R36 Combine Coach wrote:As for the push-pull fleet, the AEM7s will be turning 25 this year (and have lasted longer in service than all of NJT's ALP44s).
Again, age is not always a factor in the wearing of equipment. I don't know why this concept is so hard for some people to grasp
Comparing NJTs fleet to Septas, NJT's is going to have MUCH more miles and start/stops on it. Septas fleet and operations could be more compared to NJTs Hoboken division (electric obviously), but not the Newark Division. But since the retirement of the Comet 1s from NJT, and not including the Metro North fleet, there really is no fleet dedicated to one side or the other and often alternates sides, partly so the equipment wears at relatively similar rates.
But lets break it down into a comparison with older automobiles, something I know you have an interest in R36 as ive browsed your photostream pics, and others might be able to relate to and be familiar with.
I have a 1987 Dodge Dakota pickup truck (with a Blue NJ licence plate!!!). I have 175,000 miles on it (approx). It hasn't been driven much in the past 10 years or so, so now has less miles than it "should" for its age (figure approx 10k a year, it should have about 250,000 miles). However, I put a new motor in it a few years ago, and have been slowly rebuilding the major systems of it, so its kind of a mid life overhaul, as its having some aging issues of its own. But it has a good amount of life left in it and serves its purpose and its worth keeping.
A few years ago, my buddy had a 1993 Dodge Dakota truck, he had over 200,000 miles on it, beat the snot out of it, and it was quickly failing apart. Lots of things were going wrong and it was having some major issues. He sold it and got rid of it...it ran, but needed a lot of work - im sure its probably shredded by now. Sure, he could have put a new motor in it, but everything else would still be broken or failing. In his opinion, it wasn't worth keeping.
His truck was newer, but had more miles - mine is older, has less miles. Mines gonna be around a lot longer than his will/was.
In reality, the railroads do the same thing with their equipment. If its lived an easier life, chances are its gonna last longer. If its been "ridden hard and put away wet" its not gonna last nearly as long. Also, the question is too, when should a railroad retire/rebuild its fleet of whatever.... - when the rate and number of failures are unacceptable, or before it gets to that point? (considering money isn't a factor) It seems as a railfan (and taxpayer), the answer would be they should get every ounce of life out of it possible. As a railroader (or passenger), it should be before it gets to that point, because each of those increasing failures costs lots of money and causes lots of disruptions. Its like a balancing act - NJT might have retired some stuff a little too early, but I don't think anyone can argue Septa has waited too long to retire the SL2 and 3s. I know I know, money and funding is always an issue, but you have to look at a larger picture of operations in general and have a wish list and goal and plan for whats going to happen in the future, and kinda hope the money comes when the time comes....
