New Diesels for MARC & VRE

To-date, the V50, V51 and V52 have all been placed into VRE regular service. The V53 will be placed into VRE revenue service the week of February 7th followed shortly by the V54. Currently, MotivePower, Inc. (MPI) is on schedule for releasing new locomotives to VRE one every two weeks from their Boise, ID manufacturing facility. The holidays and weather delays in the Midwest have caused slight interruptions with the deliveries to VRE. We still anticipate all VRE revenue trains to be equipped with new locomotives by the end of May 2011.

The V51 was on Train #306 last Monday/Tuesday, but VRE switches the train set frequently, so I don't know where it went.
Here it is on Manassas Train #336

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Sl5jFqEy4w

V55 was on the UP's Geneva Sub yesterday (along with a GO Unit):


Shiny and New by Larry Amaloo, on Flickr

(Not my picture)

Were V53 and V54 placed in service last week as scheduled?

On another note, another photo (also by Larry Amaloo, this time on RRPA) shows MARC 35 on its way East.

Sorry for the late post. VREX55 (aka: "VRE V55") is well on it's way east. She left Ash Ave on NS yesterday afternoon at 15:30L on 18A. Should be in or near Conway, PA by now. Initial destination is Bristow, VA.

V54 was somewhere in PA yesterday...

HokieNav wrote:V55 was on the UP's Geneva Sub yesterday (along with a GO Unit):


Shiny and New by Larry Amaloo, on Flickr

(Not my picture)

Here is a video clip of the VRE locomotive leaving Chicago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Fja58IuPuc#t=08m45s

Here is video of the V50, V51 & V52 back to back in service. Notice the V52 is missing the VRE logo on the front

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG2tO3sO58E

If VRE has the V55 by now, then they would have 6 new locomotives and we could put them all on the Fredericksburg line and the old ones on the Manassas Line - just kidding.

davinp wrote:Here is video of the V50, V51 & V52 back to back in service. Notice the V52 is missing the VRE logo on the front

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG2tO3sO58E

If VRE has the V55 by now, then they would have 6 new locomotives and we could put them all on the Fredericksburg line and the old ones on the Manassas Line - just kidding.

Not a chance Dave! We're keeping them all and sending you guys all the Puddle Jumpers (aka RP39s) - after all compared to the Manassas line you have an essentially straight RR that is mostly flat.

Motive Power has two technicians working on-site at VRE yards for the next two years during the warranty period.

Fredericksburg Train #306 has the V54 on it today and also was on Wednesday. It has the V52 yesterday. Let me explain. VRE like swap it's trainsets around. This week Train #306 has had 3 different 6-car train sets. Yesterday, it has the set with the V52, but yesterday evening this set was used on Manassas Line Train #329. I know because I saw it leaving L'Enfant yesterday and I recognized the numbers on the locomotive and cars. The V50 is on Train #307.

This means VRE has 5 new locomotives in service. I don't know if the V55 is in service or if they've received the V56 yet. I believe they have 3 of them on the Fredericksburg Line and 3 on the Manassas Line

Now that Amtrak doesn't have the VRE operations contract....where is the major VRE running maintenance being performed?

At the two outlying yards....Broad Run and Fredericksburg....

mmi16 wrote:Now that Amtrak doesn't have the VRE operations contract....where is the major VRE running maintenance being performed?

A couple of years ago, VRE upgraded it's rail yards at Fredericksburg and Broad Run so that more maintence could be performed there

We still anticipate all VRE revenue trains (12 trains) to be equipped with new locomotives by the end of May 2011. The remaining eight locomotives will be delivered by the end of July

Here is the V55 on NS 18A in Toledo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mdharding/5452054535/

I don't know why there is an X over the V next to the 55 on the door and near the bottom