Fleet Update

LIRR fleet ownership as of 10/30/2004 (per LIRR Intranet):

M7 = 318
M3 = 172
M1 = 478
DE30 = 23
DM30 = 23
C3 = 134

I think the M7s are currently arriving a little out of numerical sequence because of further modification. All the tread brake unit shoes are being replaced with a different brake shoe, and the inverter settings are being changed for dynamic brake/friction brake blending. (Don't ask )

M3 current overhaul phase update:

As of 10/13/04 all but 14 pair have been outfitted with converter/inverters to replace Motor Alternators, and all but 20 pair have had Microcab ATC system retrofit completed.

Updated list of legacy cars spotted with blue side stripes:

9547/548
9609/610
9611/612
9627/628
9629/630
9637/638
9655/656
9659/660
9711/712
9791/792
9803/804
9839/840
9869/870
9915/916
9933/934

There may be others.

edit: added 9611/612 and 9791/792

How could there be 23 DM's in service if 503 is a write-off. Remember, 503 was down since the melt down of its frame in the Greenlawn fire in 2000.

So what's the change on the M-7's ionverters? Are they just fine tunning the new brakes or are they no longer going to stop on the motors to 5mph or so?

I hope it's the former, the latter is so cool....

Phil,

Less dynamic, more friction. Also, I rode in 7313 last week. The dynamic does appear to drop out entirely around 5-7 MPH. I thought I heard LB- 13 (The dynamic brake contactor) dropping around that speed, and there was no "eeeeeooooo" noise as we stopped.
The tweaks are an attempt to mitigate the wheel shelling problems that the 7s have been having. That's why I said, "Don't ask". Maybe what they are doing makes sense to you, but it doesn't to me. But, once again, I must defer to people who make railcars every day.

Neil,

The figures on the intranet are ownership, not necessarily cars/locos in service. My bad...I fixed the first post to say "ownership", not "in service".
"Availability" on that same date at 6 a.m. was 17 DE30, 18 DM30, 122 C-3, 430 M-1, 144 M-3, and 290 M-7.

Tom

<i>Less dynamic, more friction.</i>

Joy. I guess the brake shoe and wheel makers were worried about a dropoff in sales...

<i>The tweaks are an attempt to mitigate the wheel shelling problems that the 7s have been having.</i>

Ahh! Shotgun diagnosis at it's best!

<i>That's why I said, "Don't ask". Maybe what they are doing makes sense to you, but it doesn't to me. But, once again, I must defer to people who make railcars every day. </i>

It baffles me too. Because, IIRC, shelling is an issue due more to high braking rates, or better put, high forces in the wheels, as opposed to how the braking's acomplished. I suspect wheel wear will go up, shoe useage will go up, but the actual problem won't really be solved. Of course, having a brake show wear down the wheels all the time might be the goal here. But it's still not fixing the problem, just putting a smiliey face on it.

Wheel shelling has always been problem with any wheel not cleaned by a brake shoe, Budd coaches, Pullman coaches, RDC's all had problem with wheel shelling due to grease atc and leaves polluting the running surface.
and nothing is wiping or burning it off.

Tom, that is still a good number of units in service, and to my surprise of you saying 18 out of 23 unreliable DM's in service. I guess the DM's are finally getting the tweaking out of them finally.

For yucks, I mathed out the % avilability on the fleet: Interestingly, the M1's are better than the 3's (?) and the 7's are only slightly better now (Are they being rotated around for mods/upgrades?)

The DE/DMs, are horrid. Oddly, the C3 cars are lower than you'd expect for an unpowered car.

Interestingly - 78.26 is the exact speed of the old 78 rpm record speed. Spooky

Anyone got the MDBFs on the fleet?

N340SG wrote:LIRR fleet ownership as of 10/30/2004 (per LIRR Intranet):

M7 = 318
M3 = 172
M1 = 478
DE30 = 23
DM30 = 23
C3 = 134

I think the M7s are currently arriving a little out of numerical sequence because of further modification. All the tread brake unit shoes are being replaced with a different brake shoe, and the inverter settings are being changed for dynamic brake/friction brake blending. (Don't ask )

M3 current overhaul phase update:

As of 10/13/04 all but 14 pair have been outfitted with converter/inverters to replace Motor Alternators, and all but 20 pair have had Microcab ATC system retrofit completed.

Updated list of legacy cars spotted with blue side stripes:

9547/548
9609/610
9627/628
9629/630
9637/638
9655/656
9659/660
9711/712
9803/804
9839/840
9869/870
9915/916
9933/934

There may be others. (IIRC, 9591/592 may have blue side stripes, also.)

Are there any other parts on the M-3s that they are going to replace? On a few M-3s, the brake release sounded like a table saw!

Phil,

Availability of different types of equipment will change day by day, shift by shift. Such things as Periodic Inspection equipment cycles, M-3 overhaul program, M-7 mods, will skew the figures continually. Do not use those availability figures from that slice of time as gospel, by any means. I only put them up to contrast, because I screwed up with the origional post.
During the U.S. Open over the summer, the RR made sure that all usable C-3s were available. Something like 132 of 134 owned C-3s were in service. That would be a 98 or 99% availability. Obviously, not normal.

I don't tend to trust MDBF figures...they can be self-serving.
That said, the M-7 I believe was supposed to provide at least 100,000 miles MDBF. The LIRR is very happy with them at [supposedly] over 200,000 miles MDBF.

Frank,

There are other aspects to the M-3 overhaul.
They are in a thread somewhere in the LIRR forum. (I think it was aptly named "M-3 overhaul")

Many of the pnuematic air brake parts are required by the FRA to be replaced every 3 years. In fact, LIRR M-7s 7001/7002 had to have 3 year air brake program done to them already.

I think I know what you are referring to. Many M-3s kind of whistle as the brakes release. Guess it's just the way the air rushes through the ports. It's not a defect.

Tom

I'm gonna miss the M1's *whoosh* brake release

That was always so neat.

Neil,

I spoke with a guy from Morris Park, and he confirmed that 503 is being cannibalized for parts, and is pretty much a goner.

Tom

Thanks Tom for giving the info. I guess EMD ok'd LIRR to write it off.

Neil,

I hope that's correct. I hate to post info of which I don't have first-hand knowledge. It may come back to nip me in the butt. Cars/locos have been cannibalized before, yet rebuilt later on.
The inference was that 503 will not be fixed. If I can find out definitively one way or the other, I'll let you know.

Tom