It's starting.. ACMU's put out to pasture

Well "Dutch", they might be able to make them go but I wonder if they will
be able to make them stop????
Noel Weaver

either that or are stopped all time with the ATC.
they are very temperamental cars.

<i>they are very temperamental cars.</i>

Well, heck, if you were 40 years old and getting booted awake on a cold winter morning, you'd be a bit tempermental too

I may have asked this in another forum, but are any preservation efforts being made for at least one car? Being that they are 600v DC in running condition, Illinois Rwy Museum might like one - they don't have much restoration efforts to do (spend money on) but they are instantly operable as an attraction. Although NYC didn't have any electric operations in Chicago, they were a sizeable presence. IRM also has quite a commuter collection, including an MBTA RDC, ICRR MU's, South SHore equipment, and GG1. And it would be really really cool to see a matched pair operating in NYC green, albeit from a trolley pole rather than 3rd rail, but thats how the old CTA stuff there operates.

DutchRailnut wrote:Noel they are being shipped to Pennsylvania, to a contract scrapper for Bombardier. they are just put in Chevy yard for CSX to inspect and pickup.

Will CSX tow these cars through NJ on their way to PA? It would be pretty intresting to see some ACMU's running through NJ, even if not under their own power...

The problem with a trolley museum when they try to run a conventional
railroad car or electric electric locomotive is that their track, switches,
guard rails and curves are not intended for equipment of this nature.
Switches and turnouts are tight in nature and often rail and bridges will
not support the weight of these cars.
Illinois Railway Museum might well be in a position at least from their
track etc to handle one of these cars as they presently have one or more
steam locomotives in operation at various times. I would imagine that the
existing freight railroads would possibly burn them so far as the cost of
shipping is concerned.
As far as operating one or more of them, they would need trolley poles
for the most part but that can be done. Branford has put trolley poles on
several old N.Y.C. subway or elevated cars for operation there.
One might also wonder if one or more tourist railroad operations might
need some reasonably modern all steel cars. The windows could be
changed over to open and with a reasonable amount of alterations, these
cars could be made to run almost anywhere.
I have heard that the price of scrap is up right now so that works against
any preservation efforts.
Noel Weaver

Bid goodbye to a train?

That's just what Metro-North Railroad is inviting riders to do Dec. 5, when it will offer a farewell tour for its oldest trains, the ACMU 1100s.

The cars, the railroad's oldest, are being retired as Metro-North replaces them with new M7s.

Metro-North's predecessor, New York Central, first ordered the ACMU 1100 rail cars in 1962 and 1965. When they were new, the trains set a precedent for all railroad cars to come. Manufactured by Pullman Standard Co., they were the first 85-foot commuter-train cars and became the new gold standard for size, replacing the 60-foot cars that preceded them.

They also were the first air-conditioned commuter-train cars, as reflected in their name — air conditioned multiple units.

Tickets for the all-day bon voyage trip still are available. The cost is $50 for adults and $25 for children younger than 11. The unique rail adventure will bring the ACMU 1100s along the New Haven Line for the first time, back down the Harlem Line and up the Hudson Line for one last run before returning to Grand Central Terminal.

The trip will include photo stops at Mount Vernon East, Bronxville, Ardsley and Philipse Manor.

The trains will leave Grand Central at 9:30 a.m. and return there at 4 p.m. Passengers will receive collectible tickets and timetables, some onetime photo opportunities and Metro-North mementos.

For tickets, call Metro-North's group travel department at 212-499-4398.

http://www.thejournalnews.com/newsroom/ ... rains.html

Maybe DRM could get one, or two, since they seem to get quite a bit of the old MNCR stuff. It would be nice to see some preserved, and even better, some that ran on the fantrip.

The DRM has expressed no interest and made statements that it does not fit in their collection.

<i>The DRM has expressed no interest and made statements that it does not fit in their collection.</i>

But, of course, an ex UP E-7 and ex Reading RR passenger cars are just so representative of the New Haven's history, or the history of the surrounding lines...

First, MNCR's PR dept shows their ignorance of RR history with the statements about "first air-conditioned commuter train cars", and first 85-footers on the old NYC.... anyone remember the NYC's 1950-built 4500s? 85-foot cars built by St. Louis Car Co., and the ones that started the "ACMU" designation, because they were.......AIR CONDITIONED!!! And, strictly sticking to MNCR predecessor lines, how 'bout the 1954 NH 4400s? They were also A/C cars. And, by 1962-63, there were many A/C commuter cars in Chicago, Phila, and even on the Isle of Long.

The UP E-9 at DRM is not owned by them (nor are the RDG cars). I do not think the CN-VIA FPA-4 is DRM-owned, either.

Well, the people on here who think it is extremely important to save one
of these cars, get together, put your money up and make an offer on one
of these cars. It would have to be a serious offor though, the price of
scrap is up right now.
Maybe you could get Danbury or the RMNE to store it for you. Probably
would not be a huge problem to move it.
Noel Weaver

Hey, I'd save one if:

a) I had the $$$
b) Could get it up to Deposit NY.
c) My friend would let me store it on his property.
d) There wasn't 5 miles of hilly dirt road between him and the tracks.
Oh yeah, and e) His parents didn't mind us storing it there (between everything else? Tough call - plenty of stuff there as it is).

I suspect a, d, and e are the hard ones to deal with, though e isn't helped by the fact we've got no clue what we'd <b>do</b> with an ACMU, since the land's way too hilly to build a loop of track

Who at DRM has made these statements?

-otto-

What kind of money would DRM have to raise to buy one car? Hopefully being on line with Metro North might save transportation costs, which any other museum might have to pay. DRM is the closest thing we have to a museum of Metro North, as well as of predecessor lines. I am sure that these cars painted either Metro North or even old NYC color would be considered part of the mission? Is it practical at this late date to try and raise money to save one or two? Are there one or two cars in good enough mechanical condition that they could at least be used as fantrip cars even if towed by a diesel? Or are we all spinning wheels?
Does anyone have a ballpark figure of their scrap value /rescue cost?
Roger