Retired metroliner question

I guess it was back in 2003 that David Gunn "ordered" the remaining stored Metroliner MU cars (mostly club/food service cars that weren't rebuilt into Cab cars-most still in original paint with only Amtrak place cards) scrapped at Wilmington......I noticed in the 5 year plan issued this year that he intends to have several "former metroliner" cars rebuilt into cab cars.

My question is was this scrapping recanted and some of these cars are to be rebuilt for this purpose, or was he referring to rebuilding the remaining cab cars that were built in the 80's???

Just wondering.......

I think all of the Metroliners which still had their pantographs and traction motors were scrapped. However, there are a number of converted cab control cars in storage.

I recall being down in Wilmington around 1987/88 and there were rows of un-rebuilt metroliner cars in the very back of the complex. Towards the 495 overpass of the complex (it has greatly changed in appearance down there). Most were club and snack cars still in the silver with red pin stripes and "Amtrak" card signs on them. A few still had PC logos even! Most were in terrible shape. The GE Rebuilds (with roof humps and bright orange/red and blue noses with large Amtrak on them) were beginning to be retired and there were several coach versions in various stages of being built into cab cars.

I figure that most of those cars I saw back then were scrapped long ago, but I had heard that there were about 3 or so GE rebuilds that were never converted to Cab Cars and were actually still on the roster as stored up to 2003 pans intact and all. Can anyone "in the know" confirm that rumor?

I see some refurbished shells in the yard at the Delware Car Company as I pass through Wilmington on the train. They're just bare shells that have been stripped and buffed as if they were being restored.

Those shells at the Old Delaware Car Shop aren't metroliners....they are old SPV-2000 from MetroNorth. They have been down there since about 1987. I have photos of them in their storage yard- one in the Blue band scheme and the other in a McDonald's inspired theme of bright red and yellow!

I wonder if they are ever going to do something with them........?

correct the red/orange one is ex demonstrator 2000 and others were non-completed shells. the difference of the shells is the SPV's had a cutout for firemans window. the Metro Liner shells did not.

I see........that demo paint job was not very flattering!

Yes the SPV has 3 front windows to the metroliners 2......

There were at least 6 ex-Metroliner cars (couple looked as if they were in accidents) in the back of the Wilmington shops about a year ago (on the east side of the NEC tracks). And then they were scrapped - around the same time as the E60 scrapping. Some had pans and all. You could see them as you passed by on an Amtrak train on the NEC. In the same area, but on the west side of the NEC, there were a couple of more ex-Metroliner cars. I haven't been down that way to see whether these are still there or not. Not sure if these cars on the "west side" were still under Amtrak ownership or not.

Supposedly some cab cars are going to be manufactured (or re-manufactured) for the launch of the all-electric Keystone train service. Where they are coming from - not sure. I suspect they are just going to refurbish what cab cars they have around. And of course Amtrak has DMU purchases in their long term plan, which would displace the current cab cars on the Springfield line. That line would certainly be ideal for DMU service.

Supposedly some cab cars are going to be manufactured (or re-manufactured) for the launch of the all-electric Keystone train service. Where they are coming from - not sure. I suspect they are just going to refurbish what cab cars they have around.

I wonder that when NJT retires the 1970-vintage Comet I cabs by the end of next year, some could be refurbished for Keystone service.

NJTransit's Comet 1s are low door, not high. The horizon car, on the other hand, was based on the design of the NJT unrefurbished 2, is high door. Maybe, I would get a couple of horizon sets in Pennsy on the Keystone. The Keystone Corridor is like its own commuter service.

njt/mnrrbuff wrote:Transit's Comet 1s are low door, not high. The horizon car, on the other hand, was based on the design of the NJT unrefurbished 2, is high door. Maybe, I would get a couple of horizon sets in Pennsy on the Keystone. The Keystone Corridor is like its own commuter service.

All of the Comet I cabs are high/low with manual traps.

Anywhere besides Wilmington are there stored cab cars (ex-metroliner ones that is)?

They converted over 20 of them......I believe there are 4 active, 1 went to the Fed's and 1 is the Conference car.......

Were they scrapped as they were replaced with new equipment out west and around Chicago?

From what I understand, the NJT Comet 1's were not economic to be rebuilt for NJT so likely would not be for Amtrak. Metal fatigue and safety issues at a minimum, I believe.