Interesting Consist Discussion for the South Side

It's an extreme rarity, but it has happened. I have no info relating to the current rumor, though.

Very strange. Just saw a GP40MC with 7 (!!!) doubles. 1712 was the cab, but didn’t catch the loco number.

Possibly still using part or all of this setup used for free rides to the air show at Quonset Point RI last weekend.
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I just saw 1128 heading south along the Southwest Corridor with Amtrak’s Corridor Clipper in tow.

Another odd consist I just saw southbound on the Southwest Corridor: what looked like a regular MBTA train, but with one of the genset switchers coupled to the rear.

The Corridor Clipper Geometry Car will be testing on most of the lines in
Eastern MA beginning today through next Thursday. Next Friday, will test
the Western Route all the way to Brunswick Maine.

Dick H wrote:Possibly still using part or all of this setup used for free rides to the air show at Quonset Point RI last weekend.
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Those two sets would've come from the Pawtucket layover yard; they're generally used for trains 806 and 808 during the morning rush hour on weekdays. I was on the 1721 set with the GP40 riding to the air show, which has since been replaced with an HSP-46.

Mbtagp40mc wrote:Very strange. Just saw a GP40MC with 7 (!!!) doubles. 1712 was the cab, but didn’t catch the loco number.

That 1712 set with the 7 doubles was being used on the Providence line for most of the past two weeks. Looks like it went back to the Franklin line (and we have our three 8-car train sets back again).

I imagine a GP40 with 7 doubles must have had the worst acceleration of all time!

Very strange sighting, Cab car 1650 in the middle of a consist... on the south side?

825 wound up with a short set tonight (6 doubles) while their 8-car set (running on control car 1814) was used for Worcester. Did Worcester's 9-car train set break down?

If I had to guess, 806 will wind up with that 6-car set tomorrow and 808 will use the set ran on 823 (control car 1721).

I've actually been semi-impressed on how consistent the three 8-car trains for Providence have been during the past month. The three sets have largely run on the same three control cars (1814, 1816, and 1721, although 1816 appears to have been replaced with 1801 which seems to have a non-functioning GPS). Makes predicting these trains during the rush hours pretty easy.

842 wound up with Worcester's 9-car set today (the 1808 set). You wouldn't want to spoil our riders or anything...

Looks like there was some overnight move to get the 8-car set in Readville down to Pawtucket (the 1801 set which would reside in Readville).

Mbtagp40mc wrote:Very strange sighting, Cab car 1650 in the middle of a consist... on the south side?

Yup, NETransit reports that 1650 is indeed on the South Side. Very strange...

Looks like 1650 is back home up north. Part of me wonders if that was done as a test to see the feasibility of running the 1600s down south?

We know the feasibility of running them down south. They need a suppression feature (required to reset a penalty) and ACSES installations. They are restricted from running as cabs on Amtrak territory (including South Station) for that reason. I wouldn't be surprised if the cab signal equipment was defective on most of them too since it hasn't been maintained in so long.

When the 1600s are upgraded for PTC, would that solve all the above issues?