Video: "Cab view" into Philadelphia 30th Street

[Texan Eagle]

On the day after NTD, I rode some commuter rail around Philadelphia. The highlight was getting to ride the brand new Silverliner V trainset of SEPTA that has a "railfan's window" up front on the first car where passengers can sit right next to the engineer/driver and see the view up front. I took this video as we started our entry into Philadelphia 30th Street station from Trenton line. I did not zoom in on purpose since I wanted to keep it as natural and close to exactly how the driver sees ahead as possible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cQ1yWm6h0E

 

[MrFSS]

Nice - Thanks for sharing.

 

[jis]

Hey! I recognize that! I was sitting right behind you.

 

[Acela150]

Did they have the true Railfan seat open? Or was that first row as usual blocked off.

 

[Texan Eagle]

Did they have the true Railfan seat open? Or was that first row as usual blocked off.

First row was blocked off, but then that makes the second row the railfan seat since no one is sitting ahead of you giving you an unobstructed view through the front window.

 

[fairviewroad]

Very nice, thanks for posting it here.

 

[Acela150]

Did they have the true Railfan seat open? Or was that first row as usual blocked off.

First row was blocked off, but then that makes the second row the railfan seat since no one is sitting ahead of you giving you an unobstructed view through the front window.

Septa has gone through this whole debate about opening up that front row. They stuck with closing it. Losing two seats per train. Their reasoning is "safety first". They cited passengers with bags could possibly block the engineer from "bailing" from the cab, and they also don't want to kill the passengers in the first two seats. You ask my opinion, If your sitting in the second row of seats and the engineer can bail out, if they run into the back of another train the passengers in the Second row and the Engineer would most likely be dead. If you sit in the first or second row doesn't matter, you run into a train your chances of survival are just downright slim, unless it's in the CCCT, or at slow speed on a main. In the CCCT trains are only going about 15-20 MPH. So you can have a decent stopping time with the way the V's brake. But think about it, the MFL has a "rail fan" seat and that was never made a deal of. So what gives? Ask Septa.

 

[Texan Eagle]

But think about it, the MFL has a "rail fan" seat and that was never made a deal of. So what gives? Ask Septa.

That's exactly what I was thinking too. I took a ride on SEPTA's Market Frankford line too, sitting at the "true" railfan seat up front and it was awesome. I did not take a video there but here is a picture from the rail fan window-