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2400s on the Orange Line


BusHunter

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If you haven't yet noticed this week, the Orange line is running with #2400's. The #2490's from the Red line have been transferred over as well as some newer transfers of #2430's - #2450. (about 24 cars in all, exact cars are in the "L roster thread") I wonder if this means the mid life rehab may be starting up for the #3200's. They would need a float of cars when this were to happen. (maybe as many as 40 cars)

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If you haven't yet noticed this week, the Orange line is running with #2400's. The #2490's from the Red line have been transferred over as well as some newer transfers of #2430's - #2450. (about 24 cars in all, exact cars are in the "L roster thread") I wonder if this means the mid life rehab may be starting up for the #3200's. They would need a float of cars when this were to happen. (maybe as many as 40 cars)

In that they got called onto the carpet when they tried to make a secret deal with Bombardier, and it wouldn't be within Shops competence to do that radical of an overhaul, I would tend to doubt it. One would think that a contract would be announced somewhere.

Sometimes the Budget has clues, but it looks like CTA is now about a month late on that.

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Wow, this is the first time that the 2400s went to the Orange Line. I've seen the 2600s went to the Orange Line before. I guess they running them before they're start to retired. I wonder how the Orange Line riders react to this.

Most CTA riders are glad to get a train.

The more interesting point seems to be your "start to be retired." I was thinking maybe in connection with the decrowding initiative, but it doesn't look like they will be around that long.

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Wow, this is the first time that the 2400s went to the Orange Line. I've seen the 2600s went to the Orange Line before. I guess they running them before they're start to retired. I wonder how the Orange Line riders react to this.

Can anyone comment on how often the 2400s are being used on the Orange Line? It appears the 24 2400s are in addition to the Orange Line's usual allotment of 94 3200s. Could these 2400s be intended for use for the additional Orange-to-Brown Line (Tattler article) service that is upcoming?

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Can anyone comment on how often the 2400s are being used on the Orange Line? It appears the 24 2400s are in addition to the Orange Line's usual allotment of 94 3200s. Could these 2400s be intended for use for the additional Orange-to-Brown Line (Tattler article) service that is upcoming?

Thanks for bringing that up.

I was going to modify my prior comment, in that reports here are that cars around 5140 have been received (don't hold me to exact numbers), which would be enough to replace the 2200s, but it would take to about 5340 to replace the 2400s. Hence, that, combined with prior statements that the decrowding plan would be implemented by not retiring cars as fast as 5000s are received would reinforce what you said.

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If you haven't yet noticed this week, the Orange line is running with #2400's. The #2490's from the Red line have been transferred over as well as some newer transfers of #2430's - #2450. (about 24 cars in all, exact cars are in the "L roster thread") I wonder if this means the mid life rehab may be starting up for the #3200's. They would need a float of cars when this were to happen. (maybe as many as 40 cars)

This might have something to do with 5000's now being assigned to the Red Line. I think that was due to begin this month sometime. The 2400's being assigned to the Orange Line make me think that sometime in Spring 2013, the 5000's that start arriving then will be assigned to the Orange Line and the 3200's from the Orange Line could be split up unevenly to the Purple Line, Blue Line and Brown Line, with the 2400's from the Orange Line being retired once the 5000's start moving to the Orange Line.

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Can anyone comment on how often the 2400s are being used on the Orange Line? It appears the 24 2400s are in addition to the Orange Line's usual allotment of 94 3200s. Could these 2400s be intended for use for the additional Orange-to-Brown Line (Tattler article) service that is upcoming?

Yesterday there were two 8 car sets around the 5-6PM hour at Clark/Lake, runs #719 and #720. That's two out of 8-10 trains they run. I was just surprised they had roll signs for Midway. A couple cars had Blue line Rosemont signs on both trains. I was thinking myself about could it be additional service for December, and 24 cars is 3 trains extra. I believe they mentioned 2 extra trains. But if you combine the Orange and Brown together, as there may not be room for more trains at Kimball yard, that would be the 4 or 5 trains mentioned in the tattler article. We'll have to see if they get what's left of the Green line #2400's, if they do I would lean back to a #3200 mid life rehab, because then you are talking 50 cars.

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I would lean back to a #3200 mid life rehab, because then you are talking 50 cars.

I would expect that maybe the 3200's mid-life may not be as elaborate as originally thought. FTA life for railcars is 30 years, and the 3200's range in age currently at 18-21 years old. I would suspect it would be a waste of funds to give the 3200's LED Displays and A/C traction motors as by 2021, they might start retirement of the 3200's. If they done this about 2008-2009, it would've made a little more sense money-wise. I would think they'll keep the D/C traction motors, just do a rehab on them; and roller curtains, making them the last railcars the CTA has with roller curtains and D/C traction motors.

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I'm curious as to why 2400-series cars would be assigned to the Orange Line unless they just needed some place to move extra equipment or just preparing for the upcoming service changes. The Green Line still needs 20 more 5000-series cars to replace 2411-2430. Actually, to be honest, I think the work motors should just be taken out of revenue service and relegated to work duties. At this point, it seems like they would have moved more 2400's from the Green and Purple Lines to the Red Line and the Red Line moved some 2600's to the Blue and Purple Lines to minimize using the 2200's as much as possible- especially if their retirement is still taking place in December.

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I would expect that maybe the 3200's mid-life may not be as elaborate as originally thought. FTA life for railcars is 30 years, and the 3200's range in age currently at 18-21 years old. I would suspect it would be a waste of funds to give the 3200's LED Displays and A/C traction motors as by 2021, they might start retirement of the 3200's. If they done this about 2008-2009, it would've made a little more sense money-wise. I would think they'll keep the D/C traction motors, just do a rehab on them; and roller curtains, making them the last railcars the CTA has with roller curtains and D/C traction motors.

