M-8 Cars - Delivery and Acceptance

Jeff Smith wrote:Not that I'd object, but where is he finding the money? And is there a need? I guess since the entire fleet is being replaced, CTDOT will need more for SLE service so that fleet can go to NHHS and any potential extension of electrification.

I believe the 24-32(?) cars that ConnDOT would allocate to SLE were already factored into the 380 A+B cars. After replacing all of the M-2s,4s, and 6s and setting 32 cars aside for SLE that leaves 4 A+B cars leftover. Now since they will obviously need enough spares plus cars to accommodate ridership growth, etc. (including increased SLE ridership that would warrant trains of 6+ more cars) and they (understandably) would want a single fleet type to handle all of these AND last for 25 or so years and with Kawasaki still churning them out with about 150-160(?) A+B cars left to go it would be the perfect time for MNR to ask them "could you build even more?" Wherever the money for any extra cars would be coming from, they sure seem to have been worth every penny.

As DRN noted, MN would need additional cars for Hellgate (Bronx) and SLE service, plus it never hurts to have a few dozen spares!!

Yeah...SLE needs put hardly any dent in the fleet since it's a far lighter schedule running only 4 cars. The platforms are so short running anything more than the occasional 6-car is pointless. Not that it's likely ever, but even if they electrified Danbury a 4-car only shuttle on a light schedule isn't going to require anything the current fleet can't effortlessly absorb.

A few dozen extra cars makes a major, major difference for Penn service, more 10-car consists, and any future plans to start doing targeted platform lengthenings on the remaining 4-, 6-, 8-car platforms for higher-capacity locals. All areas where the ridership and fleet demands are going to be nearly insatiable over the lifespan of this fleet.

(Re-posted from the M8 Collision thread)
http://newyork.newsday.com/news/nation/ ... -1.5342438

The 2006 contract with Kawasaki Rail Car was for $713 million but could grow as high as $883 million, according to Kawasaki.

There's definitely some indication that MNR and ConnDOT will indeed strike while the iron is hot. Just a matter of "Show me the money!"

Yes, they'll need them on SLE and Hell Gate, but as yet, have any run on either of those segments yet?

no in both cases.

as to previous post, Danbury will NOT get electrification.
but if they did that service would require about 38 cars including cars for maintenance.
If SLE were to run M-8's, it would be service to New York with trains way longer than 4 cars.
currently New haven still runs with insufficient amount of cars 385, yet only 405 M-8's were ordered and at least 4 destroyed.

9334/35, 9336/37, & 9338/39 were delivered to Croton-Harmon last Friday (per Gregory Grice).

A westbound test train with 9332/33, 9330/31, & 9329/28 just went through South Norwalk (per Dash9CW).

224 M-8's accepted for revenue service.

9339/38, 9337/36, & 9335/34 (not in that order) were just spotted on an eastbound test train at Southport (per Dash9CW).

On Thursday night, I rode in the 9231 (head car, of course ) on 1597 from New Haven to Southport. I don't know what was going on with the alerter, but every time we stopped at a station, the alerter would go off AFTER the doors were opened. I've heard the alerter go off just as the train is about to stop, but never when we've been sitting for 10+ seconds. Also, the alerter sounded really high-pitched than most of the other M8s. It drove me insane . For those who run M8s regularly, is this normal?

yes, it depends on how much brake is set, at full brake the alertor won't sound.

Spotted 9350-9351 on one of the yard tracks at Stamford on my way to work today. Looked like there was still wrapping on some components.

Darien Red Sox wrote:Spotted 9350-9351 on one of the yard tracks at Stamford on my way to work today. Looked like there was still wrapping on some components.

My father also saw that. 9348/49 & (presuming) 9346/47 were also there with a GP35R - 6 cars/3 pairs.

I don't want to go back through 100 pages since the last time I viewed this, but approximately how many M-8's are on the NH and how many more are expected in the next 17 months or so??

Surprised there's this many. Been going in a lot more lately then I have the last 2 years and seems like every other train I pass is an M-8, so there must be a whole lot on the line currently.