During the Railworks project in 1993, SEPTA ran a train each morning from Doylestown to Philadelphia using their Bombardier coaches and a U34CH diesel borrowed from NJT
in freight mode, with the HEP turned off, they are a U36. Conrail used to borrow them for weekdend freight service, but NJT got tired of having them returned with empty fuel tanks so they wouldnt allow it.
Why is it that NJT runs diesel trains on non-electrified lines like Raritan Valley, etc. but SEPTA and Conrail terminated all diesel services to Reading, Bethlehem, Newark, NJ in July 1981? The last run from Bethlehem to Lansdale was June 30, 1981. I wish the Lehigh Valley area would have passenger service again, and the only way to do it would be with diesel trains. But, SEPTA is stuck in this all-electric, no diesel mentality for the past 27 years. I live just west of Allentown, PA.
anybody know exactly what type of horn that is. they were on most conrail engines. god i love that sound. if anybody knows exactly what it is please respond
Only one NJT 4172/EL 3372 survived the torch, it was acquired by the URHS of New Jersey prior to retirement, and is now stored in the organization's Boonton Railyard.
I miss the old Septa:-( I used to love those trains... I guess it goes with all people who aspire to be in something transportation... I want to be an airline pilot but I also love trains and wanted to work for Septa when I was younger. I live in Washington State now but I used to live in East Orange NJ and was born in Philadelphia... I visit PA every now and then. SEPTA and NJ Transit will always have a special place for me:-)
And SEPTA just ripped out the track from Coopersburg to Hellertown, so no train service to Bethlehem again unless it's rebuilt. But, the track in Bucks and Mont. counties is staying, so they could do the Qtown-Shelly service for now. All of the Bethlehem Branch in Lehigh and Northampton counties is now gone.
The Railworks Project rebuilt the entire railroad from the portal of the Center City Commuter Tunnel to Wayne Junction. That section of railroad was shut down for the summers of 1992 and 1993.
This proves that SEPTA could run diesel trains if they wanted to. They're too lazy to bring back the Quakertown service. North of Qtown would need a complete rebuild. Track from Bethlehem Union Station through South Bethlehem is torn out except for the crossings and a short section near Union Station. So, bringing back Bethlehem service is nearly impossible at this point. Trains are the only form of public transportation the Lehigh Valley area no longer has. It's all Norfolk Southern freight now
oo oo! I has seen these trains before! I didnt know they were that old! I thought they were like, new-ish. They usually send this train out on the Great Valley Flyer and the Neshaminy Limited.
GOD! The Silverliner IV's look soo different back in 93 wow... nowadays they run all the pantographs in the Same directions... and i didnt know they ran the Comets with a diesel locomotive... back then
That is the solution to run trains to Quakertown again. A diesel push-pull set like this. Of course, some of the line would have to be rebuilt as some of it might be excepted (no passenger trains permitted) such as from Lansdale to Telford. The Tel-Qtown section was upgraded recently to Class 1. After Qtown, new track would have to be built in Lehigh and Northampton Counties since they ripped the old track up in those counties. If they want service to Beth or Atown again.
NJT still runs ALP44 and ALP 46 and MU cars on electrified lines it owns, I guess septa finds that Electric locomotive hauled and EMU trains save on fuel, but It wouldn't hurt if they went back to Diesel hauled commuter trains I guess
in freight mode, with the HEP turned off, they are a U36. Conrail used to borrow them for weekdend freight service, but NJT got tired of having them returned with empty fuel tanks so they wouldnt allow it.
God I love this video even 11 years later.
I understand the the story about the horn. U34CH locomotives are more or less a 3400hp variation of the GE U36C freight locomotive.
Nice video thanks
not to many of these locos remain if any most if not all including the one in the video have sense been scrapped
Only EL 3372 (NJT 4172) survives in preservation, but is in need of extensive work to repair over 20 years of neglect and some missing pieces.
nice 7 consist on that 1st septa!
That is the old Fellwick Station between Fort Washington and Oreland
thank its gr8
Why is it that NJT runs diesel trains on non-electrified lines like Raritan Valley, etc. but SEPTA and Conrail terminated all diesel services to Reading, Bethlehem, Newark, NJ in July 1981? The last run from Bethlehem to Lansdale was June 30, 1981. I wish the Lehigh Valley area would have passenger service again, and the only way to do it would be with diesel trains. But, SEPTA is stuck in this all-electric, no diesel mentality for the past 27 years. I live just west of Allentown, PA.
why doesn't SEPTA still run consists like that today? :(
cool.
