F40 Rebuilds

According to an article in this month's Branchline magazine http://www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca (alt+w) Via is having F40PH-2's 6400 and 6452 stripped to the frame and rebuilt to -3 standards and repainted in the P42DC scheme at CAD in Lachine QC as a feasability test for a rebuilt program for the rest of the Fleet. They are also rebuilding LRC Via 1 car 3451 in house at the Montreal Maintenance Centre, and it will also be repainted green instead of grey and blue, part of the same feasability test. I just hope whoever gets elected makes sure that Via gets the capital it needs to run the program for the entire fleet

oleanfuzz wrote:Via is having F40PH-2's 6400 and 6452 stripped to the frame and rebuilt to -3 standards and repainted in the P42DC scheme at CAD in Lachine QC as a feasability test for a rebuilt program for the rest of the Fleet.

What does it mean "to be rebuilt to -3 standards"?

downbeat wrote:What does it mean "to be rebuilt to -3 standards"?

The item referenced in Branchline states: "It will be rebuilt with all new wiring, controls, microprocessors, auto start and stop and a layover heater". I guess the answer is in there, likely in the first three items. Only the 6400 is mentioned here and not the 6452, although it is stated elsewhere in the issue that both units are "being refurbished/overhauled in Montreal".

Ken V wrote:

downbeat wrote:What does it mean "to be rebuilt to -3 standards"?

The item referenced in Branchline states: "It will be rebuilt with all new wiring, controls, microprocessors, auto start and stop and a layover heater". I guess the answer is in there, likely in the first three items. Only the 6400 is mentioned here and not the 6452, although it is stated elsewhere in the issue that both units are "being refurbished/overhauled in Montreal".

Thank you Ken for clarifying my post, dash 3 standards are indeed that, microprocessors, controls and wiring.

Also I have confirmed with my source at VIA that 6452 will be done as soon as 6400 has been completed and break-in runs are done, if their budget allocation is the same as last year, they should be able to do the overhaul/rebuild on all of the currently stored, non wreck damaged, F40's.

The burly General Motors F40PH locomotives and the sleek LRC coaches that have become almost trademarks of VIA Rail could be gliding over Canadian rails for many years to come.

VIA has launched a refurbishment program that. if approved by the federal government, will prolong their careers for another 15 to 20 years, says Daniel Norbert, VIA's director of Capital Programs.

So it says in the Spring 2006 issue of the Railway Association of Canada's "Interchange" magazine which has a write-up on the rebuild of F40PH2 locomotive 6400 and LRC coach 3451. The story includes some photographs of the work in progress and an artist's rendition of the final products.

It's available online, in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format, at RAC Interchange Spring 2006. The article starts on page 40.

VIA 6400 is now out of the shops and is undergoing tests. Word has it that it will be put into service on the Montreal-Halifax Ocean in the next few weeks.

In case you haven't seen a photo of F40PH 6400 in her new paint yet, here is a link to one, taken in November by a VIA Rail manager.
click to enlarge

Too bad Amtrak couldn't do the same with some of their F40's.

amtrakhogger wrote:Too bad Amtrak couldn't do the same with some of their F40's.

Well, some of their "cabbages" are now in Amtrak Phase V, so you can see what they would have looked like.

amtrakhogger wrote:Too bad Amtrak couldn't do the same with some of their F40's.

Why should Amtrak spend money they don't have to extensively refurbish locomotives they don't need?

Ken: Those F40s look good! The only thing that I would have done differently is instead of the round curve of the side paint scheme I would have made it straight to match the lines of the F40. It is good to see that VIA is keeping their F40s - in my opinion they look much better than the GE Genesis PERCOLATORS (my term for them due to that gurgling sound they make) and may they be around for some time to come! MACTRAXX

amtrakhogger wrote:Too bad Amtrak couldn't do the same with some of their F40's.

They actually rebuilt between 8 and 10 F40's, about half got painted in full phase IV, and the rest got the green cascade or blue west coast paint

that program got halted when the last big order of P42's was submitted, and they were of course, retired when the last of that order was delivered

some of these are still sitting in Bear, DE

A heads-up for those out west... F40 6400 is on the Canadian that departed Toronto this morning (Feb 8) heading for Vancouver. It is the third of three F40s.

This new paint reminds me of the ATSF Blue Bonnet. Looks good.
http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos. ... VIA%206400

Ok, so I know that right now, VIA F40PH-2 #6402, 6443, 6452, 6454, and 6457 are awaiting or in the process of being rebuilt at CAD, and that 6402 is supposed to be the first done, having started (I believe) in January of this year.

My question is this. Does anyone know anything more about when we can expect to see the first of these units on the road? I take it they're supposed to be quite a bit different from the #6400 prototype, so I'm quite excited to see them.