Boating to see Shore Line East’s new Kawasaki M8’s service plus lots of Amtrak. 6/3/22

After ferry ride from Port Jefferson, we start with MN M8 ride Bridgeport to New Haven thence highlights of SLE M8 ride to New London. This is punctuated by exciting trackside action at Guilford, Old Saybrook, and the horns of New London with its numerous railroad crossings, a rarity on the NE Corridor. The M8’s on SLE are well received by both passengers and crews alike. Smooth riding cars. (Correction-M8’s on SLE service began on 5/23, not 5/31)

[@steve-o981]

From someone who during the '50s and '60s traveled almost all of the various routes you have during the past year, I have to say that most of them look in much better shape today than they did then....the trains themselves, stations, other infrastructure...everything...even a lot less trash and junk in the railbeds. Thanks for taking us along on these great railfan travels.

[@ubirdmanmike2108]

😊

[@sagesage7167]

You do A very beautiful service thank you for your time and patience Us train enthusiasts APPRECIATE IT MY KNOWLEDGE AND INFORMATION HAS GROWN THANK YOU 🙏🏾

[@66kprdwd]

The milepost you show at Guilford displays the mile location (top) and (bottom) shows the number of catenary poles within that mile.

[@robertcantore330]

The M-8s are awesome!!! So cool they can run via third rail or pantograph!!

[@scottyerkes1867]

Yep they do. I've ridden them GCT to Bridgeport.

[@williamralph5442]

Being a Connecticut Yankee, I enjoyed this video. Rode the NH many times to New York and beyond. When I was in school, we took field trips to the Shakespeare Theatre as you mentioned. Thanks RRF.

[@blakemcnamara9105]

I wish they gave these M8s the New Haven logo.

[@TheJtrainskids]

That sound you Heard at 14:19 is to communicate with train crew to let them know they're switching tracks. Especially if they're walking between cars to check tickets. Like previously on M3/M3A's they used to speak over the PA in Say "crossover" and now they play that sound on M7/M7A/M8 and I believe the M9 also but I've never heard it on them

[@3985uprr]

I’ve heard that for years but had absolutely no idea what it meant. Thanks

[@jonathonford6894]

J0

[@chriszubof7229]

Congratulations on an excellent June 3 video. You did a great job with both video and commentary. Retired Railfan at your best👍

[@LuisLopez-hf4ed]

Right on, totally on spot...had a great time..thank you

[@frankgrimesification]

Nice video! Brings back memories of the summers I spent at my uncles house in Madison when I was a kid a long long time ago.

[@davidkalbacker6033]

Long day - great trains - super information - also enjoyed restaurant review

[@stevetalkstoomuch]

The track and catenary in CT from Greenwich to New Haven is owned and maintained by ConnDOT. Trains are operated by MetroNorth, but the State owns most of the M8 cars. The transmission line overbuild is owned by the utilities (Eversource and UI) and is in the process of being moved onto separate towers to get it off the catenary gantries. The third-rail shoes had to be removed because of clearance issues on the bridges.

[@seankaiser2505]

I heard somewhere that M8 max speeds have been raised to 90 MPH on SLE service

[@revdfp]

Nice video and commentary. You didn't mention that at Old Saybrook, the wye there is the connection of the Valley Railroad (Essex Steam Train and Riverboat) with their excursion service including 3 steam engines and dinner train service.

[@3985uprr]

Yeah I’m not sure why I didn’t bring that up

[@3985uprr]

Yeah not sure why I didn’t bring that up

[@pauljohansson288]

Those are nice looking trains.

[@michaelrocker9000]

M8 top speed 100 mph by design · 90 mph Shore Line East service · 80 mph Metro North service. I wonder why? I remember back in the 1970's when I rode the LIRR and got on the M1 I saw them get up to 100 MPH. I thought it was so cool after taking the subway for years. BTW you mentioned some of the sights in New London but you didn't mention General Dynamics Electric Boat where they build Submarines for our Navy.

[@evangouldtransit]

i am actually pretty sure the P.T and the Grand Republic are both powered by two GM EMD 710s, the exact same engine the DE/DM30AC has. at least that's what i heard from a short documentary. the Park City is the one powered by Caterpillars, which i believe are either EPA Tier 2 or Tier 3. these are not original to the vessel, however, unlike the EMDs in the other two.

[@vincentzablocki4930]

Who's luckier than You Mr. Retired Railfan...a nice day out, lots of trains and some good food. What it must have been like back in the day with New Haven freights mixed in with the passenger trains. For the model layout, the second NH high hood was an RS11. Thanks for providing interesting videos...be well, VZ

[@seanC3i]

It's not a fault of the M8s that they can't run on overhead wires into Penn Station. The overhead lines into Penn use AC power at 25 Hz which the M8s cannot use - to be able to do so would require them to have significantly heavier transformers and frankly it's just easier to switch between AC whatever voltage at 60hz and DC which is relatively simple. Low frequency railroad electrification (like 25hz in the US and 16.7 or 16 2/3 hz in Germany and surrounding countries) solved a lot of early railroad electrification problems but these days is more trouble than it's worth, and it's now generally preferred to use the same frequency as the national grid (60hz in the case of US). Interestingly though, the M8s predecessors, the M2 series cars dating back to the 1970s, did have the ability to run on 25hz power because that's what Penn Central (successor to the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad) was running on the line at the time, but the cars were ordered to be able to support 60hz power as well in case the supply was ever changed, which it was I think in the late 1980s.

