Bar cars: end of an era?

[Tommy Meehan]

I believe 8655 was the bar car that was removed from service...

I believe 8655 was retired because it was just worn out. Here's a link to a Kevin Wong photo when 8655 was still in service in 2006. Here's another link to a photo I found in a Google image search when 8655 was being stored OOS at Stamford in 2009. (The Stamford date comes from a sub chat thread.)

During my Google search I was also directed to a 2010 bar car thread (link) right here in the RR.Net Metro-North Forum. A message posted in that thread by Jeff Smith included a news link. In the link the former chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Council Jim Cameron is quoted assuring everyone the M2 bar cars would be in service until at least 2025.

Our intrepid rail council chairman, who manages to pat himself on the back along the way:

http://www.westportnow.com/index.php?/v ... nts/27869/

Jim Cameron - "In an earlier life I was a journalist. A pretty good one too, winning awards....I first read The New York Times April 20 [2010] feature on pending demise of Metro-North’s bar cars. I had spoken with the reporter, Michael Grynbaum, about the story. But despite our conversations, he got the story wrong. Very wrong....our sacred bar cars are good for another 15 – 20 years and there are no, repeat NO, plans to remove them from service."

Btw in the thread it was mentioned 8655 had been on the Stamford siding since early 2009 and that the other nine bar cars were all still in service.

[Clean Cab]

Only 7 of the 9 bar pairs went through the CSR program and only about 3/4 of all M2's were also overhauled by CSR. There was not enough funds to do all the M2's.

[Clean Cab]

With the retirement of the M2 bar cars, I like to remember one bar car that went through the most changes. Former MTA bar car #8615 was rebuilt into B car #8467. It then was the car that tested the M4 prototype trucks. It was part of the second MK rebuild in 1994. Then it was one of the CSR rebuilds. It certainly had the most diverse career of any M2.

[Otto Vondrak]

as explained to feeble minded 10 MTA bar cars were converted to regular coach, leaving 10 in 1984 or so.
so in 30 years only one bar car was lost as explained by you and wreckage, now are you by anyway related to Thomas on Amtrak board ?

Sorry Jaap, didn't mean to make you upset, and I have no idea who Thomas on Amtrak Board is. I only asked because the wording was not clear, so I asked for clarification. Thanks all for the help in explaining everything to me.

-otto-

[R36 Combine Coach]

During my Google search I was also directed to a 2010 bar car thread (link) right here in the RR.Net Metro-North Forum. A message posted in that thread by Jeff Smith included a news link. In the link the former chairman of the Connecticut Commuter Council Jim Cameron is quoted assuring everyone the M2 bar cars would be in service until at least 2025.

Jim Cameron - "In an earlier life I was a journalist. A pretty good one too, winning awards....I first read The New York Times April 20 [2010] feature on pending demise of Metro-North’s bar cars. I had spoken with the reporter, Michael Grynbaum, about the story. But despite our conversations, he got the story wrong. Very wrong....our sacred bar cars are good for another 15 – 20 years and there are no, repeat NO, plans to remove them from service."

Cameron echoes the exact same thing as Joe Lhota: there were never any plans to phase out bar car service.

[DutchRailnut]

Well Joe Lotha is full of hot air and the other one even fuller, MTA had no say in matter as it was a total CDOT decision, and there was never any formal statement that guaranteed continuation of bar cars by CDOT or Ct State.

[Tommy Meehan]

The ironic thing is, I'm not sure what Lhota said, but Jim Cameron objected to the Times article as being inaccurate. The funny thing is, if you go back and reread it, it sounds like the reporter had better sources than Jim Cameron did. That the one who was giving out inaccurate information was Jim Cameron.

The Times reported essentially that as more and more M8s arrived the older MUs were going to be scrapped. Since the M2 bar cars could not operate with M8s this meant eventually these cars were going to be scrapped as well. The Times quoted the ConnDOT commissioner, Joseph Marie, as saying that officials could not commit themselves to M8 bar cars, citing higher costs for the cars’ custom design. “They’re being contemplated,” said Joseph F. Marie, Connecticut’s commissioner of transportation. “But we have not made any final decisions.”

Ironically, this is exactly what has happened. What Cameron said -- that the M2 bar cars would operate until 2025 or 2030 -- is not going to happen. We know that now. Don't forget, although Cameron implied he was speaking from a position of authority, he was not part of Conn DOT's decision making process. Presumably his comments were based on information given to him by...someone. Who knows where his information came from, Cameron didn't say.

What has Cameron said about the bar cars lately? Has anyone asked him, "Hey what happened, you told us...."

[truck6018]

it sounds like the reporter had better sources than Jim Cameron did. That the one who was giving out inaccurate information was Jim Cameron.

This is surprising how?

The only authority Cameron has ever had (or will ever have) is in his own head.