BusHunter Posted December 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 There is a solicitation for scrapping up to 33 rail cars. The internal says 31 2400s. But how will they repair the #2400 work motors then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 11, 2014 Report Share Posted December 11, 2014 But how will they repair the #2400 work motors then? pcc4223 said they were stripping the cars at Midway Yard before sending them to the great beyond. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4223 Posted December 13, 2014 Report Share Posted December 13, 2014 CTA has three wheel lathes. One is at Skokie, the others are at 54th Shop and Midway Shop. The 5000 cars are not particularly prone to sliding and causing flat spots. So it is not common for them to need wheel truing. The GE cam control cars have always had flat spot problems. That is why you hear the wheels pounding on those cars. We are not actively stripping 2400s at Midway. But if we need parts we don't have we will take them off the retired cars. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 We are not actively stripping 2400s at Midway. But if we need parts we don't have we will take them off the retired cars. Which leads me to believe that if 33 cars are going to the great beyond, then the work motor cars may be in jeopardy of retirement themselves soon enough (maybe within a year) as they will start cannabalizing each other and they will end up in a #900 bus situation where they just slowly disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 14, 2014 Report Share Posted December 14, 2014 Which leads me to believe that if 33 cars are going to the great beyond, then the work motor cars may be in jeopardy of retirement themselves soon enough (maybe within a year) as they will start cannabalizing each other and they will end up in a #900 bus situation where they just slowly disappear. But in that case, unless their work needs decrease (and with the perpetual track projects, it doesn't look like they will) then they would have to convert something else, which would cost money. Either they would have to convert more 2600s, but the propulsion equipment in all of the DC series is about the same, or they do what they did with the 2400s originally, and devote 5000s to work service, which, due to the different trainlines, would entail having to convert whatever work equipment trains with the work motors. Hence, scrapping the 2400 series work motors will not be the low cost solution. The train cars would have to get about to the New Look buses in the 1990s point before it gets as desperate as you portray. But if they can rebuild motors on the 3200s (still GE1262s according to chicago-l.org), the can rebuild the same motors on 2400s, or if there was a motor swap, I'm sure the swapped motors can still be rebuilt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Everything disappears eventually. It may be time to convert the #2600's to the duties of the #2400 work trains since they do have spares but it probably wouldn't happen anyway until all #5000's are delivered and they work on these #3200's rehabs and #2600's upgrades for the 100 cars. Btw, how long did the #6000 work trains last after their retirement. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Everything disappears eventually. It may be time to convert the #2600's to the duties of the #2400 work trains since they do have spares but it probably wouldn't happen anyway until all #5000's are delivered and they work on these #3200's rehabs and #2600's upgrades for the 100 cars. Btw, how long did the #6000 work trains last after their retirement. Chicago-l.org says that the 2400s were converted in 1995, which hits me as about right as there were still some of the 61-65 series cars in Midway yard (which I saw). You asked the correct question, as the books indicate that the setup on the flatcars had to be changed when they went from using 4000s as work cars to 6000s, and one would think that the train line issue again appeared when they went from the 6000s to 2400s. And if one wants to go afield to the discussion of whether the rehabs of the 3200s were worth it, the single units were said to have had 10 year rehabs. but they got replaced on the Yellow Line by the 3400s before that. Again, chicago-l,org describes some of the technicalities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Chicago-l.org says that the 2400s were converted in 1995... On that note, apparently in house by the famous Skokie Shops. A general question to everyone, and I apologize if I have asked this before, but has anyone seen builder's plates for the 2400s/have pictures of them? They've been off the Green Line for so long that the only builders plates I now know of are colorless BOMBARDIER plates. I might have seen one a long time ago, and from what I remember they reflect the 1995 Skokie work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 On that note, apparently in house by the famous Skokie Shops. A general question to everyone, and I apologize if I have asked this before, but has anyone seen builder's plates for the 2400s/have pictures of them? They've been off the Green Line for so long that the only builders plates I now know of are colorless BOMBARDIER plates. I might have seen one a long time ago, and from what I remember they reflect the 1995 Skokie work. Actually, I haven't, but I don't see why they would have Bombardier plates (maybe you were referring to the 5000s), since they were Boeing Vertol cars, and as you noted and chicago-l.org points out, any rehabs were at Skokie. The only real question is if the 2200s reflected both Budd and NY Rail Car. I do remember that the 2600 plates were changed from Budd to Budd and Alstom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MTRSP1900-CTA3200 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 Actually, I haven't, but I don't see why they would have Bombardier plates (maybe you were referring to the 5000s), since they were Boeing Vertol cars, and as you noted and chicago-l.org points out, any rehabs were at Skokie. The only real question is if the 2200s reflected both Budd and NY Rail Car. I do remember that the 2600 plates were changed from Budd to Budd and Alstom. Yup, I was referring to the 5000s, as a bad joke I guess. I found a photo of the builder's plate on car #2314. It's on chicagoL.org here (left of the CTA certificate). