C-1 Return?

[DutchRailnut]

no normal MU trainlines .

[Jeff Smith]

The FB thread I was following mentioned there are only 10 of them; a fact Wiki confirms (yeah, I know, it's Wiki). Last status on the Wiki page was sold to Mid-Atlantic, then IP. With the 2 in Torrington apparently toast, that leaves 8 potential.

I could see them in use on the Northport scoot. Maybe Port Jeff if there's enough. During the time I was living out east, the scoot used 2 ML's; not sure what the total service required for use, three or four sets?

[452 Card]

There were 10 C1 cars built in total. Of those, we ran an eight-car train on 605 and 660 into and out of PSNY. On December 11, 1991 there was a Nor'easter that flooded our test area at Shea. At the time, 3004 and 3007 were a mismatched pair and were submerged in 52 inches of brackish water. They always had electrical problems after that and were parts donors. M of E tried to eradicate the electrical demons, but those two were never right again. I seriously doubt that LIRR would consider the expense of converting any C1 cars to C3 operations. It was a money pit just keeping the trainset on the road with the FL-9s. We had better luck with them using the E8s and subsequently the designated GP-38 pair and the 3100 to and from LIC.
There were no cab cars built,so that makes operation even more difficult due to having to commit another engine to frame the trainset.

[DogBert]

As many have said, there were only 10 of them.

It looks like two of them are in service on mass coastal: http://www.railpictures.net/photo/682302/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Two more were on SNC and look like scrap:
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/658792/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That leaves six unaccounted for. Road worthy? Already scrapped? I don't see any reason why MC would sell theirs. They are basically relatively modern superliners that I'd imagine tourists and the RR love.

And there's no source for this rumor? Shocking!

Long story short: this is never, ever going to happen. If it does, MTA will have to overpay to get them back or spend a huge amount of money rebuilding them.

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone:

This topic concerning the possible return of the C1 cars caught my eye remembering that the main
reason that they were not rehabilitated was that they were not compatible with the C3 fleet.

There were just too many differences in what were 10 prototype cars to make any changes to the
C1 cars worthwhile. 452 notes some - I will add that they were married pairs with MU couplers and
3/2 seating needing to run with specially modified locomotives in service.

Overhauling these cars and retaining them for service was rejected once before - why would the
LIRR consider bringing them back now? They are now 29 years old (built 1990) and have been
away from the LIRR for almost two decades now. I could see reacquiring these cars if there were
two major features in play: First if there was a substantial number of these cars available and
second if the compatibility issues were not as pronounced as they are.

There has been pictures posted of the C1 cars in service elsewhere in the LIRR Forum. With the
mention of at least two of these cars being sidelined over a long period that recent picture of the
two vandalized C1 cars was sad to see. These two cars look to have their original LIRR striping
intact and are not cars that the S&NC used which had an added blue and gold side color scheme.

The C1 cars were at best an "oddball fleet" and after they ended LIRR service they did find new
homes at tourist-type railroads even with limitations such as high level platform use only.

Bringing them back to the LIRR now would not make sense - how much actual difference can only
10 cars (at most) make to the fleet when the real need is much higher?

MACTRAXX

[trainspot]

At the end of October I rode Amtrak 69/68. On the way up there was a pair at Saratoga besides the 3001 in SNC blue stripe paint, along with the SNC full length dome. I couldn't get a shot & they were gone on the trip back, I heard they left on CSX but don't remember their destination. The 3001 is still there. As of last year, the 3009 & 3010 are in Colorado in IC-like paint. Which went to the Mass Central?

[Backshophoss]

It's possible all of IP's C-1's have been moved to Alamosa on the SLRG, the last operating passenger operation under IP's flag.
If the C-1's were returned to LIRR, they would be an orphan set of equipment, might be useful on the KO-GY scoots or a captive Port Jeff-
Huntington off peak shuttle.

[newkirk]

Cab car aside, is the C-1 body shell identical to the C-3 ?

Or are they different ?

[DutchRailnut]

don't think they are identical , made by two different companies and spread of equipment on cars is far different

[Meal Period]

There are two in service on a tourist RR in the Miami/Ft Lauderdale area, and two in service in Colorado. That would leave 2 left. Very unlikely. I seem to recall on the c-1's the seating was 3/2 on the c-3's its 2/2. Totally different wiring on the c-1's. They were complete garbage, so bad when we ran them on the port jeff branch a car inspector had to ride with us in case of problems.