Silverliner
| Silverliner | |
|---|---|
| In service | SL-I: 1958-1990 SL-II: 1963-2012 SL-III: 1967-2012 SL-IV: 1973-present SL-V: 2010-present |
| Manufacturer | SL-I/II: Budd Company SL-III: St. Louis Car Company SL-IV: Budd Company, General Electric SL-V: Hyundai Rotem |
| Number built | SL-I: 6 SL-II: 56 SL-III: 20 SL-IV: 232 SL-V: 120 |
| Formation | SL-I/II/III: Single unit SL-IV/V: Married Pair and Single Unit |
| Operators | Pennsylvania Railroad Reading Railroad Penn Central Railroad Conrail (under SEPTA) SEPTA |
| Lines served | SEPTA Regional Rail |
| Specifications | |
| Car body construction | Stainless steel |
| Doors | SL-I/II/III/IV 2 end doors w/ traps SL-V: 3 Quarter point (2+1), two w/ traps |
| Maximum speed | 100 mph (160 km/h) |
| Traction system | SL-II/III/IV: Transformed alternating current fed initially through Ignitron and later Silicon-controlled (Arrow III) rectifiers to phase angle DC motor controller. SL-V: IGBT fed AC Drive. |
| Electric system(s) | 12,000V 25 Hz AC |
| Current collector(s) | catenary |
| Braking system(s) | Pneumatic, Dynamic (SL-IV/V only) |
| Coupling system | Budd "Pin and Cup" style |
Silverliner is the name given to a series of electric multiple unit railcars in commuter rail service in the Philadelphia area since 1958. There are currently 5 generations of Silverliner cars, identified by the roman numerals I through V placed after the name Silverliner. The Silverliner name came from the first classes' shiny stainless steel body shell compared with the painted (or rusting) carbon steel railcars placed in service by the Pennsylvania and Reading Railroads between 1915 and 1936. The first Silverliner class of 6 experimental units was purchased directly by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1958 from the Budd Company. Initially called Pioneer III's, after the Budd railcar family they were based on, it was the second order of 56 cars purchased by the Passenger Service Improvement Corporation in 1963 that were the first to bear the name Silverliner. With the purchase of a further set of Silverliner's n 1967 the original 6 were renamed Silverliner I and because the new cars with their faster acceleration, quiet ride and air conditioning made such an impression on the public that the name stuck and has since been applied to all subsequent MU classes purchased by what became the local public transit authority, SEPTA, for the Regional Rail services.