More Ping Pongs

Why did the MTA go with a different vendor for the next order of bi-levels? Didn’t it make more sense to be comparable with the existing c1 cars and add to that fleet?

BobLI wrote: ↑Tue Apr 28, 2020 11:45 am Why did the MTA go with a different vendor for the next order of bi-levels? Didn’t it make more sense to be comparable with the existing c1 cars and add to that fleet?

Bob-(going off the original topic):
1-The 10 original C1 bilevels were a prototype train that were built as married pairs,
had cramped 3/2 seats and was VERY expensive: $33 million dollars ($3.3 m/each).

2-The Kawasaki C3 fleet had "corrections" such as single units cab and trailer, 2/2
seats and regular tightlock couplers meaning that any diesel locomotive could tow
them. It made perfect sense to make these changes to the updated (late 90s) C3
car fleet. Kawasaki outbid Tokyu Car and other car builders for the C3 car contract.

MACTRAXX

The pings were retired suddenly after one of their 1910 "temporary shop trucks" disintegrated on the Main Line at high speed, causing the car's floor to strike a bridge beam at Woodside or Forest Hills. The bridge beam's still bent.

The cars were illuminated with 32 Volt light bulbs, operated by batteries recharged by a belt-driven generator looped to an axle. It was common to find the wide long broken canvas (or often leather) belts along the right of way.

The cars were built with plans for converting them to electric MU operation by 1935, when the entire road was expected to be fully electrified. I suppose the temporary trucks far exceeded their design life.

The pings were retired suddenly after one of their 1910 "temporary shop trucks" disintegrated on the Main Line at high speed, causing the car's floor to strike a bridge beam at Woodside or Forest Hills. The bridge beam's still bent.

I believe that the west of Flushing derailment was the same problem, as the train remained intact. The engineer was commended for bringing the train to a safe stop.
Was there any other truck related failures?

K&K-
I have been "memory jogged" by your statement about the derailment of the pings possibly at Forest Hills. There is a dent in the plate girder bridge east of Kew Gardens coming into Jay Interlocking. It may be from the tragedy in 1950, or the one you allude to. I remember seeing the dent every time going east on Mainline 2.

Hey 452! I know the one you mean, and I'm not sure either. But I know that dent will be there long after we're both gone.

Speaking of the ping-pongs, lots of them in this video of the LIRR I remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZNpVWMj08w

K&K,
Thanks for the video. I have never seen it before. The 60's were my favorite era of the LIRR. Most of my 0 gauge models are in the video. The only thing I really don't have is a double decker. Many a pre MTA engineer would give you a ride back then.

Hello again K&K,
The video is of the RR before I came on (1974), but during training I remember the mixed-up fleet as it was still in its down-size.When I came on, the Pings were gone, the MP-72s were all converted to push-pull. I remember seeing those strange cars in Montauk from other RRs that I had no idea about.
When changing ends, I walked through them marveling at their different configurations.
Later, as rookie engineer, if I got an OB consist with the KCS cars with disc brakes, good luck to make the platform if you had an L2. You know what I mean.

Kelly&Kelly wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 8:33 pm Hey 452! I know the one you mean, and I'm not sure either. But I know that dent will be there long after we're both gone.

Speaking of the ping-pongs, lots of them in this video of the LIRR I remember:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZNpVWMj08w

Thanks for the film link, that was an amazing watch.

Interesting shot, but I doubt they're bound for scrapping at this time. The MU car is strung with an electrical cable beneath its windows, and the observation vaguely look like the old "Jamaica". There's a double-decker behind the ob. The MP54 doesn't have a whistle and appears to have most of its glass. I don't think this is scrap.

I took this shot of this classic MP54 on the platform at Jamaica, to defy the fact that M1's and platinum paint were defiling almost every picture we were trying to shoot at the time. I showed it to the late Ray Kenny, as we were both college students and members of the LIST NRHS. Ray pointed to the pigeon on the platform and quipped, "Dashing Moe".

RGlueck wrote: The MU car is strung with an electrical cable beneath its windows.

Are you sure that's an electrical cable and not spray paint ?

If the location is Sunnyside yard, what are these three cars doing there ?

Also note the absence of graffiti on the boxcars.

It may well be Sunnyside, but not necessarily condemned equipment. The "tell-tale" would be odd for the LIRR, but not for the PRR. Could it be Bay Ridge or LIC? Also, looking at the observation, that color may not be gray. I'm wondering if it might have been Ziel and Foster's ex CNJ ob, "Havpalm", #97, but I think it was painted blue at the time. It could be another observation car from another route, though I doubt it. That's definitely a wire or cable along the windows. Lack of graffiti tells me it's earlier than the scourge of "tagging" era. The photo is a rare bird, but those cars are not condemned at this time.

If the location is Sunnyside yard, what are these three cars doing there ?

Also note the absence of graffiti on the boxcars.

I have photos of the Jamaica OBS at the Black River & Western, along with the LIRR's Rotary Snow Plow in 1979. Not all the cars were going to the scrapers. Many boxcars still didn't have graffiti on them in 1972. I also agree that that is spray paint on the MP54.