byte wrote:...although there's probably more than a few F40s sitting around inactive every rush hour...
...which is a common occurrence along the engine storage tracks just north of track 16 at OTC, there's usually at least 4 or 5 of them hanging out there during all times of the day, even during the late-morning "engine shuffle" between there and the M19A facilities. Plenty of stand-by power in case something breaks down on the road, especially if it happens on two lines simultaneously. Long odds on that, true, but you never know...
When the newer MP's arrived, Metra was then able to assign 3 additional F40's to SWS, plus 2 to NCS, to support the expanded services on those routes. (UP/W didn't receive any additional units because no trains were added to the schedule). But with the oldest F40's on the roster now approaching 30 years old and being targeted for a rebuild, I don't know if you can call it a "mid-life" rehab, it sounds more like an "extended life rehab". Besides, if Metra does plan to retire any locomotives in the near future, I'd guess that 611 and 614 will likely be the next to go within a year or two, but other than that, I don't think it's time to start waving goodbye to the F40's just yet...