ex-NH/PC 8600 Series Coaches

[NH2060]

How many of the P-S cars were transferred over to the MBTA and when/on which lines were the last of the coaches retired? AFAIK a number of them were sent to the North Station lines in the early 1980s and rolled out their final miles on Ipswich/Rockport trains (for those cars that weren't later picked up by the Cape Cod & Hyannis).

[jbvb]

I rode the 8600s on Boston - Providence locals via the old NY&NE (Fairmount) route during the SW Corridor reconstruction 1981-1984 or so. They were in pretty sad shape, spongy floors, dirty, worn interiors. AFAIK, they all stayed steam-heated till they were scrapped. At least one ex-B&M RDC-3s was refitted with a steam boiler in the baggage/mail compartment so the first F-40PHs (screamers) could haul them in the winter. I never saw any on the North Side, which was all GP-7s and de-powered RDCs or ex-Toronto Hawker-Siddeley cars until the F-10s, MBB and Pullman coaches started to arrive. The H-S cars (truly awful rides) were usually kept on the Eastern Route, which might be related to your 'AFAIK'.

[typesix]

I rode them several times in 1980 and thought they were in OK condition, they rode better than Amfleet cars(except laterally). AC didn't work, end door was open to allow air movement thru the cars.

[NH2060]

I rode the 8600s on Boston - Providence locals via the old NY&NE (Fairmount) route during the SW Corridor reconstruction 1981-1984 or so. They were in pretty sad shape, spongy floors, dirty, worn interiors. AFAIK, they all stayed steam-heated till they were scrapped. At least one ex-B&M RDC-3s was refitted with a steam boiler in the baggage/mail compartment so the first F-40PHs (screamers) could haul them in the winter. I never saw any on the North Side, which was all GP-7s and de-powered RDCs or ex-Toronto Hawker-Siddeley cars until the F-10s, MBB and Pullman coaches started to arrive. The H-S cars (truly awful rides) were usually kept on the Eastern Route, which might be related to your 'AFAIK'.

Oh yes I am aware of the H-S coaches and their respected use (can't believe AMT in Montreal kept them alive for as long as they did..) My hunch about where they last ran was mainly based on a web article that I can't identify from years ago about these cars and their use on the T in the '80s as well as any photos taken such as these in and around North Station ca. 1984-85 (which i assumed to be Beverly/Rockport/Ispwich runs:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2400208" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3326029" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=3326042" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I rode them several times in 1980 and thought they were in OK condition, they rode better than Amfleet cars(except laterally). AC didn't work, end door was open to allow air movement thru the cars.

I noticed you posted in the thread in the Amtrak forum, but I'll ask here since it applies to the T: Were those 2 cars by any chance the ones with the State of Rhode Island logos stamped on them?

[Abe Froman]

How many of the P-S cars were transferred over to the MBTA and when/on which lines were the last of the coaches retired? AFAIK a number of them were sent to the North Station lines in the early 1980s and rolled out their final miles on Ipswich/Rockport trains (for those cars that weren't later picked up by the Cape Cod & Hyannis).

From Thomas Humphrey and Skip Clark's book, "BOSTON'S COMMUTER RAIL The First 150 Years", Pp. 100 the following cars from the 8600 series were on the MBTA roster as of July 1, 1984: 8601;8603; 8604; 8613; 8620; 8624; 8646; 8648; 8658; 8687; 8694; 8701.

[typesix]

I don't remember any State of RI logos on them and don't have any pictures of them.

[TomNelligan]

The two cars with Rhode Island DOT logos were ex-PRR P70 coaches, not ex-NH. They were originally assigned to the single Westerly-Providence weekday local that lasted into the 1970s.

[jbvb]

I didn't use the north side much in 1984/5, so I guess I missed them. Presumably the best of the lot, since they got MBTA purple. Accelerating away from Hyde Park in 1982, I remember the water between the window panes taking on a tilt...

[ExCon90]

I didn't use the north side much in 1984/5, so I guess I missed them. Presumably the best of the lot, since they got MBTA purple. Accelerating away from Hyde Park in 1982, I remember the water between the window panes taking on a tilt...

... and then sloshing gently back and forth as the train arrived at the next station. At least the inside of the windows got cleaned ...

[Clean Cab]

All of the ex NHRR 8600 coaches that were used on the Cape Cod & Hyannis were sold to Seaview Transportation in Kingston RI in 1989. Most of them were sold to places like the Valley Railroad and a few private individuals. I was even offered the chance to buy one for $7000. But I had nowhere to keep it nor did I have the money to maintain it. I think most of them were scrapped, as by the time they arrived on CC&H, they were already pretty well worn out.

[NH2060]

The two cars with Rhode Island DOT logos were ex-PRR P70 coaches, not ex-NH. They were originally assigned to the single Westerly-Providence weekday local that lasted into the 1970s.

there was at least one 8600 with RI logos:
http://www.railpixs.com/mbta/ex-NewHave ... Sept77.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
there are at least a couple of other photos taken at the layup yard in Providence, but I can't seem to track them down.
that being said i am aware of the Westerly-Providence P70s. Interesting how that train was powered by an MBTA GP-7 (9?) a full 40 years before the T's current South County extension(s).

[TomNelligan]

there was at least one 8600 with RI logos:
http://www.railpixs.com/mbta/ex-NewHave ... Sept77.jpg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Is that an RIDOT logo, or just a faded circle-T? It's hard to tell from that photo. I remember only the RIDOT P70s from that period but of course that doesn't mean that other variations didn't exit.

Interesting how that train was powered by an MBTA GP-7 (9?)

GP9. Neither the New Haven nor the MBTA ever owned any GP7s, although some leased B&M GP7s were used on trains of depowered RDCs in the late 1970s prior to the delivery of the F40s and FP10s.

[NH2060]

Is that an RIDOT logo, or just a faded circle-T? It's hard to tell from that photo. I remember only the RIDOT P70s from that period but of course that doesn't mean that other variations didn't exit.

It's definitely a RIDOT (or an official state seal) logo. If you look closely it's more of a vertical oval than a circle and there's a slight bulge on each side. The logo itself though definitely is faded, if not blurred out due to the angle of the sunlight. Granted it's not easy to tell with the naked eye at first sight!

[Gerry6309]

IIRC, some of the NH 8600s had been renumbered into the 2300 series by PC, perhaps one was the green one in that photo. They both ran on the MBTA runs.

[talltim]

How many of the P-S cars were transferred over to the MBTA and when/on which lines were the last of the coaches retired? AFAIK a number of them were sent to the North Station lines in the early 1980s and rolled out their final miles on Ipswich/Rockport trains (for those cars that weren't later picked up by the Cape Cod & Hyannis).

From Thomas Humphrey and Skip Clark's book, "BOSTON'S COMMUTER RAIL The First 150 Years", Pp. 100 the following cars from the 8600 series were on the MBTA roster as of July 1, 1984: 8601;8603; 8604; 8613; 8620; 8624; 8646; 8648; 8658; 8687; 8694; 8701.

Does anyone know how these numbers mapped to the MBTA 2500 series numbers?