In Storage: Bear, DE ???

Its to make room for putting the AEM-7s down there so they can scrap them, since HHPs are not being scrapped. A lot of the stuff in bear is getting scrapped soon, like the ballast cars that cant be interchanged anymore because they are too old. And HHPs are not in the acela trainset lease. They were bought under the same contract but not leased in the same manner. The HHP-8s still have blue cards stating ownership by BBRX (Bombardier Corporation) While the acela trainsets blue cards state Amtrak is the owner and operator.

Hey Approach,
You say "alot of the stuff in Bear is getting scrapped soon". Does this hold true for the Turboliners and the F40s? I've seen pictures of them in Bear dating back quite a few years. Without turning the AEM-7 thread into something else, why were the Turbos and F40s held on to for so long?
Ben

Still any Metroliners stored at Bear?

R36 Combine Coach wrote:Still any Metroliners stored at Bear?

There were at least a couple remaining based on the latest aerial imagery. I'll be sad if the Turbos go, but I guess they're not doing anybody any good like this.

ApproachMedium wrote:And HHPs are not in the acela trainset lease. They were bought under the same contract but not leased in the same manner. The HHP-8s still have blue cards stating ownership by BBRX (Bombardier Corporation) While the acela trainsets blue cards state Amtrak is the owner and operator.

I'll readily admit I am very far from an expert in such financial matters, but according to the Amtrak Five Year Financial Plan ( https://www.amtrak.com/ccurl/976/814/Am ... 2017,0.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) early buyout dates for all but one of the Acela Trainsets have yet to be reached, and the HHP-8 locomotives seem to be included within the same individual trust.

What am I missing here (probably out of ignorance)?

The trust is the bank ownership, not necessarily who actually owns it. The leased AEM-7s did not indicate that the financial institution owned the machines since the reality is they owned the upgrade parts but in turn became attached with the whole engine. The paperwork you have there was written in 2013, since then I believe an agreement was made to buy out all all of the HSTs and NOT the HHP-8s since the HSTs would continue service and are on a money generating route. Bombardier owned the HHP-8 equipment and thru another financial institution, because bombardier is not one, leased the stuff to amtrak to operate. I think they skipped over the F59s and some other cars to use that money to secure the trainsets. They do cost amtrak the most to run, and make the most revenue.

Re: Metroliners. I do not recall any metroliners at bear. The last time i saw anything remotely, was the smashed up cab car from the springfield line.

Matt Johnson wrote:

R36 Combine Coach wrote:Still any Metroliners stored at Bear?

There were at least a couple remaining based on the latest aerial imagery. I'll be sad if the Turbos go, but I guess they're not doing anybody any good like this.

I would hope they get donated to a museum somewhere (even if only on static display). They are a part of railroad history, and it would be a shame if they became razor blades...

I wonder if Metroliner 9709 is still there.

A quick look at google maps which seems to be somewhat recent shows about 15 AEMs, 15 HHPs, a handful of diesels, and 3 Turboliner sets at Bear. There are obviously a number of Amfleets including 4-6 cab cars, but most look like they have been in some operating condition within the past ~5 years. There are also about 7 amfleets wrapped in a white plastic.

And for comparison at Wilmington, presumably at the same time the satellite images were taken Bear. **This might help identify the rough time frame of the images.
27 AEMs, 1 HHP

Despite looking at these images before, I had no idea the coaling tower and sanding tower(?) are still standing way in the back. If only you could get back there.

nova08 wrote:A quick look at google maps which seems to be somewhat recent shows about 15 AEMs, 15 HHPs, a handful of diesels, and 3 Turboliner sets at Bear. There are obviously a number of Amfleets including 4-6 cab cars, but most look like they have been in some operating condition within the past ~5 years. There are also about 7 amfleets wrapped in a white plastic.

And for comparison at Wilmington, presumably at the same time the satellite images were taken Bear. **This might help identify the rough time frame of the images.
27 AEMs, 1 HHP

Despite looking at these images before, I had no idea the coaling tower and sanding tower(?) are still standing way in the back. If only you could get back there.

I believe it was mentioned that the HHP-8s are all currently in Wilmington. Upon my last check (from outside of the fence) at Bear (4/17), I did not see any of the HHP-8s in their previous spots. The AEM-7s now occupy that location.

2015:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4146442" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2017:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4685305" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ben

No more metroliners exist on the property

ApproachMedium wrote:The trust is the bank ownership, not necessarily who actually owns it. The leased AEM-7s did not indicate that the financial institution owned the machines since the reality is they owned the upgrade parts but in turn became attached with the whole engine. The paperwork you have there was written in 2013, since then I believe an agreement was made to buy out all all of the HSTs and NOT the HHP-8s since the HSTs would continue service and are on a money generating route. Bombardier owned the HHP-8 equipment and thru another financial institution, because bombardier is not one, leased the stuff to amtrak to operate. I think they skipped over the F59s and some other cars to use that money to secure the trainsets. They do cost amtrak the most to run, and make the most revenue.

Thanks for the reply, but I would be surprised Amtrak would spend the money to buy out equipment leases on trainsets which will be retired in the next five years. Would there really be a greater financial savings buying the trains than from just a few more years of lease payments?

Buying out the trainsets I believe allowed them to do what they want with them as far as maintenance goes and it also eliminates the part of the lease agreement where as long as its a lease, they must be kept in operational condition regardless of if they use them or not. Amtrak is now seeing this issue with the HHPs as they spend a few million dollars bringing them back to upkeep in wilmington since they have neglected them for the last two years.

Buying them out early will save money in the long run with the eventual trainset replacements, since once a set is replaced it can be taken out of service and they wont have to pay to maintain it vs if it was on lease and they would. It would also allow amtrak to benefit from whatever disposition they come to be with on the trainsets vs. turning them back in and not gaining any value out of them, wither it be operational on other lines, testing, sold to FRA for crash testing, or maybe even a high speed test train/dedicated inspection train. Or of course, just being scrapped.

-Not sure when they arrived, but wrecked City Sprinter #601 (still under wrap) and business car "Beech Grove" #10001 were photographed today 6/25 out back of the Amtrak car shops in Bear, DE.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4978431" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

#601 was damaged when it derailed at Frankford Junction, PA in May of 2015. It is seen here coupled to mothballed F40PHR #408:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4978432" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Business Car #10001 "Beech Grove" was coupled to the opposite side of City Sprinter #601:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4978433" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-I could see about 8 to 10 retired AEM-7's at Bear. Most have had their numberboards removed, and a few have even had some of their side window glass removed as well. One in not too rough of shape was #917:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4978434" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

#917 is couple to #941. Seen here is the nose and cab section of #941:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=4978435" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Ben

There are 15 aem-7s left there. They have had all of their horns removed and will have all of the numberboards removed. People like to keep stealing things that are not theirs. I dont know why any of the windows would be missing, they were all there in april.

The beech grove will be there until the airline guy goes away. The two ACS-64s are probably going to get scrapped a long with the string of random amfleets