C-1 Bi-level cars

Anyone have any updated info on those C-1 Bi-level cars that the LIRR sold to Ken Bitten and were stored on the property of the Naugatuck Railroad ?

yes their still there with no prospect oif going anywhere.

Any good reason that they cant be used today, maby some retrofitting?
just asking

Not so fast. I've heard there may be a buyer of the cars from Canada. Stay tuned...

Jay

Wait a minute! The C-1s were ALSO sold to Ken Bitten???

BTW, isn't/wasn't he dba Mid-Atlantic Railcar?

Us roster-types need to know!

The C1 cars have been sold. They are no longer on the property.

While we're on the topic of C-1s, does anybody have their actual "withdrawn from service" date?

December, 1999 when the first DM train took over trains 605, and 660. The first engines to take over was 508, and 513. (508 was the first engine to have the relocated horns).

Neil,

Thanks, man!

Yes, the C1's were sold to Ken Bitten, dba Mid Atlantic Railcar. They're currently stored in Connecticut.

Jay

Thanks Jay,

While we're still talking about the C1s, can someone take a look at this data and tell me what's NOT correct? This is my addition to the Bob Emery roster. If anyone still has any kind of promotional literature/brochure that described the C1s, that would be MOST useful! I'm still missing length (I presume 85'0" long), height, width and weight.

Exterior: Stainless steel, bi-level locomotive-hauled coach; semi-permanently coupled in pairs with a drawbar between; no cab; diaphragms; single sliding side doors; light-emitting-diode side destination signs; N2A automatic couplers on the ends of each pair; 480v (?) heating/lighting/air conditioning system.
Interior: 1?? seat coach; vinyl flooring; 2/3 non-reversible vinyl seating in various color patterns (color(s)??); one toilet per pair (?); no vestibules; hinged end doors; fluorescent lighting; air conditioned; public address system; door close warning bell.
Dispositions: Sold to Mid-Atlantic Railcar, PA (2000?). Stored in Torrington, CT in 2004.
General: These cars were an experiment in new car technologies for a future order to replace all of the 1955-56 Pullman-Standard cars. There was no existing equipment (locomotives or power cars) to provide the 480v (?) required for these cars. Initially, two METRA (Chicago) E8As (516 and 521) were leased to operate with them. Retired FA2 #608 was converted into a power car, numbered 3100 and was used exclusively with the C1s. At the same time, GP38-2s 251 and 269 had their standard couplers replaced with N2A automatic couplers to haul the C1s and the power car. The METRA E8As were then returned to Chicago. When the ex-Metro North FL9s 300-302 arrived, they replaced the two GP38-2s and power car.

Additions? Deletions?

Thanks in advance!

266, and 259 were the units used to move the C1's, while 269, and 251 were backups to them if one of the other engines went caput, and this case 259 was a regular which did many times. The C1's never had side destination illuminated signs like the C3's do now. Yes, the bathrooms were in each odd car in front, and not in the B side like the C3's do now. The C1's did have 3x2 seating, and also had another feature when the door opened, a beep, and this was just after the C1's were placed into service. That feature however was removed. I found that quite interesting once waiting for the train with my mother at the parking lot in Port Jeff back in 1991.

Neil,

Thanks! AFTER I sent the last post, I went downstairs to find my slides of the C1s and saw that they did not have the side destination signs. I had forgotten that the GP38-2s had both of their couplers replaced, not just on their 'B' ends.

So there were four GP38s, not two. I figured out that the C1s went into service on Monday, August 19, 1991, which also happened to be Hurricane Bob day! By the following week (Wednesday, August 28, at least), the METRA E8As had been replaced with the power car and the GP38s but do we have an EXACT date?

And yes, I have slides of them with the E8As at Shea Stadium (the test site) and in service on the first sunny day after the hurricane, which was Thursday, the 22nd.

can you post the pictures

Mr. Met,

I would LOVE to post the photos. Alas, Santa didn't bring me a scanner! One of these days............