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Moderator: lensovet

 #1393743  by Tadman
 
From what I understand, Metrolink's F125 order is big enough to replace the entire diesel fleet today. If that's the case, are they going to retain the current diesel fleet instead of continuing to lease the BNSF "safety fleet" to lead the ass end of trains rather than cab cars? Makes sense to me that they would do so instead of continuing to pay BNSF but you never know here...
 #1393747  by electricron
 
Tadman wrote:From what I understand, Metrolink's F125 order is big enough to replace the entire diesel fleet today. If that's the case, are they going to retain the current diesel fleet instead of continuing to lease the BNSF "safety fleet" to lead the ass end of trains rather than cab cars? Makes sense to me that they would do so instead of continuing to pay BNSF but you never know here...
Are you sure the order is that large?
Here's Metrolink's locomotive roster as listed at Wiki;
F40PH = 1
F59PH = 26 (3 leased ex-GO)
F59PHI = 14
MP36PH-3C = 15
That's a subtotal of 56 locomotives
AC4400CW = 40 (all leased from BNSF)
F125 = 20 on order
That's half of what they're leasing from BNSF, and 36% of the rest of their fleet.
 #1393769  by Backshophoss
 
Does the F125 order have options?
Does Amtrak-Ca have 1 of the option orders?
Seems like welding problems on mounting the pilot plow on the cab cars follow the
SEPTA nightmare of Cracked Equalizer Bar problems on the trucks of the SL-V's EMU's.
 #1393877  by Tadman
 
I heard 40 on order as well, which matches the number of F59 in place. The MP36 fleet is fairly new, so no reason to replace - I forgot about that fleet and assumed the F59 fleet was the entire fleet.

Also, the F59 fleet at GO is mostly retired and the F59 fleet in Cascade service is very tired based on what employees tell me and personal observation. It's probably time to retire any major F59 fleet and sell them off one by one for rebuild or use in far less demanding application. Given that they area traditional ladder-frame construction, they could become gensets, too.
 #1393882  by electricron
 
Fan Railer wrote:Metrolink has 40 F145s on order, afaik, not 20. Options have been exercised.
Per Metrolink: http://www.metrolinktrains.com/news/new ... d/899.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
and
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/news/new ... d/984.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metrolink order seventeen F125 locomotives in 2013, took an option for three more in 2014, and (correction) another nine more in 2015. Total spent for the program as reported in the two links is $191 Million (150 + 41).

While they hope to order forty eventually, to date they have only ordered twenty-nine.

Still more than the 20 I wrote earlier, but still less than the 40 others have suggested.
 #1395088  by dowlingm
 
Tadman wrote:I heard 40 on order as well, which matches the number of F59 in place. The MP36 fleet is fairly new, so no reason to replace - I forgot about that fleet and assumed the F59 fleet was the entire fleet.

Also, the F59 fleet at GO is mostly retired
They are mostly retired from GO service but hardly from honest work, given how many of the GO units are tooling around Quebec, North Carolina, Illinois, California, Texas... As for the remainder, I passed two at the head and tail of a GO 12 bilevel consist when driving past Barrie South layover last Sunday (here's a video of a similar consist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNrygcsMx90" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), and can be in sole charge of a "six pack" (example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kCUpkggJso" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)