MBTA's new commuter locos now at TTI for testing.

[JCitron]

http://www.railwayage.com/index.php...ta-hsp-46-at-ttci-for-testing.html?channel=55

These are Mass. Bay Transit Authority's new commuter locos. These are to replace the very old F40-PHs they've been running for the past 20 or so years. The old F40s were extremely reliable but many of them are now rusting out like old cars do.

These units look a lot better than Sun Rail's engines. :hehe:

Cool!

John

 

[bentrain14]

I like it, looks really cool. I mean me being a modern train lover of course. So hope to see this out soon ;P

 

[norfolksouthern37]

negative, i would take the sunrail engines over this any day.

 

[JCitron]

I like it, looks really cool. I mean me being a modern train lover of course. So hope to see this out soon ;P

I can't wait either to see them in real life. This will be the first new equipment for us in a very long time. Over the years our commuter agency has run all kinds of odd equipment ranging from old RDCs to the current Horizon cars pulled by F40-PHs. At one point they depowered the RDCs and turned them into coaches which were pulled by F7s painted like Easter eggs.

The old depowered RDCs have found their way around the country to various rail museums for train use. The engines, I think many were scrapped.

During the 1980s, the MBTA acquired all kinds of RDCs when they picked up the commuter service from Conrail as well as some outright purchases from the Canadian Pacific and Canadian National. At one point there were trains made up of RDCs still lettered for many of the fallen flags including the Boston and Maine, Boston and Albany, New York Central, Jersey Central, B&O, and the New Haven. Sometimes they mixed these in with cars such as old New Haven American Flyers and retired long distance cars from the New York Central and Pennsylvania.

John

 

[bentrain14]

Lol, talk about easter. I was wondering though, was EMD bought out? I cant remember their last locomotive except for the SD70ACe.

 

[simulatortrain]

negative, i would take the sunrail engines over this any day.

I'd let them both sit...

 

[jordon412]

Lol, talk about easter. I was wondering though, was EMD bought out? I cant remember their last locomotive except for the SD70ACe.

Yes they were. They were purchased by Progress Rail, a subsidiary of Caterpillar, known for their construction equipment. EMD just got back into the passenger locomotive market with the F125 commuter locomotive, which has been ordered by Metro-Link, L.A.'s commuter rail service. EMD's ECO Rebuild Program, rebuilding old, tired locomotives to modern locomotives equipped with EMD's 710-series engines to meet EPA Tier 3 emissions, got a big boost thanks to Canadian Pacific. CP ordered brand new 4-axle GP and 6-axle SD ECO locomotives using parts old Geeps and SDs. They are considered 'brand new' because they are built on a new frame, meaning the EMD is turning out it's 4-axle Geeps since the three Denver and Rio Grande Western GP60s back in May 1990, over twenty years ago.

 

[Engineerkenny]

R.I.P F-40's :'( I'm going to miss the f-40's on the back of the capeflyer in the summer:'(

 

[Bluewater]

One word: UGLY.

 

[JCitron]

They are ugly but cool at the same time.

We've had OPs and junk for decades so getting something new is great.

@Kenny -

The old F40s won't be going away any time soon. You'll probably see them for a few years at least before they are totally replaced. If you look closely at them, they're like an old Chevy with the rusty rocker panels. The salt air and moisture has finally taken its toll on them.

John

 

[opus722]

These have a very Siemens look to them like a Eurosprinter or something.