MARC buys VRE Kawaski cars

Tommy Meehan wrote:

MARC Press Release wrote: After some modifications in Maryland, the cars will begin to enter MARC service later this fall.

Is that still the case? The ex-VRE Kawasaki's will be in service this year?

I thought I read here (somewhere) that unforeseen problems were delaying the cars going into MARC service until next year. But I can't find that comment.

Yeah, that was my comment on the MARC AEM-7 thread. I e-mailed the MTA asking what was going on (with the AEM-7's and the K-cars) and this is what they replied:

"Earlier e-mails stated that MARC was hoping to start taking delivery of
the locomotives in late Fall or the early part of next year.
Unfortunately, that has been moved up to February (I believe). MARC has
already taken delivery of 13 VRE bi-level cars but they will not be put
into service until certain mechanical issues have been formatted to meet
MARC operating standards. We are hoping to start releasing some the
first of the year. Thank you for your comments. Your comments will be
made a part of the public records.
MARC/DJW"

So I guess that means we'll some of the Kawsaski's "the first part of the year." typical MTA...

Thanks.

I wonder what the problem is? The door traps??

I think I saw these cars back in early October while passing by the MARC facility on the NEC, can anyone confirm this for me. they seemed to be on a lead track.

Kaback9 wrote:I think I saw these cars back in early October while passing by the MARC facility on the NEC, can anyone confirm this for me. they seemed to be on a lead track.

You probably did. I don't take that MARC line, but the cars were sent to their Middle River facility (north of Baltimore, near Martin State Airport MARC station) on the NEC.

realtype wrote:

Kaback9 wrote:I think I saw these cars back in early October while passing by the MARC facility on the NEC, can anyone confirm this for me. they seemed to be on a lead track.

You probably did. I don't take that MARC line, but the cars were sent to their Middle River facility (north of Baltimore, near Martin State Airport MARC station) on the NEC.

Ok thanks, I tried getting a photo but I realized they were VRE to late.

Looks like the first of the cars are being put in service! I came in from overseas last night, and took the last MARC train 447 from BWI to DC (arv 10:25pm), and when I passed the MARC yard I saw a GP39 with three bilevels, and the last one at least was one of the VRE cars. It was cab car 7858 (the number is what alerted me) which continues the 7800 numbering series, and it had the same center facing seats, but the MARC scheme. Fortunately, the tiger stripes were gone, but it was dark (and I was tired) so I didn't get any other details.

I won't start riding MARC untill the end of the month (and Inaug. Day) so hopefully they'll all be in service by then. Also, there was a MARC AEM-7 at Ivy City that I'm pretty sure wasn't 4902, so its good to see another one back from DE.

Last night in Baltimore riding home on Amtrak 188, I saw 4902 as the second engine on one of the Amtrak Regionals heading to DC, I wander if it was giving MARC some problems and had to go back to Wilmington for some additional work?

realtype wrote:Looks like the first of the cars are being put in service! I came in from overseas last night, and took the last MARC train 447 from BWI to DC (arv 10:25pm), and when I passed the MARC yard I saw a GP39 with three bilevels, and the last one at least was one of the VRE cars. It was cab car 7858 (the number is what alerted me) which continues the 7800 numbering series, and it had the same center facing seats, but the MARC scheme. Fortunately, the tiger stripes were gone, but it was dark (and I was tired) so I didn't get any other details.

I won't start riding MARC untill the end of the month (and Inaug. Day) so hopefully they'll all be in service by then. Also, there was a MARC AEM-7 at Ivy City that I'm pretty sure wasn't 4902, so its good to see another one back from DE.

I would like to see a picture. When VRE had them they were numbered V601-V609 and the cabs were V701-V704.

spvanhart wrote:Last night in Baltimore riding home on Amtrak 188, I saw 4902 as the second engine on one of the Amtrak Regionals heading to DC, I wander if it was giving MARC some problems and had to go back to Wilmington for some additional work?

4902 was on the headend of 130 yesterday morning as I arrived into WAS, so it looks like it was in service all day (130 leaves WAS at about 0635).

Excited to hear about the VRE cars in service (and disappointing that I didn't see one first - maybe I'll snap the first picture)

Okay, I don't know how many are back from MSA, but 7856 and 7858, both cab cars, are in service now. I caught them on the rear of a 6-car Martinsburg Brunswick Line train (the longest set on the line, one of the two MARC sets usually composed of gallery cars, excluding the cab car) on track 8.

Here's two blurry photos :

7856 and 7858 (directly behind 7856)
Blurry interior shot of 7858

The cars are pretty much identical to the current MARC Kawasaki cab cars, except that the ditch lights were kept instead of replacing them with gyralights (the space for them is there though). The paint scheme is exactly the same as the other MARC bilevels, as well as the exterior safety decals, and the "tiger stripes" were (thankfully) removed. The interior appears unchanged from the VRE setup with the same vinyl seats still facing the center, but pockets for safety pamplets are placed on the side of the car next to each seat (like in the gallery cars) rather than on the back of the seat itself (like in the other MARC cars, or in airplanes). Also the single pane windows (which had been damaged in VRE service) were replaced with the standard two-piece MARC windows.

I see MARC replaced the windows. VRE's were not split in half. The green seats look the same as they were when they on VRE

davinp wrote:I see MARC replaced the windows. VRE's were not split in half. The green seats look the same as they were when they on VRE

Yeah, they're the same seats and the windows are dual pane (read my post above).

Those NJ Transit multi levels were quite nice and definately better then those kawasaki's. This is from a man who has run MARC VRE and Transit equipment.

r40slant wrote:Those NJ Transit multi levels were quite nice and definately better then those kawasaki's. This is from a man who has run MARC VRE and Transit equipment.

Well, they're newer, and I've heard the cab is more comfortable. But, they're not certified to go as fast 100mph vs 125mph. The interiors and seats don't seem that much different, although the MARC seats recline (pretty sure VRE's don't) and have center armrests. i don't run trains so I wouldn't know how they operate on the rails though, so I'll take your word for it. But, I do know that overall Kawasaki produces rail products that are of the same or superior quality to Bombardier's. From the various threads on the MARC and Amtrak boards the HHP-8's are despised by crews due to performance flaws.

realtype wrote:

r40slant wrote:Those NJ Transit multi levels were quite nice and definately better then those kawasaki's. This is from a man who has run MARC VRE and Transit equipment.

Well, they're newer, and I've heard the cab is more comfortable. But, they're not certified to go as fast 100mph vs 125mph. The interiors and seats don't seem that much different, although the MARC seats recline (pretty sure VRE's don't) and have center armrests. i don't run trains so I wouldn't know how they operate on the rails though, so I'll take your word for it. But, I do know that overall Kawasaki produces rail products that are of the same or superior quality to Bombardier's. From the various threads on the MARC and Amtrak boards the HHP-8's are despised by crews due to performance flaws.

VRE had leased Bombarider's a few years ago and I could see that the Kawasaki's were of better quaility than the Bombardiers. Bombarier is a Candian company, whereas Kawasaki is Japanese.