Whatever happened to the ExpressTrak Reefers?

Hello All,

I was just wondering, What ever happened to all the ExpressTrak reefers Amtrak had?

I have been looking all over the net to see who might have bought them from Amtrak, but to date, I haven't yet located a final disposition roster. I believe there was over 100 of those cars on the Amtrak roster at one point.

Does anyone know where I can find current info on the former ExpressTrak fleet?

Well, that's all for now folks.

See ya all later........

a stack of them were stored out in the desert , southern califionia or ariziona .

There are tons of them in Harrisburg just east(?) of the station. You can get a good view from the train or via an exit off the interstate (can't remember which one. In the exit option, you come within 50 feet of the reefers, which are if farely good condition.

lirr415-Peter

lirr415 wrote:There are tons of them in Harrisburg just east(?) of the station. You can get a good view from the train or via an exit off the interstate (can't remember which one. In the exit option, you come within 50 feet of the reefers, which are if farely good condition.

lirr415-Peter

Just east of the station is correct.

Bob

And where are Express Box Cars (71000-71199) now?

These were built by Trenton Works (Greenbrier) in 1997....... It was interesting watching Amtrak equipment roll of the assembly line here in smalltown Trenton, Nova Scotia. Sadly Greenbrier has closed Trenton Works and moved production elsewhere.

The reeferrs are visable from the 2nd street exit off of Northbound I-83.

Sean

Ah - the ill-fated M&E program that Amtrak tried and then discontinued. I think this was best as it created a lot of bad feelings with the freight RR's - added to their own competition.

It's too bad Amtrak can't sell these Express-Trak reefers off and use it towards a new "passenger car rail fund." Course I am sure they were part of some sales-lease back transaction, but nonetheless, I would think Amtrak could get some money out of the arrangement and sell them. No freight RR would be interested in these cars?

Also as part of the main M&E push, Amtrak also purchased/leased (I believe) another type of freight transport. I am not sure specifically what these were called, but they were cars or rather "wheel truck assembies" that carried containers that one would find behind large four wheeled trucks on the road. I would imagine these would be easier to get rid of or sell to perhaps the Class I RR's. Perhaps Amtrak already sold these off, but if not, the proceeds from their sale would also be nice to use towards a new "passenger car rail fund."

What also ever happened to the mail/express box car that Amtrak used to have a lot of and had before the ExpressTrak cars, even back to when the F40s were running, but were later deemed to have caused a number of passenger train derailments in the 1990s and therefore the freight RR's slapped a slow order on them? These cars are also no longer used by Amtrak and they had a bunch of them.

Unfortunately, I also still see the M&E cars spread around sporadically in the Amtrak, whether along sidings on the NEC or out near Harrisburg as mentioned. Why not just haul them out to Beech Grove or try to assemble them "somewhere." Some of these M&E cars were getting a nice spray painting artistic drawing applied on the side (i.e. tagged).

jp1822 wrote: I am not sure specifically what these were called, but they were cars or rather "wheel truck assembies" that carried containers that one would find behind large four wheeled trucks on the road.

Roadrailer

Roadrailers at 30th Street and on Silver Star

Wasn't there a large expresstrak facillity somewhere in Maryland along the NEC? What hever happened to it? There are a few express boxcars in the NY area every so often btw.

Did amtrak ever haul these cars on the NEC (on non LD trains) (on Northeast direct or acela regional) I don't ever remember seeing them up in boston.

hi55us wrote:Did amtrak ever haul these cars on the NEC (on non LD trains) (on Northeast direct or acela regional) I don't ever remember seeing them up in boston.

They ran afast mail train on the NEC I saw it once while passing through Baltimore. I think it went to Springfield Mass? correct me if I'm wrong someone.

Amtrak annouced ending the express freight/LTL program in late 2005 and sold off all reefers by 2006.

Kaback9 wrote: They ran afast mail train on the NEC I saw it once while passing through Baltimore. I think it went to Springfield Mass? correct me if I'm wrong someone.

That was #12 northbound, #13 southbound. #13 was no passengers.

The Rising wrote:I believe there was over 100 of those cars on the Amtrak roster at one point.

There were 110 60' reefers (74001-74111) and 8 reeferrailers (414500-414507).

R36 Combine Coach wrote:Amtrak annouced ending the express freight/LTL program in late 2005 and sold off all reefers by 2006.

Actually it was first hinted at in 2003, and then announced August 27, 2004 that express freight would end. By early October 2004, pretty much all freight had stopped moving, with the exception of the reefers shipments for the State of Washington. Some boxcar equipment was still seen moving around after October, but that was mainly just positioning moves for storage and sales.

The reefers stopped running on October 31, 2006. But I don't believe that they've all been sold, as I'm sure that I saw a bunch sitting somewhere just recently, although at the moment I can't recall where that was.