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  • Nippon Sharyo/Sumitomo DMU

  • Discussion about RDC's, "doodlebugs," gas-electrics, etc.
Discussion about RDC's, "doodlebugs," gas-electrics, etc.
 #1349270  by mtuandrew
 
dowlingm wrote:They rebuilt some RDCs for White River and I believe have some additional ones which could be rebuilt. While I agree services like Toronto-Kitchener-Sarnia would make sense as 2-3 Nippons vs 1 F40+2 HEPs, the RDCs could probably be rebuilt in Canada and thus constitute pork (albeit not the latest in accessibility or emissions control). As it was the Union Pearson service was supposed to be RDCs too, until Metrolinx grabbed some of SMART's options.
On the one hand, VIA hasn't been shy about using and maintaining Budd-built equipment. They also still have control of the two(?) E&N RDCs from the Malahat (Victoria - Courtenay) train as far as I know, so there are spares out there.

On the other, a heavy rebuild on each RDC might total $1 million anyway. It isn't much more to get a two- or three-car Nippon Sharyo unit at all, and might be worth it solely because of the increased safety standards (1,000,000 lb crush test) and the mainline usage.

On the third hand, VIA seems to have little-to-no interest in investing in its branchlines, sooooooo...
 #1349279  by bdawe
 
That would be true if extra crush strength was a real benefit for collisions above 30 mph, rather than just more weight. I believe that VIA's in service RDC have already gone through a fairly thorough rebuild
 #1374100  by ant6n
 
Does anybody know how this SMART order with options works/worked? I found online that they have options for a total of 146 cars, although they only ordered 17 so far. Did they include all these options to sell to other agencies who need DMUs? Otherwise, why get so many options. I read that Toronto picked up a couple of of those options for the Union Pearson express, and also Trimet. Are there still more options that aren't expired or that were picked up by other agencies?

Presumably, any agency who'd like to buy them without using those already existing options would have to pay a lot more for those rail cars.
 #1374544  by electricron
 
ant6n wrote:Does anybody know how this SMART order with options works/worked? I found online that they have options for a total of 146 cars, although they only ordered 17 so far. Did they include all these options to sell to other agencies who need DMUs? Otherwise, why get so many options. I read that Toronto picked up a couple of of those options for the Union Pearson express, and also Trimet. Are there still more options that aren't expired or that were picked up by other agencies?

Presumably, any agency who'd like to buy them without using those already existing options would have to pay a lot more for those rail cars.
Every option contract is different with the details, so without reading the contract its difficult to state how it works. There's usually a deadline when the options must be ordered, usually based upon when either the first or last unit was delivered, with variable time tacked on. SMART is to receive their last unit this year, and initial operations set to start later this year. So the deadline, whenever it is, is approaching fast.