The F40PH Preservation Society .inc is trying to get some of the retired screamer's from MASS DOT. I have gone to a number of bord meetings and handed out flyers so they know we exist.
Railroad Forums
Retirements and Disposition of CR Equipment
- Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
What is the benefit of preserving an F40PH? Do they have a unique body or technology? Will the preserved locomotive be operated by a museum in New England?
It's the most successful North American passenger locomotive of the last 50 years, and key figure in the equipment generation that turned around the decline in commuter and intercity ridership by purging the old postwar crash -era rolling ruins with comfortable and reliable accommodations that won riders back. A whole generation of people who rediscovered train transit as a usable service and not an anachronistic oddity associate their conversion with the iconic shape of an F40PH hood pulling a string of Amfleets or Comet-class commuter coaches or Chicagoland gallery cars. I mean, if you had to pick one visual image to show a visitor from an isolated island culture that says without words "This is American passenger rail", it probably looks something like this:
F40's are still the #1 passenger make on the continent because they Just Work™, and probably will hold that distinction for another 10 years easy at the rate they're still being rebuilt to -3/-3C spec and modern emissions tiers. But...the active ranks are nearly all derived from the 1980's -2/2C generation that never ran in constant Notch 8, or are former Screamers that were so heavily modified for HEP two decades ago that their original lineage was broken in the mods to -2 or -3 spec. Original unmodified Screamers are pretty rare now with all the Amtrak dispersals scrapped, rebuilt, or otherwise passed through too many owners / paint jobs / minor mechanical tweaks by 20 years of aftermarket laundering. The T's 17 Screamers are the largest 'pristine' batch of original units left from an original owner, and thus have historical importance as some of the last relatively unspoiled representatives of North American passenger rail's "comeback" generation of rolling stock. There's not going to be museums in bidding wars for all 17 units. Most of them probably will get digested by the aftermarket as scrap parts donors, or revived for service by the rent-a-wreck brokers in not-quite-original form by parts donations from other F40's. But 1...maybe 2...mechanically complete unmodified examples for static display is an important enough 'get' that a preservation society would have very serious interest. Starting with the officially-named units in the fleet, especially "Mr. Commuter Rail" #1000 if Henry Hersey's namesake can be the one set aside.
F40's are still the #1 passenger make on the continent because they Just Work™, and probably will hold that distinction for another 10 years easy at the rate they're still being rebuilt to -3/-3C spec and modern emissions tiers. But...the active ranks are nearly all derived from the 1980's -2/2C generation that never ran in constant Notch 8, or are former Screamers that were so heavily modified for HEP two decades ago that their original lineage was broken in the mods to -2 or -3 spec. Original unmodified Screamers are pretty rare now with all the Amtrak dispersals scrapped, rebuilt, or otherwise passed through too many owners / paint jobs / minor mechanical tweaks by 20 years of aftermarket laundering. The T's 17 Screamers are the largest 'pristine' batch of original units left from an original owner, and thus have historical importance as some of the last relatively unspoiled representatives of North American passenger rail's "comeback" generation of rolling stock. There's not going to be museums in bidding wars for all 17 units. Most of them probably will get digested by the aftermarket as scrap parts donors, or revived for service by the rent-a-wreck brokers in not-quite-original form by parts donations from other F40's. But 1...maybe 2...mechanically complete unmodified examples for static display is an important enough 'get' that a preservation society would have very serious interest. Starting with the officially-named units in the fleet, especially "Mr. Commuter Rail" #1000 if Henry Hersey's namesake can be the one set aside.
Last edited by CRail on Sat May 20, 2017 5:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Unnecessary quote removed.
Bravo, F-Line! Thank you for your in-depth, illuminating response. Most enjoyable! 
I agree, 1000 should be preserved especially since it was the first new piece of commuter equipment that the MBTA ever bought...
By relatively unspoiled, I take you mean the Amtrak era-Top Deck rebuilds at BET?
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Well...midlife overhauls are a given at their age. "Relatively unspoiled" = still a Screamer, no major deviations from factory spec during a lifetime's worth of component refreshes.
Last edited by CRail on Sat May 20, 2017 5:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Unnecessary quote removed.
1.) Metra still runs more screamers than the T ever had. MBTA F40s are unique as they were built without dynamic brakes.
2.) MassDOT isn't saving them to scrap them. They're probably in for an extensive (expensive) rebuild before they ever see service again, and perhaps half of the remaining 17 will be used to keep the other half alive, but they aren't waiting to be divided up and junked. That wouldn't make any sense.
2.) MassDOT isn't saving them to scrap them. They're probably in for an extensive (expensive) rebuild before they ever see service again, and perhaps half of the remaining 17 will be used to keep the other half alive, but they aren't waiting to be divided up and junked. That wouldn't make any sense.
Moderator: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, Brightline Trains
Avatar:3679A (since wrecked)/3623B (now in service as 3636B).
Avatar:3679A (since wrecked)/3623B (now in service as 3636B).
The MBTA wasn't the only one with F40's without dynamic's, Go transit had a small fleet of them in the late 70's.
C&S R103, Keolis communications roadmaster out....
Is there any reason in particular as to why they didn't have dynamic's?
KB1KVD wrote:The MBTA wasn't the only one with F40's without dynamic's, Go transit had a small fleet of them in the late 70's.NJ Transit's were also built without dynamics but those were later added in the F40PH-2CAT conversion process.
The reason why dynamic brakes would not have been ordered on the Mbta's f40's was due to track conditions on the b&m side of the world. The b&m had blanked out existing units dynamic brake systems( I.e. The gp7's and 9's). Dynamic brakes are hard on track structures and tended to spread rail, especially on the b&m. So when the mbta ordered their f40's they optioned them without dynamics.
C&S R103, Keolis communications roadmaster out....
Just wondering why there are more MBB's out of service than any other types of cars?
Are they currently being overhauled or are their plans of rebuilding the cars out of service or are they likely to be retireded?
Are they currently being overhauled or are their plans of rebuilding the cars out of service or are they likely to be retireded?
The MBBs are the oldest and most decrepit piece of junk coaches in the fleet. The only reason they haven't been scrapped yet is partly because of the ongoing Kawasaki upgrades, but mostly because they might be overhauled for Conn River Line service.
|| REGIONALRAIL ||
Not when you are going by the Flats though. They are 10 years newer than the 200s Cars. 1987/1988 puts them in par with all the other flats. Only the Double Decker are newer.
Also, what do you mean Conn River Line service?
Is something else happening here other than the Amtrak Vermonter?
Also, what do you mean Conn River Line service?
Is something else happening here other than the Amtrak Vermonter?
Last edited by CRail on Sun Jun 04, 2017 3:14 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Unnecessary quote removed