FTA life for railcars may be 30 years, but the 2200s, 2400s and some of the 2600s have already surpassed that mark.

Further, CTA has already announced plans to give the 3200s a rehab, including new LED displays (I don't recall specifically if they plan on changing out the motors), so that would indicate an intent to keep the cars beyond 2022-24 (30 years after the 3200s entered service). Given the longevity of the other railcars, I don't think there's any reason to believe the 3200s won't be able to go 35-40 years, especially with a mid-life in the next couple of years.

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I'm curious as to why 2400-series cars would be assigned to the Orange Line unless they just needed some place to move extra equipment or just preparing for the upcoming service changes. The Green Line still needs 20 more 5000-series cars to replace 2411-2430. Actually, to be honest, I think the work motors should just be taken out of revenue service and relegated to work duties. At this point, it seems like they would have moved more 2400's from the Green and Purple Lines to the Red Line and the Red Line moved some 2600's to the Blue and Purple Lines to minimize using the 2200's as much as possible- especially if their retirement is still taking place in December.

Howard yard was beginning to get crowded. (I had the Red line at 380 cars previous) During rush hour they always had 5 to 6 strings of 8 car sets in the west yard. I had been noticing a few cars recently were in the east yard, east of the junction. (maybe about three sets) The Midway yard storage capacity I believe is 100, but it's been 110 before. I don't know how much further that can go until it's at capacity. As far as the #2200's there has not been any recent transfers to blue line of any #2600's (at least in the last 3 weeks) Looks like the #2200's will still be here for 2013.

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Looks like the #2200's will still be here for 2013.

The 2200's should have started retirement in bunches by now. I think the CTA is hesitant to pull the plug on them completely because they might not be totally convinced that the Bombardier cars are 100% flawless now. First the brakes prompted a order stoppage and return to the New York plant, then the wheel issue. I figure the CTA is deciding that it's better to have 40+ year old railcars to operate that are reliable(although having reliability issues now) then the new cars which are seemingly working fine but have had two major issues with barely any service on the system. I've watched over the past couple of updates the number of 2200's in service increase.

The only other plausible reason is something is possibly going on with the Bombardier units again, but the CTA is keeping a lid on it and very quietly getting the problem fixed(maybe that's why 5003-5012 haven't returned since the wheel issue). They've already had two public service removals of the 5000's, another one and the CTA may be forced to stop all work, cancel the order and put a new bid out for railcars which will delay things further(as I'm sure the CTA board will not want to go any further with Bombardier again).

This is probably not true, but who knows...

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The 2200's should have started retirement in bunches by now. I think the CTA is hesitant to pull the plug on them completely because they might not be totally convinced that the Bombardier cars are 100% flawless now. First the brakes prompted a order stoppage and return to the New York plant, then the wheel issue. I figure the CTA is deciding that it's better to have 40+ year old railcars to operate that are reliable(although having reliability issues now) then the new cars which are seemingly working fine but have had two major issues with barely any service on the system. I've watched over the past couple of updates the number of 2200's in service increase.

The only other plausible reason is something is possibly going on with the Bombardier units again, but the CTA is keeping a lid on it and very quietly getting the problem fixed(maybe that's why 5003-5012 haven't returned since the wheel issue). They've already had two public service removals of the 5000's, another one and the CTA may be forced to stop all work, cancel the order and put a new bid out for railcars which will delay things further(as I'm sure the CTA board will not want to go any further with Bombardier again).

This is probably not true, but who knows...

2200-series are done as of December 1st, 2012, other than the quality issues of last year, those have been solved & 5000-series are getting mechinal upgrades at Harlem Yard when they are out of revenue service, which is a couple days. The 2400 series might return to Red Line next ,Spring, but that remains to be seen 5000s are scheduled to make its Red Line debut Monday Nov 12th

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2200-series are done as of December 1st, 2012, other than the quality issues of last year, those have been solved & 5000-series are getting mechinal upgrades at Harlem Yard when they are out of revenue service, which is a couple days. The 2400 series might return to Red Line next ,Spring, but that remains to be seen 5000s are scheduled to make its Red Line debut Monday Nov 12th

The 2200s are not done. As a matter of fact, saw 2249/50 as the only 2 2200s in an 8 car consist with 2619/20 as the lead cars and 3053/54 as the last two cars with 2249/50 being cars 5 and 6.

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The 2200s are not done. As a matter of fact, saw 2249/50 as the only 2 2200s in an 8 car consist with 2619/20 as the lead cars and 3053/54 as the last two cars with 2249/50 being cars 5 and 6.

There are plenty of #2200's still, I counted 30 cars in the Rosemont yard yesterday with at least 20-30 in service. I haven't seen any activity lately at Skokie to indicate there even retiring any. Although that may change after the 16th. I think there concerned now about having a shortage with the extra trains needed by then for the decrowding.

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Doubtful. A few 2400s are officially assigned to the Orange Line, and have been for a few weeks now.

I rode a set of 2400s on Orange last weekend.

According to someone who posts the 'L' rosters, there should be only cars 2433-2434, 2439-2446, 2449-2450 and 2491-2498 assigned to the Orange Line. The sighting of the red-striped 2400s on the Orange Line might have been coincidental.

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According to someone who posts the 'L' rosters, there should be only cars 2433-2434, 2439-2446, 2449-2450 and 2491-2498 assigned to the Orange Line. The sighting of the red-striped 2400s on the Orange Line might have been coincidental.

You can also add cars #2451-52 and #2457-58 of the 2400s on the Orange Line as well. I've seen them today.

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