When they're at home, are the MARC cab cars restricted to CSX trackage?
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Back here in MD, they work on CSX and Amtrak trackage and are in CSX or Amtrak yards, so they really can go anywhere non-SEPTA unless SEPTA is going to certify them.
Friday afternoon, ten MARC coaches (4 cabs, 6 coaches) departed Frazer with ACS-64 #650 for Washington, DC, to be returned to MARC. That leaves SEPTA with two MARC cabs and at least 10 to a dozen trailers... or two sets of equipment.
Also, Amtrak needs all their ACS-64's back for Thanksgiving week... so this may be the last week for the remaining MARC sets here. With 90 Silverliner V's reported back in service as of November 1st, I think things are just about wound down here....
On another note.... Bombardier coaches 2521, 2558, and 2559 still remain to be overhauled by Rotem.
Also, Amtrak needs all their ACS-64's back for Thanksgiving week... so this may be the last week for the remaining MARC sets here. With 90 Silverliner V's reported back in service as of November 1st, I think things are just about wound down here....
On another note.... Bombardier coaches 2521, 2558, and 2559 still remain to be overhauled by Rotem.
"CSX Detector. Milepost Six Point Four. No Defects. Repeat: No Defects. Total Axles Seven Four Seven. Detector Out"
I won't be too surprised that they're needed for the extra load of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Amtrak always borrows MARC equipment for that.
So, after monitoring the PM rush this evening, it comes down to this:
Of 28 MARC coaches leased by SEPTA (6 cabs, 22 trailers)
- Three six-car sets remain, totalling 18 cars. They ran on Paoli-Thorndale trains 9547, 9561, and 1565
- Ten cars (4 cabs, six trailers) parked in Penn Coach Yard pending forwarding back to MARC by Amtrak.
- Of the 18 MARC cars remaining, the three cab cars are all MARC IIa cars (7748, 7753, and 7754) and the 15 trailers are all MARC IIb cars (7716, 7719, 7721, 7722, 7726, 7727, 7728, 7730, 7731, 7732, 7733, 7734, 7729, 7791, and 7798).
Of 28 MARC coaches leased by SEPTA (6 cabs, 22 trailers)
- Three six-car sets remain, totalling 18 cars. They ran on Paoli-Thorndale trains 9547, 9561, and 1565
- Ten cars (4 cabs, six trailers) parked in Penn Coach Yard pending forwarding back to MARC by Amtrak.
- Of the 18 MARC cars remaining, the three cab cars are all MARC IIa cars (7748, 7753, and 7754) and the 15 trailers are all MARC IIb cars (7716, 7719, 7721, 7722, 7726, 7727, 7728, 7730, 7731, 7732, 7733, 7734, 7729, 7791, and 7798).
"CSX Detector. Milepost Six Point Four. No Defects. Repeat: No Defects. Total Axles Seven Four Seven. Detector Out"
Is SEPTA still considering the purchase of any of the MARC cars?
Glenn
No decision has been made on that yet.
Three Bomber coaches and eight cab cars remain to be overhauled, so time will tell.
Three Bomber coaches and eight cab cars remain to be overhauled, so time will tell.
"CSX Detector. Milepost Six Point Four. No Defects. Repeat: No Defects. Total Axles Seven Four Seven. Detector Out"
My hunch is those last MARC sets are coming back after Thanksgiving. They've worked well here.
Or not, with only a few Silverliner V's left to repair. We will see..... and there is still the matter of the last three Bomber coach overhauls....
"CSX Detector. Milepost Six Point Four. No Defects. Repeat: No Defects. Total Axles Seven Four Seven. Detector Out"
That was an issue before the car shortage, so they all could be sent back anyway.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXu4mb ... 8cuxblPB9g Videos, including SEPTA time lapses.
Silver II might be right. He has a better understanding of what SEPTA's roster looks like on a day to day basis than I do. Paying through the nose for the sumos is a strong incentive to return them. I'm leery of two things though. One is the increased likelihood of failures among the Silverliner IVs because they've been run into the ground all summer and fall. The other is the unreliability of the toasters. Every toaster that goes kaput sidelines a six car consist. Maybe they'll send the MARC coaches back and keep an ACS-64 on hand as a protect engine?
Looking ahead, most of MARC's single level fleet seems destined for sale. It's speculative to say the least but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them make it back to Philly.
Looking ahead, most of MARC's single level fleet seems destined for sale. It's speculative to say the least but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them make it back to Philly.
Wingnut wrote:Looking ahead, most of MARC's single level fleet seems destined for sale. It's speculative to say the least but I wouldn't be surprised if some of them make it back to Philly.You mean Baltimore, right?
I won't be surprised if the single levels get farmed out again to Amtrak for holiday service, as is the usual for this time. Amtrak gets a ton of demand (probably overflow from full airline flights) and borrows cars from MARC and NJT. The single-levels fit under the Hudson. If things stay the same for next few years, I'd say Amtrak should buy and rehab those MARC IIs.
Amtrak does indeed have two sets of single levels planned for the Sunday after Thanksgiving, as usual. But they needed the locomotives back from SEPTA to handle their other extra trains as well. Plus, MARC will still have a need for a number of single-level sets for a while since their Kawasaki bi-levels are cycling out for overhaul over the next year or two.
Back to SEPTA: Right now, they are running seven 6-car Bombardier sets, leaving them with one spare locomotive and three spare coaches. Before July when this all went down, and prior to the Bombardier trailer overhauls began, they were operating six 7-car sets, giving them a second spare locomotive. I see them going back to the way things were (pre-arrival of the Comet set in 2008 and during the Bomber overhauls prior to July): running six 6-car sets in order to have two locomotives and a full trainset to spare IF the ever send the last three Bomber coaches to Rotem for overhaul.. and IF they ever get a move on overhauling the remaining 8 cab cars.
Back to SEPTA: Right now, they are running seven 6-car Bombardier sets, leaving them with one spare locomotive and three spare coaches. Before July when this all went down, and prior to the Bombardier trailer overhauls began, they were operating six 7-car sets, giving them a second spare locomotive. I see them going back to the way things were (pre-arrival of the Comet set in 2008 and during the Bomber overhauls prior to July): running six 6-car sets in order to have two locomotives and a full trainset to spare IF the ever send the last three Bomber coaches to Rotem for overhaul.. and IF they ever get a move on overhauling the remaining 8 cab cars.
"CSX Detector. Milepost Six Point Four. No Defects. Repeat: No Defects. Total Axles Seven Four Seven. Detector Out"
Marc set with amtk engine past 16th St at 811am.