Grant to Expand Martin Maintenance Facility

MD recently received a State of Good Repair grant that enables to 800-ft electrified tracks to be built at Martin. Supposedly, this would allow electric trains to be serviced (right now they just handle diesels).
How many HHP8s are in service these days? Are any of the non-rush hour trains during the week handled by electrics on the Penn Line?
Thanks!
Andy

I will be curious to know if a local switching station will be needed, along with separate 12kV feeders from Gunpow and Chase, in order to electrify the Martins yard. 800 feet of track isn’t very much.

Currently, none of the off-peak or weekend Penn Line services are powered by HHP8s or ACS-64s. The explanation I was given several years ago for the lack of electric power on weekend services was that the lack of electrification at Martins yard.

twropr wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 8:43 am MD recently received a State of Good Repair grant that enables to 800-ft electrified tracks to be built at Martin. Supposedly, this would allow electric trains to be serviced (right now they just handle diesels).
How many HHP8s are in service these days? Are any of the non-rush hour trains during the week handled by electrics on the Penn Line?
Thanks!
Andy

There are 6 HHP-8's. Currently they're being rebuilt/maintained in the Ivy City yard.

I think the point of electrifying MSA yard would be to put a few consists up there that are attached to electrics in addition to servicing them. This will help with storage at Baltimore Penn Station, which effectively is reduced down to two tracks on the weekends.