Letting Off Steam- No Pun intended

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I've found your threads quite interesting and educational. I grew up on "the Main Line." I rode the red growlers every day and then the the "silverliners" every day when the replaced the red cars.

But I didn't know there were so many different versions, or that they weren't ALL "Silverliners."

I did notice that the first ones had what appeared to be big visible "outboard" disk brakes and the subsequent ones did not.

But other than that, you've educated me ... thank you!

I'm happy that people here definitely understand and appreciate this stuff. Otherwise, i think i'd be out of luck entirely!

Well, there are Silverliners 1 through 4, and Arrows 1 through to 3.

The first ones, the "Pioneer III" cars (later renamed Silverliner I) were from 1958 and had the diamond pantographs. the Silverliner IIs followed in 1963. These had the "Pioneer III" Truck. The break discs were originally out board on those cars, but to much junk got caught in them, so they moved them inside. Starting with the Silverliner IIIs and Arrow Is (all part of the same order to St. Louis Car company from Penn Central and local DOTs) they started getting the GSI 70 ton trucks that are used on almost everything now. the Pioneer trucks i think were eventually replaced with the GSI kind.

The main spotting difference between an Arrow and a Silverliner is Center Hi-level doors. Arrows have them, Silverliners do not. Arrows are also pretty much all run in New Jersey, with short stints across the PRR electrified regions being loaned to Amtrak and Maryland. The silverliners call Philly home.