ex-MARC Units Discussion

MEC407 wrote:Not a bad idea in theory, except that a rebuild of that scope would cost almost as much as a brand new locomotive. :-\

Well...they could just rebuild the 61 and 67, and keep the others as is...it could be a pilot for other commuter railroads with old GP40s. Plus 2 extra locomotives is better than none, no?..

Yeah, but we're talking millions of dollars per locomotive. I'm not trying to shoot down your idea -- it's not a bad idea! -- but it would likely cost almost as much as ordering a couple more MP36s from MPI. As it is, MPI gives railroads the option of reusing trucks and possibly even reusing frames, which is ultimately what you'd be doing, since almost everything else would have to be replaced (the long hood would need to either have some major modifications or outright replacement, since the 710ECO requires a much bigger radiator in order to meet EPA emissions standards).

Well, if all else fails, they could probably do an overhaul on them as they are doing with the GP40MCs. But, the MBTA doesn't own the ex-MARC units (they were leased) so they don't really have any say in what to do with them.

The frames and trucks are really tired on the MARC units. They are ready for retirement.

Yes, it is agreed that the frames trucks prime movers etc. on the MARC units are beyond their useful life. The original locomotives were freight GP40s built in 1966!

last night, Friday 3/9, 61 and 67 went west on Q437 out of Framingham...the 1118 was NOT with them

Well they are reunited again at Selkirk as the 1118, 61 & 67 went south out of
Selkirk on Q433-11.

Seems the two MARC units are being mistakeningly sent to Baltimore and not Boise. They are
moving under MARC reporting marks. Probably the AEI tags were never changed!

D

Ah so that why I couldn't locate them under MBTX 61 and 67.

I wonder where they're going.... Maybe back to MARC? (Perhaps MPI has some arrangement with MARC for storage since they were sitting on MARC property long after they were traded in?)

diburning wrote:Ah so that why I couldn't locate them under MBTX 61 and 67.

I wonder where they're going.... Maybe back to MARC? (Perhaps MPI has some arrangement with MARC for storage since they were sitting on MARC property long after they were traded in?)

NETTransit sez:

61 and 67 off lease 11/11, returned 03/12

MARC has now retired of all its Geeps (not sure if all are disposed yet). Highly unlikely they're taking one back after MPI handled the disposal. The last of their replacement-order MP36's went into service this month, so they are at a full revenue fleet.

By Geeps do you mean the GP40WH-2s only, or all GPs? I thought they were still running a few GP39H-2s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw4D3_0QKWg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ATlaP1BMM

MEC407 wrote:By Geeps do you mean the GP40WH-2s only, or all GPs? I thought they were still running a few GP39H-2s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw4D3_0QKWg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_ATlaP1BMM

Just the 40's. They've got 6 of the 39's, but those only have enough juice to pull 4 cars so they're rare in peak-hour service. They're pretty old...passenger rebuild pre-dates the WH-2's by a few years, but the lighter duty has kept them from getting quite as worn out. Don't know if there are replacement plans yet, but they're well past the 25-year service mark on MARC.

F-line to Dudley via Park wrote:

diburning wrote:Ah so that why I couldn't locate them under MBTX 61 and 67.

I wonder where they're going.... Maybe back to MARC? (Perhaps MPI has some arrangement with MARC for storage since they were sitting on MARC property long after they were traded in?)

NETTransit sez:

61 and 67 off lease 11/11, returned 03/12

MARC has now retired of all its Geeps (not sure if all are disposed yet). Highly unlikely they're taking one back after MPI handled the disposal. The last of their replacement-order MP36's went into service this month, so they are at a full revenue fleet.

IIRC, the GP40WH-2s were stored at MARC before the MBTA leased them. AFAIK they never left MARC property after MARC traded them in to MPI until the MBTA leased them. I know that MPI had been trying to lease/sell them for a while (they made a neat brochure for them)

It's odd how they went south on the River Line on CSX if they're going to MPI.

I do remember that when the MBTA was taking delivery of the 5 leased units, another 5 went north up to Selkirk, then subsequently west. I don't know what happened to those.

All 3 units have been interchanged to NS at Oak Island, NJ

All the units that came north but did not go to the T went west to Boise. MPI has been slowly moving all the units out there. Only a handful still remain on MARC property.

If they've been handed off to NS at OI, they'll be heading west on the Lehigh Line, I would guess on 19G.

The MARC units still show in Oak Island on CSX.

The 1118 is already headed west on NS 19G and into Allentown

D