F40PH Disposition

[aem7ac921]

Now that all the original F40PHs have been retried, are there any plans to save one or are they all being scrapped?

[F-line to Dudley via Park]

Now that all the original F40PHs have been retried, are there any plans to save one or are they all being scrapped?

Depends on who comes calling when they go out to bid. I'm sure not all 17 will survive as parts strip to feed somebody else's working units is inevitable, but the mere fact that Amtrak Screamers live on with the rent-a-wreck brokers gives good odds of some of these will get enough repair work to run again in light or temp duty for somebody. Hell...at bare minimum even in heavily worn state they'd make for great business train power for the marketing dept. of some Class II or Class III freight carrier.


It's S.O.P. with most commuter railroads to hold onto retired units until new power has passed certain in-service milestones. NJ Transit held its F40PH-CAT's and various retired Geeps in storage for 2 or 3 years after the last ALP-45DP units went into service, and only cleaned out its Garwood dead line late last Fall. Since the HSP-46's are still rotating out for minor warranty mods to get the computers in all 40 units on the same firmware revision and tend to other little to-do's, they haven't yet reached those service milestones.There's also possibility that some of the Screamers had those lease-back deals that transit operators commonly do with underwriters on a % of their equipment rosters for sake of netting a more favorable refinancing of insurance rates. Any such lease terms are likely padded in case of later-than-expected retirement of the fleet, so they may be waiting months to a year more for those leases to expire before they can formally be put out to bid.

[CRail]

MassDOT is hanging on to them for possible use in future startup services. I think they learned something from the MARC units and Ex Amtrak screamers they're using now. Another rebuild is a much more sensible expense than a new procurement for an unproven service.

[boatsmate]

Another Problem with saving one of thee is cost. Most of the museums in the area, Fall River, comes to mind, doesn't have the money to buy one, never mind getting it to the museum. the Cost of moving it alone would be prohibitive for a small museum even if it was donated at no cost. The days of getting things moved quietly are gone. now that there are two or three railroads that have to have a hand in the move.....

[Bramdeisroberts]

MassDOT is hanging on to them for possible use in future startup services. I think they learned something from the MARC units and Ex Amtrak screamers they're using now. Another rebuild is a much more sensible expense than a new procurement for an unproven service.

I wonder what the odds might be of the oft-fantasized "F32PH-3ECO" rebuild ever happening, either for T use or by one of the rebuilders for general resale.

I only say this because all of the Tier 4 locos are massive 4000+ hp beasts propelled by a whole slew of never-before-tested high speed prime movers (and rolling on a bunch of frankensteined european running gear, no less). That being the case, there could be a market for ~3000hp rebuilds, since nobody seems interested in building a mechanically-sensible new-build at that power level.

[R36 Combine Coach]

I could see those that aren't sold could be parted out and or be donors for VIA or Metra (the largest F40 users).

[Screamer 1000]

What's the consensus on which one may be preserved? I'm guessing it would be 1000 since it was the MBTA's first new piece of CR equipment. I'm also guessing as of right now that 1009 and 1014 will most likely be scrapped given their injuries. They both were in pretty rough shape when I visited the BET last June. I hope most of them can scream on!

[BandA]

Clearly the "T" doesn't have enough locos for CR expansion over the next few years. And not all CR trains will have 8 cars. So some lower-powered remanufactured and cheaper locos will be desirable.

[Bramdeisroberts]

I just look at the comprehensiveness of the -ECO rebuilds and their glowing successes in revenue service and wonder if there won't be a similar market for rail-up rebuilds and 12-710 repowers in the passenger loco world.

Even if the rebuild jobs would cost the MBTA 1-2 million apiece, they'd still be getting what are essentially two or three practically new-build F-59phi's for the price of one new-build Tier 4 locomotive. Given the T's need to add trains/expand existing CR service, I don't see how that's not an extremely attractive proposition for the T, or for other operators.

Furthermore, it gives the T an option OTHER than "run them into the ground" for the geeps and the other F40s while avoiding another Tier-4 loco purchase at a time when that might mean a Star Trek Frankenstein-job like the Charger or the F125.