[dowlingm]

Seeing the Tri Rail on social today reminded me of past discussions about the paucity of locomotive options in the market, with Wabtec no longer marketing the MPXpress and the issues EMD had with F125 and the backlog at Siemens… anyone for a few Brookville BL36GH with a Tier 4 MTU 20V4000? They are still up on their website… Only good for 82mph though, and DC traction.

Passenger Locomotive - Brookville Equipment Corporation

Brookville locomotive manufacturers produce freight locomotives, Diesel-Electric Locomotives, Diesel Locomotives, as well as, other rail vehicles.

www.brookvillecorp.com

 

[Bojaxs]

Seeing the Tri Rail on social today reminded me of past discussions about the paucity of locomotive options in the market, with Wabtec no longer marketing the MPXpress and the issues EMD had with F125 and the backlog at Siemens… anyone for a few Brookville BL36GH with a Tier 4 MTU 20V4000? They are still up on their website… Only good for 82mph though, and DC traction.

Passenger Locomotive - Brookville Equipment Corporation

Brookville locomotive manufacturers produce freight locomotives, Diesel-Electric Locomotives, Diesel Locomotives, as well as, other rail vehicles.

www.brookvillecorp.com

Is Wabtec completely out of the passenger rail market? If someone was willing to place an order big enough, they couldn't figure out a way to manufacture the locomotives out of Erie, Pennsylvania?

Why is the Siemens Charger selling so well?

 

[T3G]

Have observed quite a few BiLevels in the 2600-2661 series running around in the new colours as of late. Have these started undergoing refurbishing or is this just Metrolinx making good on the contract to repaint the balance of the fleet?

 

[RU479]

Have observed quite a few BiLevels in the 2600-2661 series running around in the new colours as of late. Have these started undergoing refurbishing or is this just Metrolinx making good on the contract to repaint the balance of the fleet?

It’s weird, they’re supposed to be refurbished, however it seems with the new repaint contract, MX has started repainting them before they get refurbished.

 

[drum118]

It’s weird, they’re supposed to be refurbished, however it seems with the new repaint contract, MX has started repainting them before they get refurbished.

Its quicker to repaint the fleet than wait until cars are refurbished. Only seen a few train where all the cars were in the new colours, but mainly mixed colours. Only a few of the MP40 have been repainted that did not arrived in new colours.

 

[RU479]

208 with its bogey covers up, 209 has also been delivered

 

[T3G]

For those of us who are not in the know, what are these magical service changes that they're allegedly waiting for to put these back into service and what does the timeline look like on them?

 

[RU479]

For those of us who are not in the know, what are these magical service changes that they're allegedly waiting for to put these back into service and what does the timeline look like on them?

Supposedly it’s the service changes done between 2024-2025 (likely also in conjunction with those 13 diesel locomotives that may or may not arrive at the same time).

 

[T3G]

Supposedly it’s the service changes done between 2024-2025 (likely also in conjunction with those 13 diesel locomotives that may or may not arrive at the same time).

Wow, that is an astonishing, and disappointing, timeline. It must be nice to have such low fleet utilization (and lack of accountability) to be able to spend millions of taxpayer dollars refurbishing something and leaving it unused for 2-3 years. Can you imagine if the TTC didn't put their new Flexity cars into service until whatever curse that has put so much of the streetcar network out of service all at once has lifted?

Considering that the CEM cars are the least comfortable cars in the fleet, I would welcome it if GO GOt over themselves and put the infinitely more comfortable classic cars back into service quickly instead.

 

[RU479]

Wow, that is an astonishing, and disappointing, timeline. It must be nice to have such low fleet utilization (and lack of accountability) to be able to spend millions of taxpayer dollars refurbishing something and leaving it unused for 2-3 years. Can you imagine if the TTC didn't put their new Flexity cars into service until whatever curse that has put so much of the streetcar network out of service all at once has lifted?

Considering that the CEM cars are the least comfortable cars in the fleet, I would welcome it if GO GOt over themselves and put the infinitely more comfortable classic cars back into service quickly instead.

Part of me wonders whether GO is waiting for all 15 to return before deploying them into service

 

[SaugeenJunction]

Supposedly it’s the service changes done between 2024-2025 (likely also in conjunction with those 13 diesel locomotives that may or may not arrive at the same time).

Don't hold your breath for those new diesels. Also spring 2024 is when it is rumoured we will see a decent service boost somewhere.

 

[crs1026]

Wow, that is an astonishing, and disappointing, timeline. It must be nice to have such low fleet utilization (and lack of accountability) to be able to spend millions of taxpayer dollars refurbishing something and leaving it unused for 2-3 years. Can you imagine if the TTC didn't put their new Flexity cars into service until whatever curse that has put so much of the streetcar network out of service all at once has lifted?

