LIRR seeks to lease 8-21 MARC coaches (for Montauk Summer)

[452 Card]

The Metra E8's (road numbers 516 and 521) were leased by ABB so we could continue testing the C1 pilot cars while awaiting the late delivery of the three FL-9 units to LIRR. Stop distance testing and then simulated in-service runs were completed using both E8's on each end of the train, both in powered mode. The same coupler that was installed on the C1's was installed in-house by Tech Support personnel on the B-end of the E8's only. They rode "like cadillacs" as they say. I know this because I was there and ran them both during testing and finally in service on trains 605 and 660. They were operated to LIC only, no tunnel duty due to no E-mode. It was a fun time. Now, as for the MARC cars, isn't this just a little weird that it parallels events on the LIRR of the middle 60's up to the middle 70"s?

[NH2060]

They will not be relettered...they're going back to MARC during the off-season.

Get your cameras ready folks! This will be quite a sight to see as there has never been either a DE30 or DM30 in revenue service pulling/pushing single level coaches (let alone ones from a different transit agency).

[STrRedWolf]

They will not be relettered...they're going back to MARC during the off-season.

I won't be surprised if they stick a "MTA LIRR" logo above the MARC logo for a few months, then peel it back off when it goes back.

[Uncle Cheapo]

So where are these MARC cars? The summer schedual is well underway. Another pipe dream!!!

[Amtrak7]

The lease has been approved, so they're coming for sure...

The full summer schedule may be in effect, but the full summer consists don't start until the weekend school lets out (June 24-25 this year), with the exception of Memorial Day of course.

[dedm30junk]

Just heard from a source the cars should be here next week and 2 1500s to pick them up in sunnyside.So get your cameras out.

[newkirk]

Does anyone know what assignments these MARC coaches will be when they hit LIRR rails ?

Since they will be single level, would they be assigned to Oyster Bay or the Greenport scoot, freeing up higher capacity C-3-s for Montauk service ?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

The lease says that these are specifically for summer service, so they will not by-contract ever be rotated in with the regular commuter schedules. Year 1 of the lease also offers up few trainsets total, since MARC won't be releasing more sets until Years 2 & 3 when progress on their bi-level overhauls leaves them with less of an in-house fleet shortage. Since the pin differences in the couplings only allow these flats to travel with themselves and not in any mixed C3 sets that means for operational sanity their small total number of trainsets are going to stick together grouped in the same yards whenever feasible.

Those points would all tend to rule out any practical Montauk summer assignments, since the more varied daily schedule variety to Montauk leads to much greater overall turnover of equipment and harder means of keeping the few MARC sets grouped together in the same yard pairings. So, yes, probably a lot of Greenport...maybe a little OB. And probably sticking to one of those two summer schedules much more than the other given the small number of Year 1 trainsets.

[Amtrak7]

Summer service, as in during the summer, not necessarily summer-extras. They won't see Montauk due to their low capacity vs. a C3. Neither for Greenport, since those platforms are only 1.5 cars long and multiple stops eats time.

I suspect Port Jefferson - though those sets currently do cycle for other things, it shouldn't be too hard to put together a dedicated cycle, and the platforms are plenty long.

[dedm30junk]

When the MARC coaches arrive they will be working trains 609 and 664 thats it for now.

[STrRedWolf]

Port Jefferson branch. 6:18am departure down to Hunterspoint Ave at 8am... then back up at 5:47pm to Port Jefferson at 7:30pm.

In other words, the Brunswick line here in Maryland... except we use the equipment for another round trip on another line (Penn line, hour up, hour back) between those times.

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone:

Port Jefferson trains 609 and 664 make all stops between Greenlawn and PJ in both directions and
then go nonstop to Jamaica. AM Peak train 609 stops at HPA at 8:00 and terminates in LI City at
8:07 AM. PM Peak eastbound train 664 leaves LIC at 5:30 and HPA at 5:47 PM going to Jamaica.

This will help anyone wishing to ride or photograph the MARC trainset on the PJ Branch...

MACTRAXX

[Amtrak7]

664 I fully expected. It's the only PM peak non-DM that's busy enough to warrant > 4 C3 on a regular day (normally 6-7), so it's the logical choice.

But 609? That's...strange. 664's counterpart in the morning (busy non-DM w/6-7 cars) is 613. During the off season he turns for 664 at LIC. 609 is the next one, with 5 C3 on a normal day. I guess they didn't want something that stopped at Huntington, Hicksville, or Mineola...

Will this be 5 days a week, or just Fridays and Mondays? Will the equipment fill 664's cycle in the evening? (usually 659-672-665-600)

[dedm30junk]

Train 613 not 609 for the MARC cars in the a.m. and 664 for the PM rush.

[onorclose7]

Crews will have to be trained on how to use the new equipment as well as PTEP procedures. I wouldn't expect to see them in use for awhile