Double-decker control cars on North Side

Does anyone know why some of the 1700-series double-decker control cars are currently being used on the North Side? Are the 1600-series control cars being retired?

Because you have extra rotem coaches getting accepted to service and they are planning on either retiring or rebuilding the remaining mbb’s eventually.

Commuterrail1050 wrote: ↑Thu May 04, 2023 6:58 pm Because you have extra rotem coaches getting accepted to service and they are planning on either retiring or rebuilding the remaining mbb’s eventually.

What about the Bombardier (1600-series) control cars? Are they also close to being retired or rebuilt?

The currently incoming group of Rotem control cars should allow retirement of all the single level cabs, and still add additional cars.

How rare are the 1700's on the North Side these days.

I only come into the office once or so a month these days, but I said my first 1700 in over 4 years on the Northside tonight. And not just one, three of them at North station.

1724 was on Track 1 for the Rockport train I took to Salem. 1701 and 1706 were on tracks 3 and 4.

NETransit lists seven as of August 2, 2023:
1701, 1704, 1705, 1706, 1714, 1722, 1724

There are currently ten new Rotem 1800s in service (of 33 on order), which are slowly displacing some 1700s north.

When South Coast Rail starts up later this year I expect we'll see a slowdown in this process, as more cab cars will be needed south.

The rotems are very quickly displacing the K cars, and most of the remainder south side cars are not in service.

the north side needs some 91 trailers

Posted on another thread, but actually saw a Rotem control car with 5 other bilevels on the Lowell today for the first time - 1805. With the 1700's there are usually at least 2 single level cars in the mix.
Currently there are 16 1600's and 12 1700's on the Northside.

Sounds like one of those “borrowed” Southside sets for Halloween escaped the Eastern Route

Yeah I saw both 1805 and 1814 on the N/R last weekend & 1805 today on a Haverhill inbound run. I'm assuming 1805 is taking random trains as there is no demand for salem service, but will go back to the salem trains possibly tonight. Not sure if it will stay north side or return back south after, but I'm assuming the latter.

Yeah as of today, all of the rotems that was up north temporarily to accommodate Halloween ridership to Salem are now south, including the 1805 set. Btw there are more than enough control coaches to cover the trains. That’s why more k car control coaches are heading up north. 1716 was the latest one to head up north.

Also, at some point the T will have to bring some rotems north, as if they want to replace the entire CTC-1B fleet, they wouldn't have enough spare control cars for the North Side (22 required + spares).

Eamon!

FYI 1707 has finally came back to service from derailment or car body damage repairs. Saw it on the tracker for the Northside.

Commuterrail1050 wrote: ↑Tue Nov 14, 2023 12:37 pm FYI 1707 has finally came back to service

that i'm happy about

Saw it on the tracker for the Northside.

that i'm not, because its my favorite cab car and i'm on the south side

from derailment or car body damage repairs.

it didn't derail, it just hit a car in abington.