Silverliners Before the Ditchlights
anybody know exactly what type of horn that is. they were on most conrail engines. god i love that sound. if anybody knows exactly what it is please respond
they weren't very fast
U34s rule
yeah, god thats great
what station is this?
Nice video thank you for the interest I I subbed you back
If only SEPTA learned from this mistake and realized that they should be like every other commuter railroad and operate...get this...DIESELS, too!
Those U34CH locomotives have a pretty low pitched horn considering that they were exclusively passenger locomotives. Great Video.
ex-NJT U34CH 4172 currently resides on the new York & Greenwood Lake RR as their 3372.
i live right near these trains
ha, didn't know that!
Yep the last U34CH's were retired by NJT in 1994. Then most were scrapped or sold to Mexico.
EMK623 no they are still around
Only one NJT 4172/EL 3372 survived the torch, it was acquired by the URHS of New Jersey prior to retirement, and is now stored in the organization's Boonton Railyard.
I miss the old Septa:-( I used to love those trains... I guess it goes with all people who aspire to be in something transportation... I want to be an airline pilot but I also love trains and wanted to work for Septa when I was younger. I live in Washington State now but I used to live in East Orange NJ and was born in Philadelphia... I visit PA every now and then. SEPTA and NJ Transit will always have a special place for me:-)
you bet, i went out to pay a visit not too long ago, i dont live far from there. im told it's in running condition.
And SEPTA just ripped out the track from Coopersburg to Hellertown, so no train service to Bethlehem again unless it's rebuilt. But, the track in Bucks and Mont. counties is staying, so they could do the Qtown-Shelly service for now. All of the Bethlehem Branch in Lehigh and Northampton counties is now gone.
what happened to the AEM7's at that time
I remember reading about that in the train books that I have. Thank You for reminding me about that.
Eric
if youre talking about the U34CH horn, they were S3L's.
the SilverlinerV's will NOT be double decker
The Railworks Project rebuilt the entire railroad from the portal of the Center City Commuter Tunnel to Wayne Junction. That section of railroad was shut down for the summers of 1992 and 1993.
This proves that SEPTA could run diesel trains if they wanted to. They're too lazy to bring back the Quakertown service. North of Qtown would need a complete rebuild. Track from Bethlehem Union Station through South Bethlehem is torn out except for the crossings and a short section near Union Station. So, bringing back Bethlehem service is nearly impossible at this point. Trains are the only form of public transportation the Lehigh Valley area no longer has. It's all Norfolk Southern freight now
oo oo! I has seen these trains before! I didnt know they were that old! I thought they were like, new-ish.
They usually send this train out on the Great Valley Flyer and the Neshaminy Limited.
GOD! The Silverliner IV's look soo different back in 93 wow... nowadays they run all the pantographs in the Same directions... and i didnt know they ran the Comets with a diesel locomotive... back then
That is the solution to run trains to Quakertown again. A diesel push-pull set like this. Of course, some of the line would have to be rebuilt as some of it might be excepted (no passenger trains permitted) such as from Lansdale to Telford. The Tel-Qtown section was upgraded recently to Class 1. After Qtown, new track would have to be built in Lehigh and Northampton Counties since they ripped the old track up in those counties. If they want service to Beth or Atown again.
SEPTA traded a couple of the AEM-7's to NJT for the U34CH's for the duration of the Railworks project.
What horn does Septa U34CH #4154 have?
Leslie RS3L
@drmayo99, no, they had been retired a few years before, the ones in this video are Silverliner IV's
this is Lansdale, PA dude
NJT still runs ALP44 and ALP 46 and MU cars on electrified lines it owns, I guess septa finds that Electric locomotive hauled and EMU trains save on fuel, but It wouldn't hurt if they went back to Diesel hauled commuter trains I guess
Whatever happened to SEPTA’s U34s?
scrapped
Dammit i like the classic days
I live next to this town!!!!
This book may be of interest:
www.ebay.com/itm/SEPTA-Building-the-Future-Collectible-Book-40-pages-Philadelphia-Public-Transit/233167079476
Yuck, plain blue! I like the U34CHs in their original paint better! Nice video, 5*****!
Society to Eliminate Public Transportation Altogether
@amtrakseptaguy11 im sorry i said this i already knew i feel dumb sorry