R36 Combine Coach wrote:When the PL42s were delivered in 2005-06, they were originally intended to replace all GP40FHs (15), with the 13 CNJ units. Only six years later have the last FH units been removed from passenger service. Why so long?
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Mainly an increase in ridership over that time, meaning more trains.
The PLs did replace some FHs, as well as some F40s, as they are up in Canada still on lease to AMT - thats 7 locos right there. Also, the 5 FHs that were pulled from service and rebuilt into the MP20 switchers.
However, don't forget that the P40s have been added to the fleet, and while they were mainly used for ACES, they have and still do work sometimes on revenue trains.
I think they hung on for so long simply because they worked. Also, it was a kind of cushion with the Geep fleet - if a Geep needed to be used for work service, an FH could step in. The PLs and P40s are used for the ML trains, and while they do power the Comet sets, they HAVE to power the ML sets, and sometimes PLs can be in short supply.
I would think that some of the CNJ geeps would be pulled from service next, and have work done to them to make them into work engines. Its been mentioned on here a few times that NJT might do some kind of work to the CNJ Geeps and use them for work train service. Im assuming mods would be removing HEP motor, and putting on actual switching steps on the rear. Hopefully that happens, because they would be great work engines, it would be even better if they were re-geared like a freight loco and not a passenger loco....might be able to be rated for more than 10 loaded stone hoppers per diesel.......
Of course, if any other diesel has a major or catastrophic failure in whatever series, that might be yanked from service for a while or permanently
