Tracking "Pennsylvania" 269

glennk419 wrote:

Silverliner II wrote:Message from an acquaintance in the know of these things:

The 269 had its main transformer removed about 5 PM today at Wayne Shop, sealing its doom...

So if INEPTA is so serious about killing what's left of the fleet, why are they still scavenging parts?

I also don't believe this 92 day crap since the balance of the SL V order will not be in service in 92 days, or even on the property by then.

Not every car comes due for its inspection at the same time, so it's not like they all will go at once. They have to scavenge parts to keep what is left operating. Besides, on a car-for-car basis, once they get 75 Silverliner V's accepted AND in service, the fleet will be at par to what it was before any of the V's arrived on the property, and they could potentially knock all the remaining Budds and Louies out of service at that point to free up what little storage space remains. Regardless of what actually happens, not all the V's will be on the property by July, but there are almost already enough here now to knock off all the remaining Silverliner II's and III's this very day. The fact that not all have finished acceptance testing and crew training is not complete saves them for now....

Is it a definite that these cars are going to be scrapped? Found them listed here for sale, ad says that there is 80 of them! Looks like some may be saved.

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds ... hp?id=3306

My apologies if this has been posted earlier.

dreese_us wrote:Is it a definite that these cars are going to be scrapped? Found them listed here for sale, ad says that there is 80 of them! Looks like some may be saved.

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds ... hp?id=3306

My apologies if this has been posted earlier.

That is still no good, a scrapper just as well as a museum could make a bid on them. 269 would only be safe if a musuem comes up with an offer that SEPTA cannot refuse, otherwise 269 stands just as much a chance of becoming part of your next kitchen set as it did when it was retired.

beanbag wrote:

dreese_us wrote:Is it a definite that these cars are going to be scrapped? Found them listed here for sale, ad says that there is 80 of them! Looks like some may be saved.

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds ... hp?id=3306

My apologies if this has been posted earlier.

That is still no good, a scrapper just as well as a museum could make a bid on them. 269 would only be safe if a musuem comes up with an offer that SEPTA cannot refuse, otherwise 269 stands just as much a chance of becoming part of your next kitchen set as it did when it was retired.

The scrapper already won the bid to buy the cars from SEPTA. The scrapper is the one that is listing them for sale. If no one picks them up, they'll be cut up in no time.

The scrapper is just feet from the EWR station right on the corridor, and the company listing them for sale reports the pickup location is NJ.

Sooooooooo I'm presuming they'll be hauled to the yards at Newark and disposed of from there.

The purchase from SEPTA requires that the cars be removed from SEPTA properties.

dreese_us wrote:Is it a definite that these cars are going to be scrapped? Found them listed here for sale, ad says that there is 80 of them! Looks like some may be saved.

http://www.sterlingrail.com/classifieds ... hp?id=3306

My apologies if this has been posted earlier.

There are less than 70 cars left in the fleet, so the 80 count is incorrect.

There were only 75 cars to begin with - 55 Silverliner II (38 PRR, 17 RDG) and 20 Silverliner III.

Doesn't the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have dibs on at least a PRR Silver II? I was hoping it'd be 269. But IIRC, the "PENNSYLVANIA" on 269 are repro decals. It'd be a simple matter of applying similar decals to whatever car is ultimately preserved.

Wingnut wrote:Doesn't the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have dibs on at least a PRR Silver II? I was hoping it'd be 269. But IIRC, the "PENNSYLVANIA" on 269 are repro decals. It'd be a simple matter of applying similar decals to whatever car is ultimately preserved.

They are in the process of trying to "de-acquisition" the two Pioneer III (Silverliner I) cars. Based on that, it doesn't sound like they are interested in picking up 269 or any other Silverliner.

Silverliner II wrote:

Wingnut wrote:Doesn't the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania have dibs on at least a PRR Silver II? I was hoping it'd be 269. But IIRC, the "PENNSYLVANIA" on 269 are repro decals. It'd be a simple matter of applying similar decals to whatever car is ultimately preserved.

They are in the process of trying to "de-acquisition" the two Pioneer III (Silverliner I) cars. Based on that, it doesn't sound like they are interested in picking up 269 or any other Silverliner.

I heard that the reason they were trying to unload the Pioneer III's is due to the fact that their propulsion systems which were unique to those cars had been removed, making them less historically significant. Also hearing (from this board) that 269's main transformer had been removed certainly doesn't make it more attractive for preservation.

Who knows, as the current rolling stock du jour of tourist pikes, the Lackawanna MU, begins to rust into oblivion, there will be a need to for something new.

Meanwhile, the scrapper's asking price of $65k is unrealistic. The actual value to the scrapper is maybe $20k. If you figure the price of scrap is $500/ton and the cars weigh 45t, that's $22k. You've got to move the cars to NJ and spend time removing the non-metal parts, so each car is maybe $20k. If someone came along and offered the scrapper $25k/ea for 4-5 cars, I bet they'd take it. It might involve some hefty negotiation, but it's easier when you know what the car is worth. Also, the new owner could take the pans off and sell them, as well as remove the four motors - copper motor windings are big money.

Tadman wrote:Who knows, as the current rolling stock du jour of tourist pikes, the Lackawanna MU, begins to rust into oblivion, there will be a need to for something new.

Meanwhile, the scrapper's asking price of $65k is unrealistic. The actual value to the scrapper is maybe $20k. If you figure the price of scrap is $500/ton and the cars weigh 45t, that's $22k. You've got to move the cars to NJ and spend time removing the non-metal parts, so each car is maybe $20k. If someone came along and offered the scrapper $25k/ea for 4-5 cars, I bet they'd take it. It might involve some hefty negotiation, but it's easier when you know what the car is worth. Also, the new owner could take the pans off and sell them, as well as remove the four motors - copper motor windings are big money.

SEPTA may take the transformers for parts. The pans too; they are still good to have for spare parts and there are still a handful of Silverliner IV's running with Faively pans. In fact, back in the fall, a Silverliner IV single got its Schunk pantograph ripped apart when it snagged the wire along the Doylestown line and it was quickly replaced with an old Faively.

Silverliner II wrote:Message from an acquaintance in the know of these things:

The 269 had its main transformer removed about 5 PM today at Wayne Shop, sealing its doom...

Is this something that could be put back in once it's taken out?

While I was riding in a car going westbound on Philmont Avenue tonight, we pretty much kept pace with a four-car West Trenton to Airport train (the one due at Jenkintown at 9:31 p.m.) which had at least two II's. I was somewhat surprised to see a four-car train on this line at this time of night, but I remembered that we're coming up to the first general public day of the Flower Show tomorrow, and they might want to have four-car consists in place for the crowds.

Would they be able to put 269 and possibly other recently-retired II's and III's back into service to handle Flower Show crowds in the coming week if it's just as easy to put a main transformer back in as it apparently was to take it out?

rslitman wrote:Would they be able to put 269 and possibly other recently-retired II's and III's back into service to handle Flower Show crowds in the coming week if it's just as easy to put a main transformer back in as it apparently was to take it out?

Given the short amount of time, and the fact the some cars were taken out after their inspection cycles were up, unlikely.

rslitman wrote:Would they be able to put 269 and possibly other recently-retired II's and III's back into service to handle Flower Show crowds in the coming week if it's just as easy to put a main transformer back in as it apparently was to take it out?

I certainly can't speak for SEPTA, but I'll guess that the remodeling the entire SEPTA headquarters building (which is not a priority or even on anyone's radar) is more important than placing officially retured cars back in service and reinstalling their stepdown transfromers.