What's happening with the SPVs?

I noticed what appears to be Metro-North's SPV-2000s near the Harmon shop.

This one's just south of the shop





This one's just north of the shop




I assume these are the same trains that have been sitting on the dead track at Croton North all these years?

Anyone know why they've been moved?

The brakes are being set up for shipment to new owner.
The NYS&W historical society obtained these cars from CDOT and all brakes need to be functioning for the move.

Are these SPVs going to become static displays after the move or will they be in operation of some sort?

I believbe they want to convert them into coaches. I looked inside them on Saterday and the cars look terrible tons of Racoon shit and bird nest inside the cars and a 1/4 " of dirth covering every thing.

I took a few pictures of them last year, along with some other old gems on the dead track.

http://www.geocities.com/mncommuter/croton_north.html

Spoke with some folks at NYSWHTS a few months ago, and they said first stage of plan is to restore them as coaches, next step to restore them as DMU's. Just as long as they dont try to haul these Budd cars behind 142, I think we'll be ok (for aesthetic reasons alone).

-otto-

I was near Croton-Harmon today, and saw one SPV out back of the shop, and one still in the dead line. When are these units supposed to leave the property? What route will these units take when they do leave?

no set plans yet, untill all units can pass a airtest no arrangements are made. for routing I would say Croton - Selkirk- Syracuse when???? when their done.

Why would they go to Syracuse? The NYSWHTS is in New Jersey...

http://www.nyswths.org/

-otto-

Ok my Faux Pax but either way they will be going to the black hole called Selkirk first, at sometime during their travels.
The cars won't be easy to convert to coaches, as they are differed than the CDOT cars. no HEP trainline for one.
Only their own generator sets (daily use 100 gallon Fuel per day) and a side of car 480 standby plug. and they are heavy at 120 000 lbs a piece.

I remember when those things were new. "SPV 2000, designed to last until the year 2000." I can't believe their expiration date is already 8 years ago.

We had the demo car on The Milwaukee for a week or 2. It clanked back and forth between Rondout and Chicago for a day. Then it was assigned for a week's demo as a possible re-birth of The Cannonball (every road has one of those...somewhere) between Milwaukee and Watertown. It hauled the airbrake instruction car around to actuate the signals.

Of course nothing came of it. Sorry to see the MN cars in such rotten shape.

Mitch wrote:I remember when those things were new. "SPV 2000, designed to last until the year 2000." I can't believe their expiration date is already 8 years ago.

They only made it until 1993-95.

Are those cars off the property yet? Weren't they moved to Bridgeport for a while?

-otto-

After complaints from concerned citizens about blight( in Bridgeport no less) they were moved to New Haven.
I believe their parked in the bone yard,where all other dead stuff dies.

I notice Otto's reply about not hauling SPV's behind NYSW 142 for aesthetic reasons - you're spot on, but that didn't stop CB&Q and RDG from using steamers to pinch hit for early diesel power on Zephyrs and Crusaders. Either road would assign dirty black standard steamers if they had to. I also think CNW and CB&Q hauled streamlined gallery coaches with steam in the mid-1950's. However, the wierdest would still be tubular SPV's behind a Chinese branch line steamer.