Metra F40PH Rebuild Program

Let me start out by saying not all of this concrete yet, but it comes from the right places, so I believe it.

Metra has finally contracted out the rebuild of F40PHs 100-127. NRE Paducah is going to rebuild them. You may know Paducah as the famous Illinois Central Paducah, Kentucky Rebuild Center. I'm quite thrilled it's not MPI. MPI wanted the contract but would on turn them into MPs, i.e. new HEP system like the MPs, blah blah, pretty much turn them in the F40PH-2C like Coaster and Altamont Commuter Express have. Word is at the middle of June, the 100-111 will be sent down in groups of two-three at a time. I highly doubt they'll send them all at one time. 112-127 will follow soon after. They will be rebuilt from the ground up. It's been said that they will NOT be comming back in the traditional Metra orange/blue scheme. However, the paint details haven't been disclosed at this time. We'll see! New horns, bells, prime-movers, brakes, wheel-sets, the whole nine-yards.

Now............................You may be wondering what will run in replacement. It is said that one, if not, both F40Cs will be pressed into service. In about a month, the F40Cs will make their way into the Western Ave shops and undergo a quad (air-brake system rebuild, inspection, new horn...). In the absence of the 100s, the 600s will (hopefully) make a triumphant return to service.

Don't quote me as this is all subject to change at any moment. Metra works like a dartboard. You never know what they're gonna do next.

Well this will be interesting to watch. The parts for the HEP gearbox in the conventional F40PH are already a problem and the fuel burn rate is very impressive. With the price of diesel headed into the stratosphere they would be many dollars ahead to put a CAT or Cummins HEP unit in the back of the locomotives.

Hello MXData
That is a great suggestion but it would mean rewiring the locomotives, It could be done the CNW did that with thier Es and Fs and look what happend, the best show of passenger service. Also between breaking down engines and this new rebuild program, I would guess that Metra high commmand wished that they kept the F40cs, also are the E8s still down in silvis. This should be an interesting summer.

It would be smart of Metra to do this, but to put CAT or Cummins HEP units in the engines would be to have to reteach HEP maintnence to the employees. Therefore, they will simply come back out the "Screaming Thunderboxes" they're going in as. Besides, with most engines laying over at Western Ave all day, fuel consumption isn't quite as bad as it's made out to be. It's not glorious, but it's not terrible.

Personally, I prefer the units comming back out looking as they do now rather than some variant MPI has come up with. The F40PH-2C is not my friend right now. Better yet, they'd come back as F40PH-2S'. Sigh...

I was told they will essentially be F40's but the HEP will be close to that of the 400's. So they will run in the 3rd notch when hepped up. For some reason Metra is scared of a separate CAT or Cummins HEP. I would imagine the color will be the same as the 400's, but thta's just a guess. They will also come be with 24, or 2500 gallon fuel tanks. It'll be intersting to see which division they end up on.

I don't care what they do to them just as long as they're still F40's. And leave my cab alone! No Desktops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any word on whether they will they be set to load like cr#p like the 400's or will they still have the same get up and go as they do now?

Bones, I have no actual knowledge of this project, so what I'm about to say is purely conjecture. However, many class I locomotives have reverted to the traditional control stand with a few computer monitors and a smaller desk to write on. It seems to be going over much better than a desktop like the 1990's brought us. As for this particular order, I have no idea where it goes...

At least they are not going to MPI for rebulding, I think that since the 400s are the way they are they should have an ejection seat, I have heard so many stories that they shake worse then wet dogs and every thing is falling apart. Bring back the F40s the same way.

bones wrote:I was told they will essentially be F40's but the HEP will be close to that of the 400's. So they will run in the 3rd notch when hepped up. For some reason Metra is scared of a separate CAT or Cummins HEP. I would imagine the color will be the same as the 400's, but thta's just a guess. They will also come be with 24, or 2500 gallon fuel tanks. It'll be intersting to see which division they end up on

If the fuel tanks are indeed going to be upgraded like that, it would make sense to assign a few to UP/NW, especially for all of those runs to Harvard on Saturdays. We'll see what the dartboard says...

bones wrote:It'll be interesting to see which division they end up on.

Considering most of the units being sent out are coming from SWS/BNSF and MILW, it will also be interesting to see what shuffles are made during the rebuild process. I'm pretty sure its safe to say anything from RI will stay on RI, just because of the fact that the new train control system has been installed on all locomotives and cab cars on the Rock. I'm hoping that when the units come back from rebuild, they are put back on the districts they are coming off... would be nice to see some 'new' stuff on SWS.

Is there any place on the exterior of the locomotive where you can see the model number, like F40PH? Or do you have to match them to pictures posted for each model?

Thanks.

zmuzak wrote:Is there any place on the exterior of the locomotive where you can see the model number, like F40PH? Or do you have to match them to pictures posted for each model?

It's pretty simple to determine by the engine number:

100 through 127 -- EMD F40PH
128 through 184 -- EMD F40PH-2
185 through 214 -- EMD F40PHM-2
401 through 427 -- MPI MP36PH-3S
611, 614 -- EMD F40C

If they do in fact put the 600s back in service, I wish they'd also upgrade the HEP to make them more fuel efficient. That would be a good reason to keep them around after the F40PHs are renovated. Ahhh, hope springs eternal.....

Word at Western Ave is that once the 414 gets out, the 600s are going in. 414 has been in Western Ave since at least January. They have done "everything to this unit within Western Ave's capabilities." I don't know what happend to the unit, but it must have been pretty good.

Last evening (04/15/2008), I saw 414 MU'd with 211 getting ready to back a train down to CUS.