Metroliner Cab Car Disposition

It would be nice if Amtrak could donate 4-6 of the ex-Metroliner (now cab cars) to a museum for cosmetic restoration/static display as an original-appearing consist. At the time of their introduction, the performance was quite remarkable compared to GG-1 hauled consists or the creaky, rusted MP-54s. Once out of New Brunswick on the runway, they really flew.

Most museums hardly have the track space for one, and it would only look good if you could see the entire length, which is unlikely in a museum storage yard.

But I know one would be welcome at the IRM to go with their GG1... it might even be able to still function as a cab car.

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eolesen wrote: ↑Wed Jan 01, 2025 1:14 pm But I know one would be welcome at the IRM to go with their GG1... it might even be able to still function as a cab car.

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You could couple it cab-to-nose with the GG1 and it would look prototypical given how often those died and had to be dragged by a GG1.

Mr. Dunville, Metroliner MU's could be GG-1 hauled simply account snow, or threat of it. That in addition to a bad order as you note.

Authorized speed when hauled was 90mph, down from 105 the MU's were allowed. Conventional trains were only authorized 80.

So with 125 for Amfleet and 135 for Acela, the Corridor has come a good way since, say, 1980.

GBN and Tad … there’s a difference between what the US calls HSR and Europe/Japan call HSR. We are still in at best the 1980s and the rest of the world is in 2025.

Yeah I get that. But what we miss is the underlying model. Europe is not just HSR. It's a functional network. GWR medium-speed from Redding to London, Eurostar HST to Paris, then a local to the suburbs. You can do that between Ardmore and New Rochelle, but you really can't in many places here because we are so focused on these long distance whales. You want Ladue to Clarendon Hills? Good luck, you have to cab it downtown in Saint Louis, wait for the Eagle to show up at some point (who knows when it gets in, it's coming from Los Angeles), then catch a Metra BN train.

Having HSR tracks in Illinois doesn't work so well when there's an 11 hour gap between originating trains out of STL. 302 leave at 640a, then you have the Eagle at 8a, which has stranded me a few times until lunch, then you have a KC train at 3, then you have 306 at dinner time. I won't bother counting on the Eagle, I've tried it before to bad results.

Man if I don't want to get up well before dawn, my first realistic option is 3pm. That's not a functional network. I don't worry about real HSR (150+) so much as I want 6+ departures CHI-STL (or similar corridors, like Detroit) that don't have prior legs from LA or KC.

Tadman wrote:You could couple it cab-to-nose with the GG1 and it would look prototypical given how often those died and had to be dragged by a GG1.

Or even to an F40 with the pantographs still up to power the interior lights and AC/heating Happened on at least one occasion on the Keystone Corridor with the “Capitoliner” rehab cars in the 80s.

In anything 9645 (800) would fitting at URHS, given its record breaking runs (with 802) in late 1967 were in New Jersey, on the Trenton-New Brunswick high speed line.

How many of these things are even functional at this point? I think about a 1/3 of my Keystone trains have to wye at the Zoo due to a dead control car including my train Thursday night.

I thought there was only like five or ten still running. They blanked off quite a few in the 1990's and ran them as blind trailers on Michigan trains. You could see a Detroit train with 3-4 blind trailer ex-Metroliners. That was puzzling on a Michigan train as they only have traps at one end. It also seemed like they ran cab-car forward both ways, all the time. But I was a kid so who knows.

If the cabs are failing that fast, wonder why they don't lease some cabs from anybody with Comets, or aren't the Marc I and MBB cars out of service? At least for a few months to do a general overhaul on the cabs?

I saw photos of one HHP-C in that new Phase 7 wrap indicating that the project is still alive, but otherwise no indications of progress on the HHP cab cars. Where are these things?

I think they don't lease commuter equipment because that equipment isn't authorized for 125 MPH running.

Per the Amtrak roster at On Track On Line, there are only four HHP-Cs and two of them are on the Ethan Allen Express (where they would be freeing up a P32AC-DM) for the reversing at Rutland (the train reverses there, but there isn't a wye to turn there).

RandallW wrote: ↑Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:12 pm Per the Amtrak roster at On Track On Line, there are only four HHP-Cs and two of them are on the Ethan Allen Express (where they would be freeing up a P32AC-DM) for the reversing at Rutland (the train reverses there, but there isn't a wye to turn there).

This part is not correct, I believe that plan was scuppered. The two that are finished are still testing. The third in the fancy wrap is still in the shop