STrRedWolf wrote:JM and RW:jmatchesky wrote:How exactly did MARC end up with so many extra cars? Is it just good timing with their new bi-levels arriving and the old single-levels not being scrapped yet?It's good timing. MARC has a heavy load because it services DC, so bi-levels are a must. I had thought MARC would be scrapping the IIA's first, because the IV's were to replace the IIA/B series.
Just from riding a few of them on SEPTA (not that you can tell much from that), it seems like the coaches are in decent shape. It would be a shame if they can't continue to be used by someone if MARC has no more use for them.
The mid 80s-vintage MARC Sumitomo cars are IN NO WAY going to be scrapped - instead they are going into the used passenger equipment market.
These cars - being surplus for MARC - are being leased by SEPTA with an option to buy - good move here beginning with the Silverliner Five car shortage crisis.
They come in handy for SEPTA service - it is too bad that they must lease extra ACS64s from Amtrak with the limit they have of locomotives until their own
motors get delivered to replace the almost 30 year old AEM7 fleet (2301-2307 built 1987) in the near term...
The only way any of these cars would be actually be scrapped is if any were damaged to the point of causing them to be written off...
Perhaps someone like F-Line can chime in and perhaps explain more about the used passenger equipment market as it is currently. He has mentioned this subject in some of his posts.
There are examples around of passenger equipment finding second homes after retirement by their original owners - even the 10 oddball 1991-vintage former LIRR C1 cars have been
sold to new owners thanks to the surplus marketplace...
The best example I can think of used equipment being overhauled for a new owner is the group of former NJT Arrow One "Comarrow" cars - which were originally built as MU cars for
PC service in 1969 - they were stored and then rebuilt during the second half of the 1980s into Comet coaches - and after NJT retired them some went to Montreal's AMT for a time.
Caltrans bought a group of these cars and renovated them for short-haul intercity service in California in recent years - the San Joaquins and Capitol Corridor routes use them.
Everyone: I noticed mention about the MARC cars that are equipped with lavatories (or restrooms-better term then "bathroom" is because if you can't bathe or shower there...)
It will be interesting to see what SEPTA does with the cars equipped especially with SEPTA slated to be taking title to a group of them...
MACTRAXX
EXPRESS TRAIN TO NEW YORK PENN STATION-NO JAMAICA ON THIS TRAIN-PLEASE STAND CLEAR OF THE CLOSING TRAIN DOORS