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 15, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 On that note, apparently in house by the famous Skokie Shops. A general question to everyone, and I apologize if I have asked this before, but has anyone seen builder's plates for the 2400s/have pictures of them? They've been off the Green Line for so long that the only builders plates I now know of are colorless BOMBARDIER plates. I might have seen one a long time ago, and from what I remember they reflect the 1995 Skokie work. Yes I remember them. They were black writing on a silver or white backing and they didn't look like certificates like what was shown above but like placards on metal plates similar to the new york railcar ones shown above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4223 Posted December 15, 2014 Report Share Posted December 15, 2014 The current builder plates on the 2400s show the Skokie shop rebuild. The originals are long gone. As for the flat cars in service today, they were all built new in the 1990s. They have air brakes and were specifically designed to operate with the GE cam Control cars. The air brakes automatically match the brake rates of the motor cars. The flat cars in use with the 6000 and single cars were ancient cars. some were built from cut down wooden L cars. They train lined thru them but the cars had no brakes at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 The current builder plates on the 2400s show the Skokie shop rebuild. The originals are long gone. As for the flat cars in service today, they were all built new in the 1990s. They have air brakes and were specifically designed to operate with the GE cam Control cars. The air brakes automatically match the brake rates of the motor cars. The flat cars in use with the 6000 and single cars were ancient cars. some were built from cut down wooden L cars. They train lined thru them but the cars had no brakes at all. Thanks for the clarification. I assume though that if the idea were to make 5000s into work cars, they probably would have to get a new fleet of flat cars again. Do the current flat cars carry their own air compressors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i8itall4u Posted December 16, 2014 Report Share Posted December 16, 2014 ...to answer a recent question. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4223 Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 The flat cars have their own compressors. They plug in a 600 volt trainline cable between the flat car and the work motor for power. The plugs are mounted on the coupler heads. The work motors have an extra box under the car that contains a shutoff switch for the trainline plug. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4223 Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I walked thru Midway Yard today and counted 10 2400s waiting disposition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter.pyterek Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 I walked thru Midway Yard today and counted 10 2400s waiting disposition.Did that include both regulars and work motors? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pcc4223 Posted December 17, 2014 Report Share Posted December 17, 2014 The 10 cars counted were the regular cars not work motors. I have the numbers written down, I will pass them along tomorrow. I have seen pictures of one of the painted and striped cars. The number is 2537/38. It is gorgeous. People will like them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted December 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 I heard from a source that they might want to run the farewell train the first week of January. They didn't want it to interfere with the holiday train. So I guess we can get our parkas and snow shoes ready. Lol!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chgofan78 Posted December 20, 2014 Report Share Posted December 20, 2014 I heard from a source that they might want to run the farewell train the first week of January. They didn't want it to interfere with the holiday train. So I guess we can get our parkas and snow shoes ready. Lol!! Four of the cars are sitting outside of Skokie Shops. From a distance, I'd swear they were brand new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 I heard from a source that they might want to run the farewell train the first week of January. They didn't want it to interfere with the holiday train. So I guess we can get our parkas and snow shoes ready. Lol!! Latest info seems to indicate the 3rd or 4th week now of January. Some have expressed concern about doing this also in January's bad weather so it might get pushed to February at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted January 3, 2015 Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 Latest info seems to indicate the 3rd or 4th week now of January. Some have expressed concern about doing this also in January's bad weather so it might get pushed to February at least. February hasn't been the best month for weather, either. Best thing CTA, IRM, (whomever is funding this farewell) can do is to wait until late March or maybe April. The weather will by then be averaging in the 40's and 50's(hopefully) and snow/winter weather chances will be near zero. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BusHunter Posted January 3, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2015 February hasn't been the best month for weather, either. Best thing CTA, IRM, (whomever is funding this farewell) can do is to wait until late March or maybe April. The weather will by then be averaging in the 40's and 50's(hopefully) and snow/winter weather chances will be near zero. Just make sure nothing happens to those cars. At least Skokie Shops has a roving security car. As long as the cars are out in the open and not hidden in the yard nothing bad should happen to them. Don't know what the bad weather will do to any decaling. Hopefully it's professional grade. Probably the best policy is to keep them indoors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicagos_D Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 I saw three cars tagged with graffiti this morning in the Midway yard. One car was a work motor, another was non-service car, and the last was unidentified because it was farther into the yard. Sorry I couldn't get car numbers. The first two cars are on track 3 or 4 if it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrethebusman Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 During January 2015 2435-36, 2441-42, 2459-60, 2525-26, 2547-48 removed from hold list, presumed scrapped. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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