ThirdRail7 wrote:They are still in use as of now. I saw them out and about a few days ago.All of them or just one?
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MARC AEM-7s
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Even the late MARC Penn inbound train (leaves Pville @ 8) has been running an electric trainset recently, at the least the couple times I've ridden it this month. So it's not like MARC is hording them for preservation's sake. Well, they were the HHP-8s.
Without bumping the other thread, someone in the Amtrak forum said I could not possibly have recorded a speed of 131 w/my GPS on a DC outbound MARC train a year or two ago, I forget the exact timeframe and never got around to making an Android screenshot. Well, I will say this. In many, many instances of recording Penn line speed w/a GPS (surely I related a story somewhere of a hayseed who accused me, without irony, of seeming like a terrorist for doing this? Shows how extraordinarily dense some of the consanguineous Harford natives are.) I NEVER saw a speed above 125 at any other time. And on most trips it maxed out at 124 (assuming we had an electric consist, obviously) So, yes I will always believe something was different that day. Maybe the engineer know that motor's overspeed was out of adjustment. I was bringing it up to point out how well a healthy HHP-8 could accelerate a full MARC consist. We hit that speed just after crossing the Anacostia, even though the train is only going about 50mph IIRC in the vicinity of Ivy City. Not quite Metrorail rates of acceleration, but close and pretty amazing for a locomotive hauling that consist IMHO. I suppose it could have just been a random fluke of my GPS, BUT, it was also faster than usually seeming. He (or she!) seemed to really be in a hurry that day.
Without bumping the other thread, someone in the Amtrak forum said I could not possibly have recorded a speed of 131 w/my GPS on a DC outbound MARC train a year or two ago, I forget the exact timeframe and never got around to making an Android screenshot. Well, I will say this. In many, many instances of recording Penn line speed w/a GPS (surely I related a story somewhere of a hayseed who accused me, without irony, of seeming like a terrorist for doing this? Shows how extraordinarily dense some of the consanguineous Harford natives are.) I NEVER saw a speed above 125 at any other time. And on most trips it maxed out at 124 (assuming we had an electric consist, obviously) So, yes I will always believe something was different that day. Maybe the engineer know that motor's overspeed was out of adjustment. I was bringing it up to point out how well a healthy HHP-8 could accelerate a full MARC consist. We hit that speed just after crossing the Anacostia, even though the train is only going about 50mph IIRC in the vicinity of Ivy City. Not quite Metrorail rates of acceleration, but close and pretty amazing for a locomotive hauling that consist IMHO. I suppose it could have just been a random fluke of my GPS, BUT, it was also faster than usually seeming. He (or she!) seemed to really be in a hurry that day.
jt42cwr wrote:(Sorry for the late response)ThirdRail7 wrote:They are still in use as of now. I saw them out and about a few days ago.All of them or just one?
I'm not sure about 4903, but 4900, 4901, and 4902 have all been active recently. Of course they always operate in pairs.
realtype wrote:Im not from the Baltimore area, but on a recent trip passing by Baltimore, on the 16th of August, I happened to see a MARC toaster in the yard with a GP39-2, just off 95, I was told later that this was Riverside yard, which services Camden line trains, is Riverside electrified? And if not, why would this Toaster have any business there?jt42cwr wrote:(Sorry for the late response)ThirdRail7 wrote:They are still in use as of now. I saw them out and about a few days ago.All of them or just one?
I'm not sure about 4903, but 4900, 4901, and 4902 have all been active recently. Of course they always operate in pairs.
ACeInTheHole wrote:Riverside IS NOT electrified.realtype wrote:Im not from the Baltimore area, but on a recent trip passing by Baltimore, on the 16th of August, I happened to see a MARC toaster in the yard with a GP39-2, just off 95, I was told later that this was Riverside yard, which services Camden line trains, is Riverside electrified? And if not, why would this Toaster have any business there?jt42cwr wrote:(Sorry for the late response)ThirdRail7 wrote:They are still in use as of now. I saw them out and about a few days ago.All of them or just one?
