GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I used to take the Lindenwold High Speed Line over the bridge to Collingswood when I first started to work in the consultant design office in the old Dy-Dee Wash of New Jersey plant (where we worked 8 hours a day on product design and then whatever you could do without getting in trouble at home on converting the building into a design office and model shop for us and one or two rental office space(s).

As far as I know, it was the first totally computer-controlled commuter train. There was no motorman ... and it always stopped in the right spot at the station platform. I can remember people who wouldn't ride it because there was "nobody driving it!"

Actually, thats semi-true. the train does work automatically, but it still uses a CTC machine. The automation has more to do with station stops. However, they ALWAYS have an engineer running the train, since the engineer also is in charge of opening/closing the doors and such. This is why the Patco motor man's seat is on the left side of the car. (unusual for railroad cars). This way, he can look out the window and see everything. PATCO engineers are also required to manually control the train for one trip a day to keep in practice running the train. They are allowed to run manually as much as they want, but they tend to stick to the automatic control since its faster (train stops and starts quicker). the engineer still needs to blow the horn, and perform other operations as well (such as overriding the automatic train station stops when not required), so it is still under direct human supervision.

there is a Fourth rail in the tracks that i think controls this.