M-1 Question

Before the M-1's are shipped out, are any parts being removed for either reuse or trade-in? Any chance of me getting hold of an M-1 whistle?

Oddly enough, I've heard from several sources that most, if not all, of the decommissioned M-1 cars are supposed to be sent bye-bye with all parts intact.
I've even heard stories of a needed good part being removed, and a bad part being put back on in it's place.

Metro North is screaming for parts and nothing is taken off cars going to Mexico.
MNCR could use trucks/traction motors/A23 units/etc.

Yeah, man. I know what you mean.
We could use a better supply of certain parts here, too.

When we were doing the M-1 CCM main group retrofit,
I took it upon myself to strip ACPS ("900hz panels") panels, certain printed circuit cards that we were forever running out of, and other stuff that was in short supply, from the old groups. No one ever yelled at me for it.
But, when a new Gang Foreman arrived, they gave him the large locker that was loaded to the gills with cards and stuff. They were in his way, so he sent them all back to Hillside!!

We also did the final prototype inverter installation. (All the rest of the inverter installations were done at HMC). So, I helped myself to the M/A cards. I still use them as my test set.

I don't understand the logic in shipping complete M-1's off to be scrapped when 2 railroads are still running them. I'm sure some of those units are being sent out with fairly new parts as well. I guess that's the difference between a for profit company and a government agency. The for profit company looks for every opportunity to maximize a return on investment while the government agency orders more parts at taxpayer expense.

the TA is auctioning parts from the redbirds and making a tidy little profit off of stuff that otherwise is paid to be disposed.

I'd love to get one of those Built By Budd plates from a engineer's door.

Eric

I saw those auctions on the NYCT site. I thought the prices were a bit steep. But I still might buy something from there.

Given the M-1's have asbestos, etc in them, they probbably classify as 'toxic waste' (well, the bathrooms sure are!) Thus, they probbably are bound up by some stupid EPA regulation that prevents robbing parts off them...

This is typical three letter agency stupidity - I remember hearing about an old TV repair shop that closed, that the EPA (or state DEP?) 'raided' to clean up the 'toxic' warehouse of CRTs left over. Hundreds of otherwise perfectly useable tubes were smashed up and put into 55 gallon drums, and taken off to who knows where. Of course, sealled and intact, a CRT is nothing but a big glass jar. All the 'nasty' (and it really isn't anyway) stuff in it is inside the tube.

I've been needing a 21EP4 for a TV set for years now. It's a rare tube - rectangular, 70 degree deflection, from the early 50's. I need one, actually 2, and they're hard to find. I don't need some government idiot saving me from myself by smashing up what few are still out there

I completely agree with you guys. Some of the M-1 parts are not made any more. It is exceedingly difficult to obtain rarely needed replacement parts. Common sense would dictate that you take everything you can off a couple of pair. That proviso certainly could have been worked into the contract with the scrap company.

We needed a switch for the engineer's cab that is not available any more.
I said, "God forbid, can we have HMC take one off a scrap car?"
They did do that, and sent it over to us.

Tom

Does anyone know when the seat material was replaced on the M-1's? Also when the vestibule light covers were replaced from the "boxed" type to the solid plastic?

Thanks...

I don't quite recall exactly when these programs were done.
Both are at least several years old.

IIRC, I'm pretty sure the egg crates were replaced with the M-3 style light diffusers first.

I hate to admit that I can't say what year the current seat color scheme was installed, even though we did a bunch of cars at WSS and had pallets of seats all over the place.
I can tell you that the M-3 and the 132 M-1 overhauled cars should all have the second incarnation of the seat bottoms.
The first incarnation is notorious for the cushioning pushing through the bottom of the seat, resulting in an uncomfortable kind of bucket seat effect. The newer material is stiffer.

Heck, when I first started on the LIRR, they had all sorts of hideous colors for the seats, including yellow, orange, puke green, and light blue.
The "A" cars had carpeting, and the "B" cars had 9" x 9" floor tiles.
Anybody remember those days?
(Those were all M-1s.)

yup i even remember the LIRR turbo M1's on metro north

Wow, the M-1's had carpeting? I guess they were not used for smoking cars? I remember that little flap for Smoking / "NO" Smoking.


Question N340SG,

What do the seven buttons control on the MDKS panel? I assume the MDKS panels for the M-1's & M-3's serve the same functions? I guess the panel does more than just open the doors on each side.

Thanks.....

the Door controls on M1 had seven buttons on the M3 only 5.
single bottom button is conductor signal (buzzer), top row is trainline door open (one forward other backward), on M1 the middle buttons were for Passenger release. and bottom buttons are for trainline door closed (forward / backward)
the passenger release was a funtion on M1's used so passengers could open their own door after conductor released them. to save energy etc.
a button was near handrail at vestibule partition were conductor key out switch is. and on outside a button was located to right of door near face height.

RC '75,

A smoking car always had to be a "B" car.
The "A" cars had permanent "No Smoking" labeling.
The "B" cars had the "No" sign that flipped over to read "Smoking" or "No Smoking."
Any EMU train up to and including 6 cars had one smoking car.
Any EMU train 8 cars and over had two smoking cars, being the second and fourth cars from the East end of the train. The fourth car was also the bar cart car, if applicable.
The carpeting was an all-weather type. It was perennially worn and ratty looking.
When I started working on the RR, there were no vacuums used any more. You had to sweep the carpeting with a broom!!

Here's another one for you.
The M-1 cars, just outside the bathroom, where you may now see a large woodgrain looking blanking plate, had supposedly potable refrigerated cold water and cups.