FL9 F-10 Metro-North / CtDOT / Amtrak Discussion

[Jeff Smith]

Are any FL9s (or FP10s) still used on "shuttle" runs on the Danbury Branch, Waterbury Branch, and the upper part of the Harlem Branch? Would these be reliable assignments (e.g., a week at a time), or just pinch-hitting for GE's Ugly Genny and her sisters?

If so, could some kind soul provide numbers for those engines, and what paint schemes they wear? Thanks very much!

[DutchRailnut]

Waterbury currently hasCDOT 2011 and 413 on shuttle.
Danbuy both shuttles had a CDOT unit.
Brewster has 410 on train CDOT2027 a spare

[n01jd1]

I saw the 2008 and the 411 today at Croton-Harmon at the south end of the shops. I dont know if they were in service, But at least they werent in the deadline.

[peirce]

We see F-10 number 411 in Danbury from time to time. Here is one of those times.

[peirce]

This FL-9, 2026, is a frequent visitor in Danbury.

[peirce]

Spotted, in active service, in Danbury today, FL9s 2011 and 2026.

[Tom Curtin]

CDOT #2014 has been operating on a Danbury shuttle.

There' just one thing wrong with it: these 12" scale modelers at the Metro North shops don't know the first thing about how to weather an engine. It looks "out of the box," i.e., not prototypical.

[nh chris]

I saw no. 2016 idling at Stamford (as extra power?) this weekend.

[Alcochaser]

What F10A and FL9A units remain active? What jobs to they usually hold down?

What is the status of the FL9AC rebuilds? I heard these units were sidelined. Is this true?

[DutchRailnut]

Yes all FL9ac's are out of service.
the F10's we still got 410-411-413
FL9's 2008 & NYC painted 2012
FL9m's 2011-2014-2016-2024-2026-2027
usualy one is assigned Upper Harlem , currently 2014
two in Danbury currently 410 and 2016 on second shuttle.
The 411/413 are on Waterbury I Believe.
any other units are used for transfer moves and spare.

[ATK]

All this talk about CDOT not having any locomotives to pull these new VRE cars and yet in the last post I count 4 FL9m's with no assignments. I would assume the Genesis fleet can cover the rest of the schedule. Am I missing something here? Why not send these units back to Connecticut to work the Shoreline trains? What's the deal here???

[DutchRailnut]

The FL9m's do not have ACSES cab signaling, and they are used by MNCR.
We use them on oter stuff like spare for Wiretrain, Water World 1 and 2.
SLE has plenty power its the cars that the VRE will free up that have no power to make up trains for New Haven to GCT.
and you need dualmodes for that, something the FL9m no longer is.
btw a ACESS cab signalsystem runs about $200k, so not someting you want to put on an old locomotive.
Amtrak would not be happy with FL9's anyway due to max speed of 89mph, and long time to get there.

[ATK]

btw a ACSES cab signalsystem runs about $200k, so not someting you want to put on an old locomotive.

Yet they spent the money to equip those beat up old F7's with ACESS a couple of years back. What's the issue with not having the FL9m's third rail capable? A dual mode locomotive isn't just going to fall out of the sky, and it seems to me that whatever it would cost to prep the FL9m's to run on the New Haven line, Shoreline or wherever is still by far cheaper than purchasing a new or used locomotive. And certainly faster than waiting around for a new locomotive to be built.

[DutchRailnut]

The FL9m would never be a full dual mode anyway, to run Reveneu trains into GCT you need lights and ventilation.
Even in Third railmode the Caterpillar HEP unit is needed to power the cars, but since all other third rail equipment is removed anyway the discussion is moot.
and since Conndot has enough power to power SLE trains the transfer of FL9's to SLE would be a moot pooint too.

[Otto Vondrak]

Why don't we limit this thread to the status of the F units- which are left and where they are operating. Everyone has an opinion on these units, I'm sure. If you would like to discuss the merits or demerits of the F units, I suggest starting another thread.

-otto-