$3,398,000 each. Nicer ride, more comfortable seats, hot-rod acceleration. Bigger windows than on the older single-level cars provide a wider view forward and back, and the upper level lets a rider see above the trackside debris and structures for a longer view of the urban and rural scenery.

 

Information on the acquisition and funding of these cars is in the "What Other States ..." thread under Transportation > Railways ...

 

Currently, the new cars operate on westbound trains 102, 212, 114, and 116, and eastbound trains 203, 107, 109, and 211. Schedules are on the South Shore web site

 

Train 109 at Millennium Park Station awaiting passenger boarding for 2:35p.m. departure:

 

At Michigan City Carroll Avenue, location of South Shore's storage yard and maintenance shops:

 

 

 

Train 109 moves to a storage track to allow Chicago-bound Train 20 from South Bend to approach the boarding platform:

 

ahh, new and clean. very sharp.

 

is that the luggage rack running down the middle? hmm, when filled it would wall you off from the other passengers, not sure if that is good or bad.

The grid down the middle is the luggage rack for lower level. For upper-level passengers there's a shelf between the center stanchions. At any rate, the view out the window is usually more interesting to me than the view of other passengers; South Shore commuters occasionally include a little eye candy, but not a lot.

 

On Metra's manicured track between Kensington and Millennium, these cars are smooth and quiet like riding on air. South Shore's track handles coal and steel as well as passengers, and although it's not a rough, swaying ride, it is noisier with some vibration. These cars are still markedly superior to the older ones in ride quality and noise level, though.

lol, yeah looking at the scenery out the window is usually more interesting for sure, but i was thinking of it from more of a safety point of view than an aesthetic one rob. still not sure what to make of that, but of course the luggage has to go somewhere.

 

anyway nice shots and i was just going to ask hows the ride -- thx for adding those remarks.

Yeah, I have never seen Bi-Level cars with that open center.  That's interesting.  They look cosy and comfortable.  I'd ride in one of those for sure.

^ The open center is the norm on Chicago-area Metra trains.

^ The open center is the norm on Chicago-area Metra trains.

 

Yep. The open center simplifies fare collection, because the conductor only has to walk down the lower-level aisle to collect from both levels. It also simplifies HVAC air circulation systems.

 

Caltrain (San Francisco) has some locomotive-hauled bilevel gallery cars of very similar design, built by Nippon Sharyo. Caltrain also has some bilevel cars of the closed design first created by GO Transit (Toronto) in the 1970s.

Thanks!

Those look nice, good to see NICTD putting some money into some upgrades...the South Shore never seemed like it was kept up as well as the Metra lines.  I'll have to plan a trip to the dunes to ride one.

^ The open center is the norm on Chicago-area Metra trains.

 

Yep. The open center simplifies fare collection, because the conductor only has to walk down the lower-level aisle to collect from both levels.

 

 

rob or urbansurfin, are you saying the conductor walks along the bottom level and reaches all the way up in between there to collect fares? and the upper level passengers reach across the aisle and down under the luggage rack to hand tickets back and forth? hmm. seems to make for awkward reaching.

 

 

I think you clip your ticket on that rail when you sit down...if you look close at the pic you see some tickets still there.  Then the conductor walks through and punches them.  It's really not that awkward when you do it, even though it would seem like it.

You can do that, but normally you hand the conductor your ticket when he asks for it. He tears off the stub and hands it back, and puts a small slip of paper in the clip to show that the fare has been collected. At some stations there's no ticket office or the ticket office isn't open when your train departs; then, you just pay your fare in cash on board and get a tear-off receipt showing the amount paid. I keep my stubs because my travel expense usually is deductible.

 

It's not that much of a reach; the nearest people in that photo are short, and the man in the doorway ahead probably is around 6 feet tall; I'm about 5'10" and I wouldn't have any trouble reaching a ticket handed down by an upper-level passenger. The upper-level passengers have to lean down, of course, but that's not a problem because those seats are singles and the aisles are narrow.

 

Most regular commuters use passes, and they only have to show them.

Good looking choo-choos. The heavier car helps give them a better ride, to say nothing of them being newer than the single-level cars.

So are those bi-level cars not as tall as other bi-level cars, such as LIRR, or NJ Transit bi-level cars? I use those examples because those are the only trains I have been on that had bi-level cars. I would think that design must allow them to be at least three or four feet shorter in height considering most people's heads are in that center channel.  Or are the bottom floors not as low?  I'm just curious.

