Highliner
| Highliner | |
|---|---|
A Highliner on the Metra Electric line berthed at a station in Chicago, Illinois.
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| In service | Original: 1971-2016 Stainless: 2005-present |
| Manufacturer | St. Louis Car Company, Bombardier, Nippon Sharyo |
| Family name | Original: Highliner Stainless: Budd Gallery car |
| Constructed | Original: 1971, 1978-1979 Stainless: 2005, 2012-2016 |
| Number built | St Louis: 130 Bombardier: 36 Nippon: 201+ |
| Formation | Married-pair |
| Fleet numbers | 1201–1226, 1501–1663 (Metra) 301–314 (NICTD) |
| Operator(s) | Illinois Central, Metra, NICTD |
| Line(s) served | Metra Electric, South Shore Line |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | carbon steel (original), stainless steel (new) |
| Car length | 85 feet (25.91 m) |
| Width | 10.5 feet (3.20 m) |
| Height | 15.83 feet (4.82 m) (to roof) |
| Floor height | 4.298 feet (1.31 m) |
| Doors | Original: 1 end vestibule, 2 center Stainless: 2 center |
| Maximum speed | 80 mph (130 km/h) |
| Weight | 140,000 lb (64,000 kg) (empty) |
| Traction motors | General Electric DC Motor model 1258 |
| Power output | 150 hp (110 kW) continuous, 160 hp (120 kW) maximum 1-hr rating per motor (4 per car) |
| Acceleration | 1.36 mph/s (2.19 km/(h·s)) |
| Deceleration | 1.5 mph/s (2.4 km/(h·s)) |
| Train heating | Electric heat, air conditioning |
| Electric system(s) | 1,500 V, DC Overhead lines |
| Current collection method | Pantograph |
| Bogies | Original: Outboard Bearing GSI 70 |
| Braking system(s) | Pneumatic, dynamic |
| Coupling system | Tomlinson |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
The Highliner is a bilevel Electric Multiple Unit railcar. The original series of railcars were built in 1971 by the St. Louis Car Company for commuter service on the Illinois Central Railroad, in south Chicago, Illinois.
Contents
History
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In 1926, the Illinois Central's commuter rail lines were electrified, and began operating as the "IC Electric". For almost 40 years, the IC Electric continued to operate the original fleet of heavyweight cars, until the railroad decided that a more modern railcar was needed to resume commuter operations.[citation needed] The Chicago South Suburban Mass Transit District formed in 1967 in order to qualify for federal funding to purchase new equipment for the route. The original Highliner fleet had a cost of approximately $40 million; $26.6 million was funded by a federal grant, with remainder coming from the Illinois Central.[1] The railcars operated on electric catenary, and were more efficient than their heavyweight predecessors. A typical Highliner was able to seat 156 passengers, and run faster than the heavyweight fleet.
In 1976, the newly formed Regional Transportation Authority began to fund the IC Electric commuter service. In 1983, the RTA created Metra, Chicago's commuter rail service, and in 1987, Metra purchased the IC Electric line, forming the Metra Electric Line.
The original Highliners were rebuilt from 1978 to 1979 by the Bombardier company. Starting in 2005, the original fleet began to be phased out. They were replaced by new Highliners built by Nippon Sharyo of Japan, the same company that is currently in charge of production of Metra's fleet of gallery cars. The Nippon Sharyo Highliners are similar in appearance to the passenger cars used on Metra's diesel lines. The last revenue run of the original Highliner cars was on February 12, 2016.
Currently, the South Shore Line electric railroad of Illinois and Indiana is purchasing new Highliners to supplement its fleet of EMUs.[2]
Fleet
| Car Numbers | Initial User | Year built | Builder |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1227-1386 | Metra | 2012–2016 | Nippon Sharyo |
| 1201-1226 | Metra | 2005-2006 | Nippon Sharyo |
| 301-314 | NICTD | 2008-2009 | Nippon Sharyo |
| 1631-1666 | RTA | 1978-1979 | St. Louis/Pullman |
| 1501-1630 | Illinois Central | 1971-1972 | St. Louis/Pullman |
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ MassTransitMag.com » Article » Indiana's South Shore Commuter Capacity Growing
