MelroseMatt wrote:Hello from SEPTA land. I only recently read about MARC's purchase of diesels to run on the electrified NEC, and I'm still trying to figure out what lead to this apparent non-sequiter. It sounds like MARC was tired of dealing with Amtrak for maintenance, and tired of unreliable catenary power. I'm curious if there was much pushback on environmental grounds? Or people are too busy trying to get to work to even notice the change? I wouldn't be surprised if most 'civialians' never ever realize the chargers don't have a pantograph raised.Hello from an ex-MTA employee!
MARC's AEM-7 engines were out of warranty and Amtrak was refusing to do maintenance on them, plus the HHP-8's were not working all that well. MARC values operational flexibility, since they run on non-electrified CSX lines as well as the wired-up NEC. Since the SC-44's were cheaper than new electrics, and they work everywhere MARC operates, MARC got them.
Fast forward from purchase order to today. Bombardier was able to get their hands back on the HHP-8's and make significant improvements, which they're working on one engine at a time. I caught engine 4910 (the first to be rehabbed) today to work, and it hauled ass, no problems. The AEM-7's are now mothballed (as far as I have heard), since the SC-44's are replacing them.
Now, if the HHP-8's as a whole get better over time, those SC-44's may also end up replacing the under-powered MP36's instead...