MARC IIIs going down south

Just saw the video from Virtual Railfan here:

https://youtu.be/fXQQ2sVyIkQ

Wait... what... why are two MARC III cars doing heading south? They aren't birds! 7828 and 7847 (cab). Caught on a freight in Roanoke, VA and Jonesborough, TN.

Do you care to share a timestamp so we don't need to watch an entire 10+ minute video?

Oh lol it's right in the beginning folks

danib62 wrote: ↑Tue Feb 15, 2022 2:04 pm Oh lol it's right in the beginning folks

Check the comments for the two timestamps, but yes, one of 'em is right up inside the first minute.

Is there any plant or company "down south" who rebuilds coaches like the MARC III? Roanoke shops would be the closest, but they're unlikely to rebuild these coaches. This is also going out on a long shot, but could they be brought down for some sort of test train for future service nearby?

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 12:38 am Is there any plant or company "down south" who rebuilds coaches like the MARC III? Roanoke shops would be the closest, but they're unlikely to rebuild these coaches. This is also going out on a long shot, but could they be brought down for some sort of test train for future service nearby?

I couldn't tell, were either cab cars?

scratchyX1 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 9:27 am

Pensyfan19 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 16, 2022 12:38 am Is there any plant or company "down south" who rebuilds coaches like the MARC III? Roanoke shops would be the closest, but they're unlikely to rebuild these coaches. This is also going out on a long shot, but could they be brought down for some sort of test train for future service nearby?

I couldn't tell, were either cab cars?

One of them was, 7847. I looked it up myself. It also went past Roanoke and into Tennessee. I did trace the line as far as I could to a NS yard and found a scrapper along the way... thus why I ask.

They weren't heading south to be scrapped last month. They just passed through Arlington, VA at the end of a long CSX freight. Testing for future service seems more likely. Especially since they looked pretty clean & shiny as they went by.

Two more MARC III cars passed me at Cherry Hill on the RF&P today at the back of a mixed freight. Anyone know where they are all going?

Optimistically, resold somewhere.

Realistically, they've been defacto retired for the past few years except for lease service. I think there's a good bet the time's up for them.

Scrapping them seems short sided given that MARC hasn’t ordered new cars recently, are still running some of the older MARC II cars, and AFAIK the MARC IV cars are not authorized for 125mph service.

Odd though, but I just realized… what if those four cars were being leased to Amtrak to test Mobile/New Orleans service? It would be fitting since they were used to test the SC-44’s.

Makes more sense to me, but I figured Amtrak would test with single level fleets, like I assume they will use for real service.

KTHW wrote: ↑Mon Mar 07, 2022 1:04 pm Makes more sense to me, but I figured Amtrak would test with single level fleets, like I assume they will use for real service.

Didn't the Superliners go through this area when the Sunset Limited ran through here?

Maybe going to Nashville for use on the TC?