M3 Retirement, Scrapping

[BuddR32]

It has started.

9819-20, 9821-22 were moved to the Wheel Spur Yard weeks ago and were de-trucked and loaded onto FICX Flatcars. Just the other night they were put on a train to Frontier Metals in Ohio.

I'm told tonight, a few more cars are being moved from Arch Street to Wheel Spur for the same process.

The process of scrapping the rest of the M3s will start to occur when they start phasing down M3s due to enough M9’s being in service, They should use some M3s until enough M9s are in to add additional trains to the schedules as the MARC cars are doing or just use them to phase out rhe lease of the MARC cars as the M3 is paid for. The older ones left at Arch Street needed to be gone and can’t be reutilized.

Issue with using M3s in place of MARC cars is that the MARC leases are to supplement the diesel fleet, having extra MUs wont help. COuld the M3s be modified to plain coaches, yes, we've done it before, but its not really cost effective. When they did it in the 70's those cars were less than 20 years old, the M3s are over 30.

[BuddR32]

One another note, I'd love to see a video of these cars being cut up in Ohio

[DutchRailnut]

Could the M3s be modified to plain coaches, yes, we've done it before, but its not really cost effective. When they did it in the 70's those cars were less than 20 years old, the M3s are over 30.

making M-3's into coaches is big change compared to what was done to old MU cars , an M-3 has different airbrakes, different couplers no 480 volt train lines or traction control train lines, and has no 480 volt equipment as MA supplied 220 volt 3 phase.

[ConstanceR46]

Not to be rude; but what i think the guy floated was using M3s for extra trains in Electric Territory between the M9s coming online and enough M9s becoming available to continue the increased service.

[R36 Combine Coach]

Could the M3s be modified to plain coaches, yes, we've done it before, but its not really cost effective. When they did it in the 70's those cars were less than 20 years old, the M3s are over 30.

The MP75s were only ten years old when converted to diesel coaches in 1973 when the last M-1s were delivered.

[BuddR32]

Not to be rude; but what i think the guy floated was using M3s for extra trains in Electric Territory between the M9s coming online and enough M9s becoming available to continue the increased service.

No rudeness sensed. Only that s/he mentioned the MARC cars.

We'll see about the M3s. Supposedly 6 month after the M9s enter passenger service, they'll begin M3 retirement.

MN is keeping their M3As and equipping them with PTC. Not sure for how long, but I'm not sure if they even purchased any M9 cars

[DutchRailnut]

MN has not yet purchased them , they are like 3th or 4th option on M-9's and would not be due till around 2021.

[newkirk]

DutchRailNut wrote: MN has not yet purchased them , they are like 3th or 4th option on M-9's and would not be due till around 2021.

Is that because MNRR's M-3a's are in better shape than the LIRR's M-3's ?

[DutchRailnut]

MN M-3a's are younger than LIRR cars, plus MN did a overhaul on them.
Second reason is, LIRR will need M-9's first because of M-3 condition, plus they need expansion of fleet because of growth and ESA.

[MACTRAXX]

MN M-3a's are younger than LIRR cars, plus MN did a overhaul on them.
Second reason is, LIRR will need M-9's first because of M-3 condition, plus they need expansion of fleet because of growth and ESA.

Dutch: The Metro-North M3s are OLDER then the LIRR cars are. 1984-85 was when the MNCR
fleet was built - 1985-86 is when the LIRR fleet was built. The MNCR fleet was always well kept
and as you note were overhauled. The wear and tear on the LIRR M3 fleet has taken its toll.

The LIRR M3s have a date stenciled on the handbrake housing between the married pairs that by
and large is still readable: New Budd or TA (Transit America) with 1985 and 1986 new dates.

There is research being done now on a future "Farewell to the LIRR M3" fantrip. According to a
special issue of the LIRR "Along the Track" the first revenue M3 train ran September 10, 1985.
That specific issue is going to be part of the ephemera used for information about the M3 cars.

There were yellow aluminum key chain tags given out that were in the format of a LIRR ticket
between Jamaica and Penn Station on that inaugural run - I have at least one stored away and
remember back when the NRHS National Library in Philadelphia (closed at the end of February
2008) that the Mens Room key had one of these M3 key chain tags used right up to the end...

MACTRAXX

[LINYARailfan]

On my way to hunterspoint on the 7 train today, I noticed M3 9771 and its mate the M3 that caught fire in Brentwood grade crossing accident in 2013 have been moved to the track next to the four M7 set that were damaged in the crash at Atlantic Terminal in January 2017and the second M7 set that was damaged in the October 2016 mainline derailment. I also noticed the last M3 to wear the original blue stripe on the end was moved out of Arch Street.
Are these M3 pairs the next setof M3s to be shipped off the property? If what time is this scheduled to occur? Also kind of a little off topic but are the damaged M7s that are sitting direlect in Arch Street also scheduled forscrapping too?

[Backshophoss]

Believe the M-7's are on legal Dept hold untill any lawsuits/injury claims are settled.

[loekie]

Came across the below article in Gothamist. Does anyone know if these are currently at wheelspur or is this from earlier this year and just posted online now?


http://gothamist.com/2018/06/29/lirr_ab ... hp#photo-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ConstanceR46]

Oh those are at wheelspur as of the article being posted, but sometime between the 14th and 29th they added another 2 sets.

[newkirk]

BuddR32 wrote:9745-6 Give to NYTM, but never taken.

Speaking of #9745. Look what I found while perusing slides. Photographed at Port Washington July 1982.

[click to enlarge]