Official M2 / M4 / M6 Retirement Thread

Also - the M2'ss are 45 years old. There's lots of play in the trucks and draft gear. The M8's are brand new and probably have very little slop in the trucks and draft gear. I notice the same thing on the L in the mornings. The new cars are so quiet because everything is so tight.

Is 1552 still running with that long string of Cosmos?

1530 was running with the old stuff on Friday afternoon. I was in a rush and didn't actually note if it was triplets or not. Did get a reminder of how nasty the toilets are on that equipment though. First time in months I've been on a non-M8 electric.

Ridgefielder wrote:1530 was running with the old stuff on Friday afternoon. I was in a rush and didn't actually note if it was triplets or not. Did get a reminder of how nasty the toilets are on that equipment though. First time in months I've been on a non-M8 electric.

Heh, a number of Fridays ago I went down into Manhattan, and was on a train with older equipment... forgot how the doors between cars seem to stick, and seemed heavier than I remembered last... either that, or I need to start working out again.

I noticed the bathrooms seem worse in the M6s than in the M2s at least so far as the S M E L L seeping out. >_<

Has a retirement date been set?

runningwithscalpels wrote:...As for a farewell trip, I think most people (passengers and crew alike) are saying good riddance...

This. No nostalgia here. These were NOTHING like the older cars. There is nothing noteworthy about them. They are to be admired for their longevity, and that's about it. Uncomfortable POS's.

Jeff Smith wrote:

runningwithscalpels wrote:...As for a farewell trip, I think most people (passengers and crew alike) are saying good riddance...

This. No nostalgia here. These were NOTHING like the older cars. There is nothing noteworthy about them. They are to be admired for their longevity, and that's about it. Uncomfortable POS's.

I find the M8s horrible

TomNelligan wrote:

Tadman wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote:There's really nothing remarkable about the M-2 Cosmopolitans to be worth honoring. The only historical value is they introduced high platform boarding. They have been in service every day since April 1973.

I disagree. They were the first modern cars on the line, and the first cars bought by a gov't railroad rather than a private railroad for that line. Other than the 4400's, it was the first cars since the stone age for the NH line.

And to add to Mr. Tad's comment above, the mere fact that the M-2s were the backbone of service on one of the country's busiest commuter lines for 40 years gives them a place in railroad history. I don't know whether the hazmat issue can be economically addressed, but from a heritage perspective there certainly should be a role for a pair at the Danbury museum or a similar facility.

Definitely long-lived. Otherwise, utilitarian and not much else. They were Budds, and that's about it.

As for DRM, as much as I like the museum, they'd be a static pair to maintain and nothing more. I'd rather see them at Shoreline Trolley in Branford, where there's at least overhead wire to run them on.

It was already stated they couldn't be given up anyway because of asbestos or something. And M8s are WAY better than those POS cars. I avoid them whenever aim not in a hurry.

jackintosh11 wrote:Has a retirement date been set?

When a retirement date is set I'm sure you'll hear about it in some way, shape, or form - although I strongly doubt the fanfare will be as great as it was with the bar cars. (blech)

I might have been a bit harsh. Perhaps it's the fact that they're aged. I remember as a kid saving his paper route money to ride from Mamaroneck to Larchmont in the early 70's waiting on one of these and bypassing the 4400's. Now, I'd give anything to have the washboards back. While I don't think there really is anything special about the cars, they certainly were workhorses. But I don't think they really fit the preservation / museum mode. Especially not DRM. Nothing against DRM, mind you. It's a great museum. But no wire, so no hopes to run.

If a M-2 were run at Branford,the track and bridges will need to be upgraded to handle the weight of a pair,and
get fitted for 2 trolley poles(1 for each car) for 600VDC,the pan would rip out the wire quick.
May draw too much power for their static inverter and rotary converter combined to handle.

Because of the use of Asbestos for High Voltage side insulation,can only be scrapped.
Believe 1 M-2 is used for training by MNPD somewhere along the Maybrook line.

I'm not saying it's feasible at Branford, just that would be a better choice. And also clearly not practicable as per your notes, which I would not have realized.

LIRR Museum in Riverhead has an M-1 I think. But that would really be it anywhere, and I'm okay with that.

I rode an M2/4 train a few weeks ago and given the fact they don't have long, it will probably be my last ride. I did enjoy the RFW on them (when the partition wasn't put up) but of course, the cars are over 40 years old and I've been on a few M2s that broke down over the years. The suspension on the one I rode on seemed to be on its last legs! I will not miss them that much.

Branford would not be a good place for a pair of M-2's. The curves are too sharp, some of the rail is too light, the guard rail for trolley cars would not accommodate the deep flanges on the wheels and probably a host of other conditions. Branford has turned down other stuff for mostly the same reasons.
It is a trolley museum and not a railroad museum.
Noel Weaver