I'm not sure about 4903, but 4900, 4901, and 4902 have all been active recently. Of course they always operate in pairs.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
ACeInTheHole wrote:4901 had some sort of electrical problem. I don't think they're going to fix it, so it probably being stored there.realtype wrote:Im not from the Baltimore area, but on a recent trip passing by Baltimore, on the 16th of August, I happened to see a MARC toaster in the yard with a GP39-2, just off 95, I was told later that this was Riverside yard, which services Camden line trains, is Riverside electrified? And if not, why would this Toaster have any business there?jt42cwr wrote:(Sorry for the late response)ThirdRail7 wrote:They are still in use as of now. I saw them out and about a few days ago.All of them or just one?
I'm not sure about 4903, but 4900, 4901, and 4902 have all been active recently. Of course they always operate in pairs.
PS: As a matter of a fact, here is the thread and video:
MARC 4901 OOS
MARC AEM-7 Heads Towards Retirement
They may regret it. Those diesels they bought aren't taking the pounding too well. Did 10 get back in service?
I want my road foreman!
"They may regret it. Those diesels they bought aren't taking the pounding too well."
I noticed when I was at Baltimore Penn yesterday that both a 9 Kawasaki car AND a 6 Kawasaki consist coming up from DC were being pulled by 2 of the hideous MP36s. I think the former arrangement was standard, of course, but not the latter. Hopefully through the regular graft-based ebb and flow of senior MARC administrators, someone with a bit of sense will drift into a position of clout and realize that, hey, there's a reason every other transit authority in the freakin' industrialized world that has access to catenary tends to keep using it if they can. There are various -stans in central Asia that would be embarrassed to convert to diesel traction if electric had been the norm.
I noticed when I was at Baltimore Penn yesterday that both a 9 Kawasaki car AND a 6 Kawasaki consist coming up from DC were being pulled by 2 of the hideous MP36s. I think the former arrangement was standard, of course, but not the latter. Hopefully through the regular graft-based ebb and flow of senior MARC administrators, someone with a bit of sense will drift into a position of clout and realize that, hey, there's a reason every other transit authority in the freakin' industrialized world that has access to catenary tends to keep using it if they can. There are various -stans in central Asia that would be embarrassed to convert to diesel traction if electric had been the norm.
dt_rt40 wrote:"They may regret it. Those diesels they bought aren't taking the pounding too well."
I noticed when I was at Baltimore Penn yesterday that both a 9 Kawasaki car AND a 6 Kawasaki consist coming up from DC were being pulled by 2 of the hideous MP36s. I think the former arrangement was standard, of course, but not the latter. Hopefully through the regular graft-based ebb and flow of senior MARC administrators, someone with a bit of sense will drift into a position of clout and realize that, hey, there's a reason every other transit authority in the freakin' industrialized world that has access to catenary tends to keep using it if they can. There are various -stans in central Asia that would be embarrassed to convert to diesel traction if electric had been the norm.
There is also a reason that most transit agencies are seeking to unify their fleet. It keeps costs down. Having a piece of equipment that can go anywhere at anytime is a valuable asset. The confined electric fleet is limited in scope and costly to maintain. Giving them up allows for one maintenance profile and in MARC's case, one maintenance contractor and facility.
That being said, you have to consider the purchase. These MPs that commuter railroads are snatching up are not particularly suited for the Penn Line. They may work out great for the Rail Runner, VRE, MBTA in addition to MARC's Brunswick and Camden Lines. Those lines poke along at lower speeds. I think MARC will learn these engines are not up for spending the vast majority of their operational time "notched out" as they attempt to pull large consists at 90mph for long periods of time.
I don't envy MARC.
I want my road foreman!
"I don't envy MARC."
Well at least we can agree about that. As my post on Waldorf pointed out, MARC has to operate in a state that basically still has a transit-neutral or even anti-transit mindset, outside of the "liberal" hotbeds Montgomery Co. and the core areas along the NEC between Balto & DC. I mean, sheesh, pony up for a few ACS-64s while you have the chance...WTF not?
Well at least we can agree about that. As my post on Waldorf pointed out, MARC has to operate in a state that basically still has a transit-neutral or even anti-transit mindset, outside of the "liberal" hotbeds Montgomery Co. and the core areas along the NEC between Balto & DC. I mean, sheesh, pony up for a few ACS-64s while you have the chance...WTF not?