VRE's New Gallery Cars

So, VRE has bought 21 brand new cab, 20 coach with restroom, and 20 coach without restroom; a total of 61 brand new Galley cars.
From http://www.vre.org/about/equipment.htm, they still had 30 very old Galley cars left; therefore having a total of 91 Galley cars (2/3rds of which are virtually brand new).
Are there plans to sell the last 30 very old Galley cars anytime soon?

From http://www.vre.org/service/consist.htm, VRE only needs 72 cars to equipped 11 trainsets.
If all 11 trainsets had 8 car consists, they would need a maximum of 88 cars. I doubt every train requires 8 car consists, so they'll probably need to order another 21 to 29 cars soon.

From http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... inutes.pdf
VRE has ordered 12 brand new M36 diesel locomotives, and recently the VRE board gave permission to order up to 3 more locomotives, for a total of up to 15 M36 locomotives. That means they have an additional 4 locomotives than needed for standby or backup purposes.

According to that equipment page, VRE has 21 locomotives. If they are ordering 15 new locomotives, which old locomotive type will they not retire?

Amtrak7 wrote:According to that equipment page, VRE has 21 locomotives. If they are ordering 15 new locomotives, which old locomotive type will they not retire?

I was under the impression they wanted 20 new locomotives, but so far they have only Board approvial to order 15.
I would think they would keep as many F40s around as possible. I would replace the GP-39 and GP-40 locomotives first.

Per this roster, VRE has
(10) GP-39 (remanufactured) #V01 - V10
All built in the late 1960s to early 1970s, making them around 40 years old.
(5) GP-40 (remanufactured) #V20 - V24
All built in the late 1960s to early 1970s, making them around 40 years old.
(3) F-40 (owned) V31 - V33
All built in the late 1970s to early 1980s, making them around 30 years old.
(3) F-40 (leased) V34 - V36
All built in the late 1970s to early 1980s, making them around 30 years old.

MP36 locomotive orders to date:
(27) Merta
(26) MARC
(21) Frontrunner
(15) VRE
(14) Metrolink
(9) Railrunner
(6) Caltrain
(6) Northstar
Note: I didn't include Go's MP40s. Feel free to update the list.

That's what I know as well. They just don't have the funding to replace everything at the moment. I think it originally started out as a purchase of as low as 4 and has kept going up from there. I'm almost positive that they are going to keep some others in service, as backup if nothing else. Just like the old cars they have kept and are going to keep even after the rest of the new ones arrive. But right now there are train sets that are being moved with power from 1, 2 or sometimes 3 of their engines. If the MP36 can pull more cars with just one, that will give all the older locomotives a much needed rest.

They want to sell 11, and I believe at least one of the F40s has been purchased already. http://vre.org/about/procurement/RFI_09 ... 20Sell.pdf

the-rail-life wrote:They want to sell 11, and I believe at least one of the F40s has been purchased already. http://vre.org/about/procurement/RFI_09 ... 20Sell.pdf

VRE’s current locomotive fleet consists of:
• Three (3) - F-40 PH (V31-V33)
• Ten (10) - RP-39 2C (V01-V10)
• Five (5) - GP-40 2C (V20-V24)
That's only adds up to 18 existing locomotives. Adding the 3 VRE is leasing makes 21.

The order of sale will be as follows:
• F-40s (in numeric order)
• RP-39s (in numeric order)
• GP-40s (in reverse order)

Looks like I was wrong, VRE likes their five GP-40s more. Adding the 5 old GP-40s with their soon to be 15 new MP-36s makes a total of 20 locomotives. Which should be more than enough to operate 11 trainsets.

Straight from VRE:

In March of 2009, VRE received Operations Board authority to purchase eleven (11) new locomotives
with an option to purchase up to nine (9) more. It is VRE’s expectation that the remaining options will
be exercised before December 2013. As additional new locomotives are ordered, additional VRE
locomotives will be offered for sale.
VRE’s current locomotive fleet consists of:
• Three (3) - F-40 PH (V31-V33)
• Ten (10) - RP-39 2C (V01-V10)
• Five (5) - GP-40 2C (V20-V24)
The order of sale will be as follows:
• F-40s (in numeric order)
• RP-39s (in numeric order)
• GP-40s (in reverse order)
...
Proposal Information:
VRE will consider any and all offers and reserves the right to negotiate with any Offeror.
VRE reserves the right to accept any offer or negotiated offer or to reject all offers.
An offer may be for one (1) or more locomotives up to eleven (11) locomotives.
Contingent offers for the seven (7) locomotives not yet available will be considered.
All purchase and sale agreements shall contain a provision for delivery to take place at one (1) of
three (3) locations:
1. VRE’s Crossroads Yard;
2. VRE’s Broad Run Yard; or
3. Amtrak’s Ivy City Yard
The purchaser shall pay all freight charges beyond those points.

electricron wrote: Looks like I was wrong, VRE likes their five GP-40s more. Adding the 5 old GP-40s with their soon to be 15 new MP-36s makes a total of 20 locomotives. Which should be more than enough to operate 11 trainsets.

The thing to realize when it comes to retaining the GP40s for last is that, although they may be older originally, their more recent rebuilds makes them more like new locomotives. Same reason MARC is holding on to their GP39s. They may be less powerful than their GP40s, but having been rebuilt more recently, they are less worn than the 40s, and still provide enough power for the uses they hav planned fir them once the MPs come on line.

electricron wrote:So, VRE has bought 21 brand new cab, 20 coach with restroom, and 20 coach without restroom; a total of 61 brand new Galley cars.
From http://www.vre.org/about/equipment.htm, they still had 30 very old Galley cars left; therefore having a total of 91 Galley cars (2/3rds of which are virtually brand new).
Are there plans to sell the last 30 very old Galley cars anytime soon?

From http://www.vre.org/service/consist.htm, VRE only needs 72 cars to equipped 11 trainsets.
If all 11 trainsets had 8 car consists, they would need a maximum of 88 cars. I doubt every train requires 8 car consists, so they'll probably need to order another 21 to 29 cars soon.

From http://www.vre.org/about/Ops_board_item ... inutes.pdf
VRE has ordered 12 brand new M36 diesel locomotives, and recently the VRE board gave permission to order up to 3 more locomotives, for a total of up to 15 M36 locomotives. That means they have an additional 4 locomotives than needed for standby or backup purposes.

VRE has purhased 10 more coaches without bathrooms, which should arrive later this month.
Also, they have requested money from Congress to purchase 30 new railcars and more locomotives.
They plan to add more cars to some trains and add an express train when they move two trainsets to L'Enfant Plaza

oknazevad wrote:

electricron wrote: Looks like I was wrong, VRE likes their five GP-40s more. Adding the 5 old GP-40s with their soon to be 15 new MP-36s makes a total of 20 locomotives. Which should be more than enough to operate 11 trainsets.

The thing to realize when it comes to retaining the GP40s for last is that, although they may be older originally, their more recent rebuilds makes them more like new locomotives. Same reason MARC is holding on to their GP39s. They may be less powerful than their GP40s, but having been rebuilt more recently, they are less worn than the 40s, and still provide enough power for the uses they hav planned fir them once the MPs come on line.

Were the GP39's rebuilt after MARC purchased them? I'm pretty sure MARC purchased the GP39's before they purchased the GP40's.

realtype wrote:Were the GP39's rebuilt after MARC purchased them?
I'm pretty sure MARC purchased the GP39's before they purchased the GP40's.

Does it really matter which locomotives MARC bought first?
What really matter is which locomotives MARC refurbished last.

Which is why he asked if MARC had refurbed them (which I don't think that they have).