Chicago commuter service E and F units

[Zog]

I am working on an article and I need the approximate retirement dates for the E's and F's working the Chicago commute service. Thanks in advance.

[CNW4404]

http://utahrails.net/cnw/cnw-index.php

[AC Fan]

Growing up along the C&NW west line to Geneva, I can recall the E units making their "farewell" trips in 1989. However, Metra kept several on hand as reserve units, and during the Mississippi River floods of 1993, Metra E8's piloted Amtrak's California Zephyr from Chicago Union Station to Omaha (they switched from the old Milwaukee Road tracks coming out of Union Station to the C&NW West line at Tower A2 - right by where Metra's Western Ave. stop is on the MILW Dist. West & North lines. - Of course, locomotives could not lead on the C&NW west line unless ATC cab signal equipped (the former C&NW E8's were, Amtrak's F40PH's were not. I don't recall seeing the E8's even being occasionally used after 1993 - if they were, it was very sporadic, and probably ended no later than late '93 or perhaps '94.

As far as the F7's, I do recall seeing them in service on the commuter trains in the summer of 1980. Around 1980 or 1981, RTA (now Metra) took another delivery of F40PH's, which I believe bumped the F7's out of commuter service for good (I at least remember that I suddenly stopped seeing them shortly after the summer of 1980. Hope this helped.

[SlowFreight]

The last four were 515, 516, 518, and 521. 516 was actually repainted into Metra colors prior to the 1989 "retirement," but the final fan trip had only the 3 RTA-painted units. Post-retirement, all 4 were treated to full Metra colors, but I don't know exactly when they were sold off.

[Otto Vondrak]

See also...

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=630

and

http://www.railroad.net/articles/railfanning/metra

[PRRGuy]

I believe that E unit purchased or leased by the FEC is a former C&NW loco. I'm not sure if it was in Chicago commuter service though.

[CNW5022-A519]

Hello PRRguy
Do you have a photo of the E unit if you do post it. Would like to see it

[uhaul]

PRRGuy, the E-unit deal fell through. FEC acquired an FL9 instead.

[Mitch]

518 blew up on The South Shore Line when it, and several cars were borrowed to help with the ridership crush of the early to mid eighties.

[Tadman]

I had no idea Metra loaned an E to CSS - I only ever saw F40's, and rode train 117 once when it was Metra-equipped. It was low-platform only due to the gallery car step arrangements - no traps. The best part of train 117 was that after it was re-equipped from Metra/CNW trainset to EMU's, it kept the limited schedule, and when operated by EMU's it was a fast train.


Also worth noting - during the great 1993 floods, Amtrak borrowed some METX E's for their detour trains to use over CNW/UP trackage. This was primarily the CZ and Builder if memory serves me correctly.

After sales, the units were used by Metrolink and LIRR on a very limited basis, and neither is on those properties now.