[@michaellittlejohns7968]

Great video

[@CTrail1711]

One daily Waterbury Branch train stops at Stratford.

[@JcPiam]

Another great video! Love the Music Dance Experience lighting effect at the 1:59 minute mark caused by the camera's frame rate.

[@3985uprr]

I noticed that but any pyrotechnics I put on the video are by accident.😀😀

[@66kprdwd]

Shore Line East began service in 1990. MAS for M8s between New Haven and New London is 90 MPH in a couple of locations. The M8s designed for SLE service have no 3rd rail shoes due to an underpass in East Haven that does not have the required clearance.

[@3985uprr]

Yeah conductor on SLE said maximum was 80 so that’s what I was basing it on but it seemed faster

[@jamallhayden2512]

@@3985uprr The conductor was wrong.

[@williamfrank7565]

as I checked..... you are correct 85 does indeed now operate out of boston...thanks for that update..... sorry about comment below...should have checked first

[@allyreneepenny9447]

So amazing and beautiful this video 👌😍

[@jfp3earth357]

@54:33 CT rail Shore Line East has plans to add an additional Station in Niantic in East Lyme, CT

[@necluda001]

Something I’ve noticed about the shore line east m8’s is that the destination boards work to new haven. But not to new London. My prediction is that the destination boards were programmed prior to being put in service. Although… I would have thought that you would have the ability to type in a destination and it would display it. I find it interesting.

[@PGHammer21A]

Because of the changes since I rode the rails - and especially merely between 1980 and now - that I hope to be able to take Mom with me as she had no chance to ride the rails herself as she grew up - as SEPTA did not exist when she grew up - she did NOT ride the Pennsy between Philadelphia and Chester - let alone as far south as Baltimore. I never rode the Wilmington - Newark Line, though i knew OF it - at the time, I rode the line only on weekends, when SEPTA did NOT run at the time.

[@NEFeldman]

Once again the elevator is broken on the MV Grand Republic! My wife and I came back from Springfield in 2019, and the elevator was out of service.

[@bobainsworth5057]

Clean windows ,Woow!

[@jfp3earth357]

Have you seen the new CT rail P40BH locomotives we have now running on the Hartford Line yet???

[@bossf51]

He has ridden them and posted a video.

[@scottyerkes1867]

Great video!! I did MNR GCT to Bridgeport,ferry to Port Jeff and LIRR to Penn Station. Fantastic trip!! Thanks RR for a great video!!😀😀💚💚

[@blackking7512]

Do they plan to run M8s from Grand Central to New London?

[@3985uprr]

Who knows what may happen. The trains from Grand Central to New Haven run much longer than the shoreline east trains do. The platforms on Shoreline East are too short to handle those trains through from Grand Central

[@blackking7512]

@@3985uprr Mmmmm I see. Are you excited to soon be able to take an LIRR to Grand Central. I'm not calling it Grand Central Madison that's a stupid name 😆

[@3985uprr]

@@blackking7512 I’m looking forward to it it will keep me very busy. No I will call it Grand Central.

[@scott5055]

How will they get power between new Rochelle and the 3rd rail ?

[@3985uprr]

The overhead wire between there and just past Hell Gate Bridge

[@brianmercy610]

How did Shore Line East get M8’s though are they part of the MTA because those stations are not on the app

[@3985uprr]

Separate. Part of CT Rail

[@brianmercy610]

@@3985uprr so they have no affiliation with the MTA

[@AaronJrBrundidge]

CTrail is part of Shore Line East

[@JcPiam]

Shore Line East and the Hartford Line are part of CTrail. The two lines share rolling stock, although with the M8s now operating east of New Haven you won’t see the diesels operating on SLE very often anymore.

[@kevinb8881]

Yes, that is correct, M8s can't run on 25 Hertz, these tomato cans on wheels are only slated for 60 Hertz, you can even run these trains to Boston!!

[@chrishowell4845]

I`m curious if there`s a Sliverliner 6 in the works

[@3985uprr]

Not aware of any

[@AaronJrBrundidge]

That's possibly for the future projects, better for the new locos for Metro-North

[@williamfrank7565]

love your videos and comments however I believe AMTRAK 85 runs from nyp to richmond....does not operate north of nyc....the train that passed was AMTRAK 173....could be wrong...if schedule changed....otherwise too early for 85..... which departs NYC at 3pm...

[@3985uprr]

That’s what I saw on Amtrak train tracker

[@williamfrank7565]

@@3985uprr again sorry the schedule did indeed change and 85 does come out of boston...as I follow the schedule closely I appreciate that update

[@mobujr]

Schedule has changed 85 now starts out of Boston

[@williamfrank7565]

@@mobujr yes,,,I see that now THANKS

[@jfp3earth357]

@32:35 CT rail owns Shore Line East Service

[@warrengibson7898]

New Haven Union Station served NYNH&H and what other RR?

[@3985uprr]

At that time that was only one. Now there are 4 operators of passenger trains.

[@warrengibson7898]

Do the M8s ever fly two pantographs? If so, what happens at the moment they pass a phase gap and the lead pan is getting power that is out of phase with the following pan?

[@3985uprr]

They cut power thru there for that reason

[@CTrail1711]

Shore Line East crew I had did not like the M8s

[@3985uprr]

Exception rather than the rule from what I found

[@CTrail1711]

@@3985uprr The people who have been around for a while like the M8s a lot more. Probably a result from remembering the strange platforms from the 90s. Today's M8s problem seem small.

[@LuisLopez-hf4ed]

What does that sound mean?

[@3985uprr]

I often wonder that myself