Retirements and Disposition of CR Equipment

First shrinkage in the MBB active fleet in a long, long time:

527, 1508, 1521, 1524, 1530 now idled at BET. 8 active trailers, 10 active cabs left total. Fewest number of active units yet. Power door fleet down to just 2 cabs (though I spotted 1522 running as a mid-set trailer on Thursday).

An interesting development today. Observed made up on the Valley Track at BET from north to south:

Engine 1118, MBB Coaches 527, 1508, 1527, Engine 1132 (!!!) and MBB Coaches 1522 & 1526.

The old hopper car that was on the Valley Track was placed where the 1132 was for now.

The 1132, The Hanger Queen, has been slumbering for over a year now!

Everything probably headed to Area 52 or some other hiding place!

D

The old PRR hopper car was moved from the siding with the Budd cars over to BET last weekend. I sort of wonder what's going on with it.

The 1132 is heavily stripped of parts.

That hopper was either donated or bought by someone or some group. It was moved to the
Valley Track last Friday to where it could be loaded on to a flatbed truck for shipment.
Don't know who is getting it as yet.

Apparently it is the last or one of the last surviving examples of this type of ex-PRR hopper.
Ran as XMBT W308. You can still still faint remnants of PRR on one side of the center sill (the east
end of the car facing west).

The MBTA inherited it from a construction company (date unknown) along with another hopper. That
one got transferred to the Green Line (leaving commuter rail at Riverside) many years ago. Not sure
what happened to it.

D

The other hopper is at Seashore in Maine and is still used for ballast work to this day.
https://sery2831.smugmug.com/Transit/Se ... -kprNPsd/A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks...Wonder if ours is headed that way too?

D

Not that I am aware of. I have not seen it come up for a vote as I sit on the board there.

The hopper left Thursday on a flatbed truck for Pennsylvania.

D

The ex PRR hopper was sold to the Black River & Western.

And here it is on the Black River and Western. Photo by Michael Allenovitch He told me that it was purchased by the president of the BR&W and he plans to have it restored to its original PRR appearance.

Thanks...Another somewhat mystery solved...

Dave

MBB Control Car #1532 is currently up for bids to be scrapped. Bids due 7/21/2016.

Meanwhile, buried among the changes to the Keolis contract for the next year is:

$4.2 million to add nine locomotives and 12 coaches, increasing the locomotive fleet by 11 percent and the coach fleet by 3 percent.

What is this "new" rolling stock? Rehabs of older units?

The EGE wrote:Meanwhile, buried among the changes to the Keolis contract for the next year is:

$4.2 million to add nine locomotives and 12 coaches, increasing the locomotive fleet by 11 percent and the coach fleet by 3 percent.

What is this "new" rolling stock? Rehabs of older units?

Article here:
http://news.wgbh.org/2016/07/11/politic ... blems-more" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I have to assume they mean leased power. No other way to get there for power. But as for coaches, that's a mystery. I would assume any spare coaches anywhere would be sucked up by SEPTA. Maybe rehab of the MBB's?

Power probably not so hard to do - there's 12 F40PH-2C's and 5 GP40MC's listed as stored out of service on NE Transit. Easiest way seem to be to have those sent out for rebuild (i.e., picking the best nine of the bunch, scrap the others for parts).

It's not an encouraging thought as a passenger, but I wonder if they're also just talking about rehabbing a dozen MBB's as well? Are there 12 left that could be put back into respectable condition?