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  • Leased equipment MARC/NJT/AMTK

  • Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.
Discussion relating to Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (Philadelphia Metro Area). Official web site can be found here: www.septa.com. Also including discussion related to the PATCO Speedline rapid transit operated by Delaware River Port Authority. Official web site can be found here: http://www.ridepatco.org/.

Moderator: AlexC

 #1405900  by MACTRAXX
 
STrRedWolf wrote:
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?

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.
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.
JM and RW:

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
 #1405918  by ChrisU
 
Silverliner II wrote:All MARC sets, and all on the Paoli-Thorndale Line now. This morning, the MARC sets were on trains 9524, 9526, 9506, and 9538, respectively. The last one had SEPTA cab 2408 leading with the MARC coaches all reversed (MARC logo towards the cab car end of the train instead of the usual locomotive end).

The NJT set was returned last week; Friday the 14th was the last day for that set.
I saw the leased Keystone set at Suburban Station on Monday morning, but not sure what train it was on, or if it is still on SEPTA lease now.
Thanks for the info, guess I'll head out there tomorrow.
 #1405935  by Silverliner II
 
The Keystone set is still out there, on a Marcus Hook-Suburban Station run in the AM. Not sure of the PM trip.
 #1406087  by STrRedWolf
 
Silverliner II wrote:Unless it is broken, every MARC train has at least one bathroom (in the cab car).
I never heard of them making "bathroom stops." The train dispatchers on the host railroads would not go for that at all. And most MARC stations don't even have ticket offices, never mind bathrooms. And those that do, aside from DC, Baltimore Penn, BWI, and New Carrollton, most are not even open outside of the morning peak. I was fanning at Laurel one afternoon a few years back and the building was locked up as tight as a drum.
MARC has had CSX make bathroom stops in July of 2010 on both Camden and Brunswick lines when the restroom was broken on the train (trains 844 at Laurel and 870 at Germantown respectively). I think those were when they were still staffed...
 #1406094  by Silverliner II
 
Nothing is staffed along either CSX route anymore, is it?
 #1406095  by Amtrak7
 
To my knowledge, the only staffed MARC station, aside from the ones shared with Amtrak, is Odenton with the "Commuter Store". I also think that's the only place one can buy MARC tickets not on Amtrak stock...
 #1407190  by Wingnut
 
South Jersey Budd wrote:Tonight is the Keystone sets last trip. After it's Bryn Mawr trip tonight it goes back to Penn Coach and won't be back next week.
I was going to try meeting that set for its AM trip from Macus Hook before work some day last week. I'm glad I thought to check on its status before taking what would have been a wasted trip. :p I'm still enjoying the MARC sets though.

On a borrowed property related note, during the summer, SEPTA signed a short term lease for additional parking in a private lot in Radnor. This was a nice relief valve that allowed Main Line commuters to use the P&W as an alternative to RRD. That deal has ended and the lot is once again reserved strictly for medical center staff.
 #1407741  by South Jersey Budd
 
The MARC cab cars cannot operate on any SEPTA branch or on the main line north of Jenkintown. They are not equipped with ACES. They would have to have a SEPTA cab car in the lead to operate in ACES terrirtory. The set on the Norristown branch turns back to Powelton Yard.
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