Metra Bilevel Assignment And Maintenance Changes

[MetraBNSF]

Looks like 1243 and 1257 were down to 10 cars yesterday.

1243 is 10 cars. Confirmed yesterday.

I can't speak for 1243 but 1257 was back to 11 cars and 1269 was back to 9 cars on 9/18/09.

[Illinifan]

I spotted cab car 8594 (normally on BNSF/SWS trains) on a Milwaukee District train today (9/19). The Milwaukee District probably received this car when the 8531 went over to the BNSF.

[MetraBNSF]

Saw 8531 leading an inbound at Downers Grove during the midday (9-21-09). I noticed that the pilot was painted red. Maybe to match the ad wrap? Or my guess is 8531 is going to be on BNSF for a while.

[MetraBNSF]

Looks like BNSF has decided to add another car to an existing trainset. The 8 car set that does #1259 in the afternoon and presumably #1206, an outbound deadhead, and an inbound run in the morning is now 9 cars. However, train #1283 has been running with 8 cars on occasion so chances are trainsets were switched. #1283 was 8 cars, went to 9, and presumably back to 8.

[tobuadantoq]

Looks like BNSF has decided to add another car to an existing trainset. The 8 car set that does #1259 in the afternoon and presumably #1206, an outbound deadhead, and an inbound run in the morning is now 9 cars. However, train #1283 has been running with 8 cars on occasion so chances are trainsets were switched. #1283 was 8 cars, went to 9, and presumably back to 8.

They swapped equipments.
1206-1207-1234-1249-1283 (8 cars)
1212-1213-1250-1259 (9 cars)

[Illinifan]

Cab Car 8406 remains on the Milwaukee District. I rode that coach into Chicago on Thursday (10/22). Meanwhile, 8472 remains on the UP as part of a six car set.

[byte]

Heard something interesting the other day. You know that lone smooth-sided bilevel that's been hanging out at the UP coach yard at Western Avenue? (the one that never left and came back) That exact car was the one involved in the Rachel Barton incident, and it stuck around for as long as it did because it was considered evidence in that whole case. (Let's keep our opinions on said case in the other thread, thank you) I believe it's a St. Louis car, not a Pullman.

[doepack]

Heard something interesting the other day. You know that lone smooth-sided bilevel that's been hanging out at the UP coach yard at Western Avenue? (the one that never left and came back) That exact car was the one involved in the Rachel Barton incident, and it stuck around for as long as it did because it was considered evidence in that whole case. (Let's keep our opinions on said case in the other thread, thank you) I believe it's a St. Louis car, not a Pullman.

Really? So, with the trial long since over, I wonder if they've actually found another useful purpose for it, or if UP is just keeping it around for the sake of nostalgia. Strange...

[byte]

Its presence there has probably slipped under the radar of management. UP can't technically get rid of it because it's not theirs, but the people at Metra's Western Avenue yard probably don't want it clogging up their tracks if upper management doesn't have anything in mind for it in the immediate future.

IRM is actually interested in the car as a parts source for their St. Louis bilevel. The museum was supposed to have the opportunity to go out and pick over some other St. Louis cars which were being scrapped, but before they had the opportunity an "unauthorized volunteer" went to the scrapyard, claimed he was with IRM (he wasn't), and pilfered a bunch of parts for his own collection. Upon figuring this out the scrapper shut the museum out entirely (even though they didn't actually do anything...) and they weren't able to get what they needed to do some repair work on their St. Louis car, which hasn't run in revenue service in a few years.

[doepack]

Its presence there has probably slipped under the radar of management. UP can't technically get rid of it because it's not theirs, but the people at Metra's Western Avenue yard probably don't want it clogging up their tracks if upper management doesn't have anything in mind for it in the immediate future.

IRM is actually interested in the car as a parts source for their St. Louis bilevel. The museum was supposed to have the opportunity to go out and pick over some other St. Louis cars which were being scrapped, but before they had the opportunity an "unauthorized volunteer" went to the scrapyard, claimed he was with IRM (he wasn't), and pilfered a bunch of parts for his own collection. Upon figuring this out the scrapper shut the museum out entirely (even though they didn't actually do anything...) and they weren't able to get what they needed to do some repair work on their St. Louis car, which hasn't run in revenue service in a few years.

Are you sure that the car involved in the incident was a St. Louis-built coach? Because according to one of the links in that OTHER thread, it was stated she was in the last car of an outbound train, which means that a Pullman-built ex-CNW cab car numbered in the 8700 series would have been exhibit A in the incident, since those were still in use at the time; I could be wrong, but I thought all cab cars CNW ever used were built by Pullman. Speaking of which, doesn't Metra actually still own the car? And if so, why can't IRM acquire it simply by dealing with them directly, with no scrapper involved?

[byte]

Hmm, good points. Just going by what I was told, maybe my source was mistaken and that isn't the exact car but a generic smooth-sided bilevel they retained for continued door tests.

Not exactly sure why the museum hasn't dealt with Metra yet to part out the car, but I suspect it's just not high on the list of priorities. Also if it's not a St. Louis car and is the car involved in the accident, that car is no longer a prime candidate for parting out if the museum is patient enough. The 15+ ex-VRE/UTA Pullmans that will be running around are far better candidates for grabbing parts from once they get retired (presumably after delivery of the next order of bilevels) since they've been kept "fresh."

[MetraPace]

I know the car that is in question here, but I haven't seen it in UP's yard in at least a year. Yesterday I rode the UP West Line and the Milwaukee North Line and I didn't see this car either in front of or behind UP's facility. Is it maybe inside?

-Brad

[tobuadantoq]

8594 was back at 14th Street yard and Harris Bank ad on 8531 was removed.

[byte]

Someone at the Zephyr Pit was recently feeling nostalgic:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoggermatt/4135537765/

and, even more unprecedented:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hoggermatt/4135537971/

[metraRI]

That is pretty cool... wonder who came up with that idea.