SLE / NHHS - 4 P40DC's from NJT to CTDOT

news is they went right to rebuild

must be news to folks at MMC, last I hear, their still at MMC.

and why send for rebuild units that need it least, they had total overhaul just before ACES was suppose to start.
Meanwhile the CDOT junk has seen not much more maintenance than oil and airfilter.

This is what i got told by a little birdy the other day

My Citizen News

Also, he hopes to replace coaches and locomotives on the Waterbury branch soon. Breakdowns are common due to the age of the trains, causing temporary bus substitutions at least several times per month.

The DOT recently purchased four used diesels from New Jersey Transit, which Redeker said will be rebuilt and rehabilitated before going into service in “one or two years.”

wow... 1-2 years... they're practically ready to go after some minor modifications, I would presume. Talk about dragging heals.

Jeff Smith wrote:

Also, he hopes to replace coaches and locomotives on the Waterbury branch soon. Breakdowns are common due to the age of the trains, causing temporary bus substitutions at least several times per month.

Eight year old diesels are old? On what planet? Especially when P40s are older...and I really don't think it's the coaches that are the issue, which are the only things that you can truly call *old*.

The branch's superintendent himself explained at one of the meetings (not the one referenced in that article, since I was unable to go to that one) that the majority of the problem is not the age of the equipment, but rather the lack thereof. He stated that between Danbury and Waterbury these sets are in service non-stop for upwards of 14 hours per day, so they take a beating. There's what - a Danbury mini, a Waterbury mini (which switch roles during the day) and a spare in Stamford in case one craps out? I've seen bustitution emails for "equipment shortages" after both Danbury and Waterbury have mechanical difficulties. They obviously need some breathing room.

While I generally like Redecker, I just don't buy that line about the age of the equipment...at all.

Also, if these units were pretty well-overhauled for ACES service...why 1-2 years before they're deployed in CDOT service...what could they really need aside from MN-compatible cab signal equipment?

Then why not use SLE equipment more often?

The SLE equipment is in another pool SLE vs MN for maintenance, due to Union Contract they technically can't use any SLE equipment, but since one train and crew makes trip to Stamford an exception was made.

SLE trains make two round trips to STM in the morning, and two in the afternoon.
That's 2 sets. 4 more sets are needed for regular SLE service.

Lee

correct but only one SLE train and the crew make a waterbury turn, other train does not.

and if and when they get M8's on shoreline, it will be over with SLE diesels on waterbury.

[quote="DutchRailnut"]that would actually be easy repair , the radiator compartment is basically empty other than air compressor.
yes that area rot out cause radiator fan sucks everything in there and area seems always flooded.[/quote]
P42s also have this problem plus the cab entrance doors. These problems have been repaired during locomotive overhaul.
I would guess that light-gauge sheet metal used to keep the weight down has contributed to this condition.

even light steel will last if you maintain it, something CDOT severely lacks on any of its power.

Jeff, DRN is half true what he said. Honestly, CDOT is reluctant of having its spare equipment being utilized for rescues or filling the gap with service on MN territory simply because they know there are only a handful of crews specifically harbored in New Haven that know how to operate it properly. One of the two SLE jobs the number 1 conductor on the roster owns with an engineer who is top ten in seniority in that crew base with the other crew with comparable seniority. You're not always guaranteed having a P40 and they have been cycling in the GP's to cover service more often now.

Exceptions are made once in the blue moon, but more often than not they will have CT Transit provide bus service before they warm up to the idea of having a SLE consist cover service.

Currently, we do not have any jobs that cover WB service with SLE equipment anymore since most of the work went to Stamford.

Might be redundant to post this, but an article in the Meriden Record-Journal from earlier this month mentioned a figure of $12 Million being spent to upgrade 4 locomotives; the money was included in the additional $174 Million that CT is borrowing to complete the Hartford Line (see here: http://www.myrecordjournal.com/wallingf ... -site.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)


$12M to overhaul just 4 engines? I would think that figure would cover the cost of giving top deck jobs to the existing Amtrak/"patch" units or the GP40-2Hs.