New(er) cars for VRE

[District D RTC]

OK, well they really aren't newer, but they'll be new to VRE. An addition to the fleet to replace the Mafera's going to Metro North and to add capacity.

VRE has purchased about 25 Gallery cars from Metra (Chicago). These cars are to be reuilt be Kawasaki Rail Car of Yonkers, NY. The cars have already come east from Chicago and are sitting in the CSX's Croton West Yard awaiting time/space in Yonkers. I live in near the yard.

Last week CSXT's LB-750-01 brought down the first 6 cars to Yonkers. If there is any interest I can post the official list of Metra car #'s. No idea when they will be done, but I will post updates if I see interest.

[Mr Met]

got any pictures

[District D RTC]

Yes, got pix, but no scanner or digital camera. Just the FujiChromes.....

--JSW

[njtmnrrbuff]

It is a good move about VRE going to all double decker. Back a little closer to home and my college being only a few feet to Metro North, it need as much equipment as it can. I think the former VRE coaches will start on Shore Line East and also run on the branchlines of the NH, and the Upper Harlem between Southeast and Wassaic.

[Scotty Burkhardt]

were any 8700 series(cab cars) pullmans send out east...if so will they be used
do you know the roster of cars vre bought

[District D RTC]

Yes, there were at least 2 cab cars. I will post numbers later tonight.

[District D RTC]

The cars which were recently acquired by VRE from Metra which are now in here in New York for modification are listed below. These cars will all get sent to Kawasaki Rail Car (KRC) of Yonkers, NY for some sort of rebuilding, and I suspect painting.

The following ten (10) cars were delivered to the West Yard in Croton-on-Hudson, NY on 9/4/04 by CSXT train K-282-03:
(placed on track #28, from south to north)
7843*
7841*
7839*
7838*
7825*
7840
7844
7845
8750
8754

* = On 9/29/04 CSXT local B-750-29 took these five cars to KRC.

The following ten (10) cars were delivered to the West Yard in Croton-on-Hudson, NY on 9/16 or9/17/04 by either Q-431-17 or K-282-16:
(placed on track #28, from south to north)
7836
7852
7848
7851
7837
7846
7854
7850
7856
7842

Once the first 5 cars were removed by B-750 (the ones with the "*" above) the 10 cars from track 30 were doubled onto the south end of track #28, making the current lineup of track #28 (from south to north):
7836
7852
7848
7851
7837
7846
7854
7850
7856
7842
7840
7844
7845
8750
8754

The 87xx cab cars are facing NORTH. 2 of the cars in the yard are still in the RTA's white with red/brown strip paint, all the others are in the grey/blue.

Hope this helps.

Does anyone know, did they order only 2 cab-cars?? This seems a little on the low side? Also, what work is KRC doing exactly.

[Scotty Burkhardt]

you rock for those numbers. i havent heard a wabco horn in years. are the old pullman cab cars getting put back into service? being that im in chicago and i know several metra employees i can tell you that the pullman cars still have all the controls in them but lack ditch lights and radios, i believe that they also do not conform to crash standards and need to be reenforced.

[Scotty Burkhardt]

oh i know what i forgot to add.....theres 9 coaches and 1 cab. thats only a 10 car train, in chicago those coaches have been run as long as 12 cars on the nw and bnsf lines

[District D RTC]

Well, VRE purchased 2 cabs and the rest coaches. I wonder why, since the longest train they can accomindate is 6 cars. Anyway, the 8754 HAS ditchlights I believe. I'll check my photos and get back to you. The 8754 still has most of it's cab intact, although showing much wear.

[Scotty Burkhardt]

overlooked that, 8754 is the only cnw cab that ever got the ditchlamps. what i never got was that the burlington pullman cabs all got ditchlamps after their rebuilding.

one other thing thats interesting is the ladder that are on the front of the cnw cabs are on the replacement metra cabs. but only on the cnw lines. metra has been replacing cabs on their other lines but the ladders are not on that order of cars. guess they like that look


hopefully 8751 doesnt get sent out there. granted its not the cab cars fault, but that was the cab that slammed into the bus full of kids back in 1995.

[AmtrakFan]

I think their staying until 2008.

John

[Mr Met]

so are the cab cars in service yet