The C3 is a bi-level coach railroad car built by Kawasaki. Ordered by the

Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is a New York state public benefit corporations, public benefit corporation in New York (state), New York State responsible for public transportation in the New York metropolitan area, New York Ci ...

for use on the

Long Island Rail Road The Long Island Rail Road , or LIRR, is a Rail transport, railroad in the southeastern part of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, stretching from Manhattan to the eastern tip of Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County on Long Islan ...

(LIRR), the cars began to enter revenue service in 1997. The rail cars are pulled and pushed by EMD DE30AC and DM30AC dual-mode (diesel and electric) locomotives. The C3 cars are powered by 480 V AC

head-end power In rail transport, head-end power (HEP), also known as electric train supply (ETS), is the electrical power distribution system on a passenger train. The power source, usually a locomotive (or a generator car) at the front or 'head' of a train, ...

supplied from the locomotive.

Description

There are three types of C3 cars: cab car with

toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human waste (urine and feces) and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting p ...

(C Car), trailer car (T Car), and trailer car with toilet (T/T car). The C car is normally at the opposite end of a consist from the locomotive. Unlike the LIRR's

electric multiple unit An electric multiple unit or EMU is a multiple-unit train consisting of self-propelled carriages using electricity as the motive power. An EMU requires no separate locomotive, as electric traction motors are incorporated within one or a number o ...

rail cars, which use fully automatic couplers making all connections between the rail vehicles (mechanical, air brake, and electrical) without human intervention, the C3 uses more traditional connectors. Cars are equipped with H type tightlock couplers, two air hose connectors, and MU, COMM, and 480 V 3-phase AC

electrical cables. The C3s are the first trains on the LIRR to feature automated announcements with LED destination sign displays, announcing the current station, the following station, and destinations along the routes. Over the years of service, the components often fell into disrepair, forcing the train crew to make announcements instead. Recently, the LIRR has made an effort to fix the non-functional components, enabling the destination signs and announcements to work again. Due to their height, the C3 coaches cannot fit through the

63rd Street Tunnel The 63rd Street Tunnel is a double-deck subway and railroad tunnel under the East River between the Borough of New York City, boroughs of Manhattan and Queens in New York City. Opened in 1989, it is the newest of the East River tunnels, as we ...

, and are thus unable to serve

Grand Central Madison station Grand Central Madison – also known colloquially as the Madison Concourse or simply Grand Central – is a commuter rail terminal for the Long Island Rail Road, Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in the Midtown East, Manhattan, Midtown East neighbor ...

History

The C3s were ordered following the successful experiment of using the C1 railcars on the LIRR's non-electrified branches, to replace the aging P72 and P75 coaches, which were in use at the time in diesel territory. Delivery of the C3s was delayed for over a year due to production problems.

Design

The C3s design was largely based on the C1 prototypes, with a few key differences. Seating inside the C3 cars is arranged as 2–2 abreast, with some rows being 2–1 abreast. The lack of a middle seat contrasts with the seating onboard the C1 prototypes; the C1s featured 3–2 abreast seating, which received poor feedback from passengers. The C3s also feature technological upgrades from its predecessors, including LED destination sign displays and automated announcements. As the C3 cars are designed to use high-level platforms, passengers enter the train on either end of the railcar on a midlevel, entering a vestibule, thence climb or descend a short flight of steps to the upper and lower seating levels; accessible seating is available on the entrance (middle) level. The cars can accommodate two

wheelchairs A wheelchair is a mobilized form of chair using two or more wheels, a footrest, and an armrest usually cushioned. It is used when walking is difficult or impossible to do due to illnesses, injury, disabilities, or age-related health conditions ...

. The seats are

cantilevered A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

, mainly to make cleaning easier. The doors on the sides of the railcars are single-leaf doors, which slide open. The C3s, like the C1s, are roughly in height and, as aforementioned, cannot serve Grand Central Madison due to their height exceeding the maximum clearance in the 63rd Street Tunnel. Additionally, the C3s are not mechanically compatible with the C1s despite the similarities between the two.

References

External links

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LONG ISLAND RAIL ROAD COMMUTER BI-LEVEL

{{LIRR and MNCR rolling stock Train-related introductions in 1997 Long Island Rail Road Rail passenger cars of the United States Double-decker rail vehicles 1997 in rail transport Kawasaki rolling stock

Description

History

Design

See also

References

External links