AEM-7/ALP-44 status

dreese_us wrote: ↑Thu Mar 23, 2023 6:59 pm

Also I forgot to mention this, but if you closely look at the unit, you will notice partial faded numbering "2302". If anyone can recall, #2302 was cannabalized as a parts source, when the units were still in service, so scrap value for that unit might have been worse since most parts went to the other units?

-Emmett

If I recall correctly, MARC got rid of theirs because Amtrak was no longer maintaining them. Could it be that SEPTA was relying on Amtrak and/or NJT to provide heavy maintenance for their AEM-7/ALP-44 fleet? Once those companies stopped using them, that could significantly increase the cost to SEPTA of maintaining them, as SEPTA would now need to pay for keeping a trained shop force of its own.

Quinn wrote: They didn't get rid of them for random reasons. Cost effectiveness is a major , if not the top, consideration. Basically, they did get the most use out of them, and now retention is not good business.

Emmett wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 11:03 am true. But then why didn't they rebuild to get a few more years out of them

Emmett... do you read what you are replying to or just keep posting the same thing over and over wishing it to be true in every thread when you don't like the truth?

RandallW wrote: ↑Tue Apr 18, 2023 4:35 pm If I recall correctly, MARC got rid of theirs because Amtrak was no longer maintaining them. Could it be that SEPTA was relying on Amtrak and/or NJT to provide heavy maintenance for their AEM-7/ALP-44 fleet? Once those companies stopped using them, that could significantly increase the cost to SEPTA of maintaining them, as SEPTA would now need to pay for keeping a trained shop force of its own.

SEPTA maintained them, and to be fair I commend the shop forces for keeping those garbage pails going as long as they did. They were extremely talented at getting one more day out of the AEM-7s over and over again, even when one died out on the road. When even they couldn't keep them going after gel trains in 2021, that was pretty much it. I was genuinely surprised they made it that long.

Andrewjw I guess I can't let go of the 'old days' or the fact that my favorite engines have all been taken out of active service or MoW. So in a way, yeah I guess I can't grasp they're all gone.

CNJGeep wrote: ↑Mon May 16, 2022 4:37 pm They weren't. Those engines were TIRED. They couldn't even keep the three they were running on the wash trains running. Those motors don't owe anyone anything. SEPTA got their money's worth.

yeah. I miss them but septa did get their money's worth. 30+ years. thats EMD for you.

Backshophoss wrote: ↑Wed Nov 30, 2016 2:09 am Don't think NJT is willing(or allowed)to sell parts off those mothballed motors.

I went to visit the nj transit 44's in december and from what i can tell you there's basically nothing in them, and probably had been that way for some time, so back when 2308 was dying all the time it would have been hard for NJ transit to FIND the parts on the mothballed motors.

When 4424 was delivered to URHS, it was complete and intact, though many parts had not been inspected or
touched for years.

yeah, 4424 should make a pretty good museum piece

Let's keep it on SEPTA AEM-7s & ALP-44s.

Or post in the NJT Forum - new-jersey-transit-njt-rail-and-light-rail-lrt-f69.html

roger that