M-8 Cars - Delivery and Acceptance

Train538 wrote:Croton?! Didn't see that coming! I guess they're making a stop in Yonkers before heading to New Haven. Great shots!

No, the sets at Croton are being tested between CP 12 and CP 19 in the evenings.

Oh, okay. Interesting. Thanks for the information.

6510 had an 8-car set & 3519 had a 6-car set today. Saw them at Fairfield Metro.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfYIQAAD ... AAAAWgAJAA

Actually the sets towed from Croton are brand new and get towed straight to New Haven.
They have nothing to do with test trains.
CSX is now delivering the M-8's to west yard in Croton, instead of New Haven.

Roger that. Why West Yard?

Train538 wrote:Roger that. Why West Yard?

Probably because CSX does not have direct service from Selkirk to Cedar Hill anymore while there is daily service to Oak Point and the West Yard. The cars would be delivered a lot faster than making a detour through West Springfield then waiting to be transferred to Cedar Hill. Its no problem for MN to transfer the cars from Croton to NH with AMMO or PMMO.

http://mta.info/mnr/html/newM8.html
56 in service.
I think they're updating the page more frequently because they're trying to reach the goal they set of 60 by the end of the year.

mamaroneckrailfan wrote:http://mta.info/mnr/html/newM8.html
56 in service.
I think they're updating the page more frequently because they're trying to reach the goal they set of 60 by the end of the year.

Or they're counting cars still in transit now that Lincoln Nebraska is cranking them out on a regular basis.

Penn Central wrote:

Train538 wrote:Roger that. Why West Yard?

Probably because CSX does not have direct service from Selkirk to Cedar Hill anymore while there is daily service to Oak Point and the West Yard. The cars would be delivered a lot faster than making a detour through West Springfield then waiting to be transferred to Cedar Hill. Its no problem for MN to transfer the cars from Croton to NH with AMMO or PMMO.

The Harmon yard crew can go up to the west yard in a few minutes and bring back the cars. It can go to New Haven the same day on one of the regular deadheads.

Wow, a post in three days:

http://mta.info/mnr/html/newM8.html

Delivered to New Haven Yard Under Inspection and Testing by Kawasaki Rail Car, Inc. Conditionally Accepted by Metro-North Railroad Information Provided
68 (total) 8 60 12/22/11

60 in service! Best. Christmas. Present. Jim. Cameron. Has. Ever. Gotten. Ever.

"More M-8's In Service
A total of 60 M8s support the 48 M8s (three 8-car train sets and four 6-car train sets) operating in regularly scheduled train service as of December 27, 2011.

Seven sets is great. Sure must make getting full sets out there for every train easier....

A six car set of M8s were on the 7:24AM Semi to New Canaan, and also on the return train. It was a great round trip, being my first ever ride on the New Canaan Branch.

*Click on the images for full size*

I was on 1458 last night. The bathroom in 9103 seems to have a handle that is sticking and it has to be pressed hard to lock, the hand dryer also seems to be picky about where you pace you hands and goes on and off as you are trying to dry your hands. Hopefully these are isolated issues and don't start happening to all of them. As for the rest of the car I need to quote Dutch Rail Nut "even pig stalls are clean until you put the pigs in", and I can say for sure this is true , people have been wining about the old cars but as soon as we get the new ones they start making a mess out of them.

I rode 1595 from New Haven to Fairfield last night. The consist was 9163/9162, 9121/9120, 9147/9146, & 9125/9124 (8 cars). Still no automated Fairfield Metro announcement .

Happy New Year to everyone!

This is a video which I took from yesterday afternoon on 12/31/11 in Stamford, CT:


Train #6336 headed to Stamford Yard.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCLHsb7xj5A

I took the 4:30 PM Local train from Stamford, CT to New Rochelle on that same set which #6336 had.

Train #6533 arriving in Stamford
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSOlTyHpavQ

I was on the 4:34 on Jan 1. (6544).. First time on M8.

Seats seem a bit cramped when full and the ride did not seem as smooth as the M7's - perhaps it's the tracks.

Some dirt starting to accumulate on the floors along the walls. Still, no crud yet on the windows.

I wonder what the condition will be after 35+ years of usage.

Visiting NY from Tokyo for Christmas, I had a chance to ride the M-8 several times, as well as the Harlem and Hudson Lines, as I reconnected with friends. The M-8's are beautiful cars - pretty much as nice as anything I ride in Japan. What did surprise me though, is how dirty the interiors on these new cars are getting, apparently from the abuse meted out by New Haven Line riders. Scuffed seat backs, beer cans and paper bags rolling around sticky floors, a seat with cuts in it...really a shame after only 8-9 months of service (was on lower-numbered cars). Oddly enough, I found the Harlem and Hudson Line trains markedly cleaner, whether they were M-7's or older cars. I don't recall New Haven Line riders being the most slovenly when I lived in the area, but they definitely win the prize this time. I'm puzzled too by car exteriors; the M-8's (and the older cars too) seem already to be getting really dirty on the outside, whereas the Harlem and Hudson Line trains were pretty shiny and clean. Does the New Haven Line have no car exterior washing facilities?