So are those bi-level cars not as tall as other bi-level cars, such as LIRR, or NJ Transit bi-level cars?  I use those examples because those are the only trains I have been on that had bi-level cars.  I would think that design must allow them to be at least three or four feet shorter in height considering most people's heads are in that center channel.  Or are the bottom floors not as low?  I'm just curious.

Car floors are the same height as a high-level platform, comparable to the height of an Amtrak platform or car floor. The center doors are high-level, and the end doors have both traps and steps, like an Amtrak car, so that they can be used with either high-level or low-level platforms.

So are those bi-level cars not as tall as other bi-level cars, such as LIRR, or NJ Transit bi-level cars? I use those examples because those are the only trains I have been on that had bi-level cars. I would think that design must allow them to be at least three or four feet shorter in height considering most people's heads are in that center channel. Or are the bottom floors not as low? I'm just curious.

Car floors are the same height as a high-level platform, comparable to the height of an Amtrak platform or car floor. The center doors are high-level, and the end doors have both traps and steps, like an Amtrak car, so that they can be used with either high-level or low-level platforms.

 

rob i think the thing is the difference between the galley style and the bi-level style commuter car. those are the two basic styles and really the differences are apples and oranges. djorion (and i) are used to the bi-level style of the lirr double-deckers. the galley style is higher off the ground and could hold emu's, which i assume these probably do.

 

however, i have another question for you. the galley cars seem narrower and taller than the bilevels, do you think that is so?

 

if you arent sure, here are the dimensions of the lirr kawasaki bilevel cars:

 

CAR LENGTH 

85' (25,900 mm)

CAR WIDTH

9' 10.5" (3,010 mm)

CAR HEIGHT

14' 5.59" (4,410 mm)

 

photo:

http://world.nycsubway.org/perl/show?72607

 

i had no luck on the metra or company website, so if you can could you find any of those sumimoto dimensions and post them here just for comparison sake? from the pictures i'm guessing just a little narrower and taller. thx

 

Yeah that's what confused me.  I think those Gallery cars have higher floors, and are a bit taller than the LIRR and NJT cars.  When you walk into an LIRR or NJT double decker, you have a lot of headroom on both levels.  On these South Shore cars, it looks like the only headroom for the lower level is through that center channel.  That was the part that intrigued me.  And mrnyc, I think those are narrower.  IIRC, the top levels of the LIRR cars have two seats deep on each each side whereas the South Shore only has one seat deep.  I know that's probably compensating for the center channel, but still. Plus the center aisle on the lower level seems a little narrower. 

 

This thread is making me miss those train rides to and from NYC and Montauk though haha.

I'm tapped out on construction and specification info, guys. There's been a lively, informed, and informative discussion on SSP, with input by some knowledgeable people.

^ good thread. i still cant find any sumimoto specs tho. sumimoto doesn't seem to let loose of that info as readily as kawasaki does. of course they are more alike than they are different anyway and i was just curious, no big deal.

These look like electrified modern version of the old bi-level commuter cars one used to see on...I guess metra...but they also look --in basic form---like the cars on the Milwaulkee Road commuter service that predated Metra.  Windows are much larger, though.

These look like electrified modern version of the old bi-level commuter cars one used to see on...I guess metra...but they also look --in basic form---like the cars on the Milwaulkee Road commuter service that predated Metra.  Windows are much larger, though.

 

The big windows make a big difference; I like the upper-level seats because they afford a view that I've never seen before, and the bigger windows give a much wider view forward and back.

 

Note the similarity between the new South Shore gallery cars and the new Metra Electrics; both were built by Sumitomo, basically to the same specifications with a few relatively minor differences. The Metra Electric cars have digital displays on the lead cars to show the train number, whereas South Shore doesn't need those.

 

Old Metra Electric gallery cars:

 

Wow, now THAT's how to commute with style.

The NJT/LIRR bi-levels are actually a bit shorter than the gallery cars, because of the extremely limited vertical clearances in the Hudson River tubes and inside Penn Station. I have some exact numbers at home, and will try to remember to look them up and post them tonight.

 

The 10.5' car width and 85' length would be the same for any mainline railroad. The gallery cars only look narrower because they're taller.

Very nice!