Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for now

There is concern the Rotem plow to push aside road vehicles isn't strong enough to prevent derailments. Needless to say the article mentions no action on preventing road vehicles from getting in the damn way

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-m ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just heard that story on the KNX radio stream.
Start date is unknown for now.

BNSF locos will be used

http://thesource.metro.net/2015/09/03/m ... ce-safety/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So these 3-4 car commuter trains are going to be pushing, in addition to the already obese Guardian cars, a whole extra freight locomotive around? I swear, Metrolink are worse the FRA for anti-empirical sounds-good-in-soundbyte pseudo-safety.

I'd be willing to bet that more people will be killed in car accidents that they took because their commuter rail service was slower and more expensive than it otherwise would have been, than will be 'saved' by any of these hare-brained safety measures.

The BNSF power should be able to MU with the Metrolink power thru the MU trainline,
so it should not be deadweight,but will not have any of the indicators for door open/close,intercom fuctions
due to no Door Comm equipment on the freight power.

Does this decision have any impact on Tri-Rails use of identical cab cars?

Not yet as of this point of time.
That could change at any time depending on the findings of Metrolinlk's Safety review.

Service cuts are now on the table vs. leasing the BNSF units:

Faced with an unspecified problem with the type of train car that derailed in Oxnard in February, the Metrolink board will weigh today whether to spend an estimated $19 million on leased locomotives or cut daily commuter rail service in six Southern California counties by about half.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/metr ... -cars.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Apparently the BNSF units are going to be providing all tractive power, with the Metrolink power to act as HEP producing bumpers.

This is insane.

Any idea what type of locos they will be using from BNSF?

They're supposed to be 40 GE AC4400CW units from store at Alliance, NE.

It was supposed to be 4 axle Geeps,the AC4400's will tick off CARB,
and you can't run 6 axle power every where on Metrolink I believe.

I was only going off what Metrolink put in their agenda for their board meeting on Friday 25th: -

http://metrolink.granicus.com/DocumentV ... pdf&view=1

See page 31 of the PDF file.

If that's not the case then fair enough.

I can only see one route in the Metrolink ETT that is barred to six axle power , and that is from Pomona to CP Bassett on the San Gabriel Subdivision.

Presumably , Metrolink has enough spare locos to provide 4 axle power for the trains assigned to this route?

Locos supposed to be as follows: -
5603
5606
5607
5610
5613
5615
5616
5617
5619
5620
5621
5622
5624
5626
5627
5628
5629
5631
5633
5634
5635
5636
5638
5639
5640
5641
5642
5643
5644
5647
5648
5649
5650
5651
5652
5654
5655
5656
5658
5662