Great catch, excellent video Nate! It's sad to see the F40PH's going away. It would be nice to see a mix of old and new motive power in revenue service. Greetings from Orange County Ca; - Larry
Thanks Larry! The EMD F40PH's (900 to 919) are the ones retired, but 920 to 922 are a bit different and have been rebuilt by MPI in Boise, Idaho and will continue to run on early morning and evening commute services to/from Gilroy on weekdays alongside the MP36PH's for a while more. And yes, it would be wonderful to see a mix of new rolling stock on the route. The Alstom Coradia Multilevel coaches that Metra and VRE plan to purchase are a perfect idea since the platform level is perfect for the doors and the floor level inside the coaches. The Bombardier Multilevel (now Alstom Adessia MAX) coaches also sound intriguing but the only component I would want adjusted are the doors - double-doorways with steps that raise up and descend and a wheelchair lift would be useful for those coaches either EMU or push-pull. As for locomotives, the ALP-45DP's on EXO in Montreal could use service over here given that their electric line had shut down and was taken over by a light rail. SC-42DM Charger locomotives would also be very reliable but with a pantograph instead of third rail shoes. Amtrak could also transfer some of their ACS-64 locomotives over here when the Airo sets and ALC-42E engines enter service, but the consists will have to be allocated to ensure which locomotives can run on the unelectrified section south of Tamien.
Great catch, excellent video Nate! It's sad to see the F40PH's going away. It would be nice to see a mix of old and new motive power in revenue service.
Greetings from Orange County Ca;
- Larry
Thanks Larry! The EMD F40PH's (900 to 919) are the ones retired, but 920 to 922 are a bit different and have been rebuilt by MPI in Boise, Idaho and will continue to run on early morning and evening commute services to/from Gilroy on weekdays alongside the MP36PH's for a while more. And yes, it would be wonderful to see a mix of new rolling stock on the route. The Alstom Coradia Multilevel coaches that Metra and VRE plan to purchase are a perfect idea since the platform level is perfect for the doors and the floor level inside the coaches. The Bombardier Multilevel (now Alstom Adessia MAX) coaches also sound intriguing but the only component I would want adjusted are the doors - double-doorways with steps that raise up and descend and a wheelchair lift would be useful for those coaches either EMU or push-pull.
As for locomotives, the ALP-45DP's on EXO in Montreal could use service over here given that their electric line had shut down and was taken over by a light rail. SC-42DM Charger locomotives would also be very reliable but with a pantograph instead of third rail shoes. Amtrak could also transfer some of their ACS-64 locomotives over here when the Airo sets and ALC-42E engines enter service, but the consists will have to be allocated to ensure which locomotives can run on the unelectrified section south of Tamien.