Considering that the CEM cars are the least comfortable cars in the fleet, I would welcome it if GO GOt over themselves and put the infinitely more comfortable classic cars back into service quickly instead.

That's funny, TTC has exactly that problem..... receiving brand new streetcars when the fleet's service plan doesn't need them (yet).

And in both cases, the most sensible solution is indeed to sideline a specific portion of the fleet so they don't consume resources doing periodic maintenance, heating and lighting energy, cleaning, etc.

If you have seen the rows and rows of diesel locomotives and container and auto rack cars that accumulate in off-peak traffic periods.....this is small potatoes.

The obsession with seeing these cars in service is a foamer affectation, and nothing more.

- Paul

 

[Northern Light]

Don't hold your breath for those new diesels. Also spring 2024 is when it is rumoured we will see a decent service boost somewhere.

So many rumours............. LOL

That said, its difficult to imaging that the reduced double-fares, notably for GO in Toronto won't trigger some uptick in ridership.

The obsession with seeing these cars in service is a foamer affectation, and nothing more.

- Paul

Its not often that we disagree, but this will be one such case.

With transit systems in suburbia bursting a the seems, the latent demand factor would seem to be high.

I expect that a lot of ridership isn't materializing because of poor service, service that is poor when there is ample fleet available.

I don't think its simply 'foamers' who want to see greater and wiser fleet utilization.

When GO slashed weekday service from every 30M to every 15 they drove away riders.

When they cut LSE Express Trains they drove away riders.

Then the claim 'well we're not running the service because there's no demand'.............horse @#$#

I'm not suggesting that there is full pre-Covid demand for GO to Union on Mondays and Fridays as yet........ there isn't.

But there is at least pre-Covid demand (including latency) at almost all other times.

Lets not fail to consider, the region is literally more than 500,000 greater in population than it was pre-Covid (perhaps more)

 

[T3G]

That's funny, TTC has exactly that problem..... receiving brand new streetcars when the fleet's service plan doesn't need them (yet).

And in both cases, the most sensible solution is indeed to sideline a specific portion of the fleet so they don't consume resources doing periodic maintenance, heating and lighting energy, cleaning, etc.

Though, in the TTC's case, the solution has not been to not use the newest cars. 4604 has been commissioned and therefore one supposes the balance will follow suit, if they ever get delivered. And then there is the on going surplus of buses for the last few years - I have not noticed any fleet but the BYD electrics being sidelined wholesale to avoid the need to spend money on them, and that was not the reason they did that to the BYD.

Sounds to me like the most sensible solution would be to use all of the cars, but each one less frequently, to avoid excessive wear and tear, but also to ensure the equipment doesn't go too long without moving, either.

The obsession with seeing these cars in service is a foamer affectation, and nothing more.

I think that's a fairly uncharitable interpretation.

As Northern Light noted in the post above, there is a service based argument for wanting to see more cars in service. There are a lot of gaps in GO coverage that make problems. And as I myself noted, the CEM are not comfortable for me as a passenger (and everyone I have spoken to on this subject has agreed), with their oddly shaped seats and substantial amounts of seats facing blank walls (the millennial BiLevel cars also have this on the lower floor, but there's less such seats per car than on the CEM stock), so every CEM car that is replaced by a classic one is a net win in my book. And no one said they have to be put on as cab cars right now; I would rather have a freshly refurbished car, than to ride in a Series II or III coach with worn out, dusty seating.

But yes, when people are interested in vehicles, and a new or substantially modified in appearance vehicle starts appearing, it is entirely natural for people to be interested in seeing them, and to slag them off as being foamers just creates bad blood in the community. The only community of people of shared interests who attack other people in that community more than transportation enthusiasts are Star Wars fans.

 

[crs1026]

So many rumours............. LOL

That said, its difficult to imaging that the reduced double-fares, notably for GO in Toronto won't trigger some uptick in ridership.



Its not often that we disagree, but this will be one such case.

With transit systems in suburbia bursting a the seems, the latent demand factor would seem to be high.

I expect that a lot of ridership isn't materializing because of poor service, service that is poor when there is ample fleet available.

I don't think its simply 'foamers' who want to see greater and wiser fleet utilization.

All fair points, but we have to accept that within the context of a system that isn't coming together in a smooth way, there will be a few parts that arrive early and have to sit until they are needed.

There is far more idle capital tied up in the poorly executed track construction plan, which has whole stretches of track, bridges, culverts, tunnels, and signalling sitting unused because some other moving piece hasn't been completed. The latent demand cannot be addressed - and service cannot be increased - without the civil works getting completed.

ML has made it clear that they will complete "early works" but OnCorr will have to finish this construction in order to get the service added. So the cars are not needed now and I still maintain it is most appropriate if they are shrink-wrapped and not placed in service just yet.

I don't feel I was being mean spirited by pointing out that a fixation on the rolling stock to the exclusion of all this other investment is a bit foamerly.

- Paul