemans S200 vehicles (modified with third rail shoes instead of pantographs) with all platforms lengthened to accommodate single car trains?
Good video
It's an interurban!
When two cars run coupled is there an employee checking that everyone in the second car has paid? On the Green Line in Boston, someone sits in the driver's seat even though that person is not driving
these are the Asea Brown Boveri ( ABB ) N5 cars, made in 1995 exclusively for this line.
And they are quite similiar to engine sound of SL X10 commuter train
@evangoildtransit: Cars like these would be ideal for CTA's SKOKIE SWIFT SERVICE. HOWEVER the platforms would have to be narrowed and lengthened and the overhead canapies would have to be raised by several or more feet to be able to have these Asea Brown Boveri N5 cars. People who live by and near the Skokie Swift would be in an uproar hearing the horns of these cars every 8-10 minutes and complain endlessly.
Norristown HSL Route 100 is interurban like routes 101 and 102!!
Interurban
Do you think we could see these vehicles and the Broad Street trains get replaced by a common replacement?
It’s a shame that the max speed was reduced to 55 mph after an accident in 2019
that was in 2017 according to wiki
Clearly, it's a shallow inclinator.
Automotrise.
As of 2023 I really hate this line now. First the speed and now this. How do we go from fast speed to no requesting you’re own stops? Overall 3/10 never take this line cause you’re gonna stop at every stop everything nobody get off unless it’s their stop.
It's a completely unusefull mode of transport, typical of an car made society that is the USA
What makes you say that? I find this route extremely useful for what it's clearly built as, and for the areas it serves. It's obviously a connector between suburban cities and it does it's job. I don't have a car, and I've used it to go to work and for leisure several times with no problems.
unusefull isnt a word please use the word useless instead
Stupid comment, typical of an idiot from Europe