PAR Locomotive Fleet - General Discussion

[chrisf]

MEC 7622 seems to have some new hardware mounted on the roof directly over the cab. You can clearly see it in its most recent picture posted over at NERAIL Photos http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?photo ... otoindex=3. Anyone have any idea what it is? It doesn't show in any other previous photos that I have found.

Looks like PTC antennas.

[gokeefe]

PTC gear or A/C?

[backroadrails]

It's PTC, it was discussed on Facebook. The shops at Waterville have been trying to get as many units upgraded with PTC as possible. Most of the 500 series is equipped, including some GRS painted units. By the sounds paint can wait, while PTC cant.

[NHV 669]

Paint can always wait.

[Backshophoss]

This must be the MBTA funded I-ETMS/ACSES installations then.

[Stp243]

Its not the most sleek PTC install out there but it gets the job done.

[backroadrails]

The last 3 LTEX leasers have been returned to LTEX. This includes the 6528 (Gp40), and two exup SD40-2's. This leaves the slug set at ED as the only leased power. By the sounds B&M GP40 340 is being reactivated at Waterville.

[690]

MEC 616 has been renumbered to MEC 3405, likely to reflect it being owned by GATX, and also to differentiate it from the 600s which are being purged from the roster.

[backroadrails]

I noticed MEC 3404 is on the dead line, and has had the middle axels removed.

[thebigham]

Bill Gingrich is reporting that 10 locos were scrapped in Waterville in September.

3 GP9s and 7 GP40s

[MEC407]

In the Fall 2017 issue of the Pan Am Clipper, a company official wrote the following about the newly-acquired GE locomotives:

With between 35–40 EMD locomotives and 36 GE locomotives in service we have decided to hold each locomotive type in partially- captive service. The GE’s will typically run on the Pan Am Southern (Rotterdam Jct., NY to Ayer, MA) and be serviced out of the East Deerfield Engine House. The EMD’s will run predominantly on Pan Am Railways (Ayer, MA to Mattawamkeag, ME) and be serviced out of the Waterville Engine House.

By holding our GE and EMD fleets captive between Pan Am Southern and Pan Am Railways, it gives us the opportunity to capitalize on cost-savings efficiencies and adds simplicity between the two divisions. This allows PAR/PAS to reduce parts inventory to one type of locomotive, equipment, and tooling required for periodic maintenance, and increases the technical skill level to our crafts by segregating the two different locomotive types.

Pan Am Southern has a stronger model for the newer GE fleet with higher tonnage being interchanged daily with CSX and NS. We regularly interchange multiple trains that have up to 10,000 tons from Rotterdam Jct. NY and Worcester to Ayer, MA.

My questions are as follows:

1. How long did the captive/segregated operating procedure last? When did it end?

2. Why did it end? (I'm sure we all have our suspicions/theories, but if anyone knows the actual or official reason, that's what I'd like to know about)

3. How far east do the Dash 8-40Cs go? (I recently saw video of a couple Dash 8-40Bs at Northern Maine Junction.)

4. Where are the Dash 8-40Bs prohibited? Where are the Dash 8-40Cs prohibited?

[690]

At least one C40 made it all the way to Keag (technically there are no six axle restrictions anywhere on the mainline). I don't believe any of the B40s have made it east of Old Town yet. C40s and other six axles are technically prohibited from leaving the mainline east of Waterville (although this is often more of a formality rather than a strictly enforced rule - I have been given permission to take six axles onto other than main track plenty of times with zero hesitation), as well as most branches, and industrial track.

As of right now, the only "prohibited" places for B40s are some of the industrial trackage across the system, and I don't think they're normally allowed into Boston these days either. They haven't been on the Rumford branch for a while after the short stint they had up there last year, and none of them have been on the Hinckley Branch.

[MEC407]

Thanks!

[newpylong]

Sounds like an unwritten rule out West where 6 axles were not allowed on the Adams Industrial. I had a set off there one day and by the time it dawned on me I was a half mile down the branch with 3 CP SD40s shoving the set out. Oops lol.

[thebigham]

Retired locos owned by LTE are being scrapped in Waterville:

"603, 378, 611, 612, 602, 373, 379, 370, 605"

Thanks to Andrew Poulliot and Kevin Burkholder for pics and engine numbers!