2600-series - Updates & Retirements

[Javi75]

Also if some crazy scenario would happen to where the 2600s had to be abruptly retired in the near future, a lot of lines would have a smaller spare ratio. For example fully equipping blue line with the 7000s base order like planned. Splitting the 3200s evenly between brown and orange, technically brown and orange have more railcars than what they really need especially with brownage being inactive. All 9000s options would still be picked up later on down the line. 

[artthouwill]

15 minutes ago, Javi75 said:

Also if some crazy scenario would happen to where the 2600s had to be abruptly retired in the near future, a lot of lines would have a smaller spare ratio. For example fully equipping blue line with the 7000s base order like planned. Splitting the 3200s evenly between brown and orange, technically brown and orange have more railcars than what they really need especially with brownage being inactive. All 9000s options would still be picked up later on down the line. 

The oldest 2600s in the 2601 - 2699 Range are now 43 years old.   I don't know if they will get to 44 years of service like the 2200s did.  That could depend on how many 7000s are delivered and enter service this year.  It also depends on the shape of those cars relative to the shape of the other cars in the 2600 series.  

I think the primary aim is to get as many 2600s off the Blue Line as possible.   Some may go directly to retirement and others may go to the Brown and Orange lines to retire some of their cars.  I believe once there are enough 7000s on the Blue Line to eradicate the 2600s from the Blue Line,  then we may slowly see the 3200s return to the Brown Line as more 7000s enter service on the Blue Line.  The Orange Line 2600s will be the last to be retired.

[Javi75]

On 2/8/2024 at 12:35 PM, artthouwill said:

The oldest 2600s in the 2601 - 2699 Range are now 43 years old.   I don't know if they will get to 44 years of service like the 2200s did.  That could depend on how many 7000s are delivered and enter service this year.  It also depends on the shape of those cars relative to the shape of the other cars in the 2600 series.  

I think the primary aim is to get as many 2600s off the Blue Line as possible.   Some may go directly to retirement and others may go to the Brown and Orange lines to retire some of their cars.  I believe once there are enough 7000s on the Blue Line to eradicate the 2600s from the Blue Line,  then we may slowly see the 3200s return to the Brown Line as more 7000s enter service on the Blue Line.  The Orange Line 2600s will be the last to be retired.

Which line is lighter use for the 2600s, orange or brown? This is a little off topic from my original post but were the upper 2600s always on the blue line even from when it was west-northwest in the 80s? I’ve always remembered the lower 2600s on the red line but was there a major swap during their rehabs? 

[Sam92]

1 hour ago, Javi75 said:

Which line is lighter use for the 2600s, orange or brown? This is a little off topic from my original post but were the upper 2600s always on the blue line even from when it was west-northwest in the 80s? I’ve always remembered the lower 2600s on the red line but was there a major swap during their rehabs? 

Orange is easily lighter I'm guessing. They had 7 min headways while brown had 4 min. I think in my time frame the upper 2600s stayed with the blue line, some went to pink when it became the new Douglas line but Im young so I can't tell you anything earlier than 1999 🤷

[busfan2847]

1 hour ago, Javi75 said:

Which line is lighter use for the 2600s, orange or brown? This is a little off topic from my original post but were the upper 2600s always on the blue line even from when it was west-northwest in the 80s? I’ve always remembered the lower 2600s on the red line but was there a major swap during their rehabs? 

In early 1994:-

2601-2660 Green; 2661-2824, 2951-3056 Red; 2825-2950, 3099-3200 Blue; 3057-3098 Purple

at that time the 2200 were on Blue and the 2400 on Red.

After rebuilding:-

2601-2936 Red; 2937-3200 Blue.

Blue still had the 2200; 2401-2538 moved to Green when it reopened in 3/96; 2539-2600 migrated to Purple in 2000.

2201-2222 moved to Pink when it opened in 6/06, but went back to Blue in 2008 when replaced with 3157-3200 which were replaced in 2012 with 5000.

Most of the lower numbered 2600 moved to the Blue after 2012 as the 5000 entered service. Some were used on Purple and most of them moved to Orange. (It got messy!)

 

 

[Javi75]

28 minutes ago, busfan2847 said:

In early 1994:-

2601-2660 Green; 2661-2824, 2951-3056 Red; 2825-2950, 3099-3200 Blue; 3057-3098 Purple

at that time the 2200 were on Blue and the 2400 on Red.

After rebuilding:-

2601-2936 Red; 2937-3200 Blue.

Blue still had the 2200; 2401-2538 moved to Green when it reopened in 3/96; 2539-2600 migrated to Purple in 2000.

2201-2222 moved to Pink when it opened in 6/06, but went back to Blue in 2008 when replaced with 3157-3200 which were replaced in 2012 with 5000.

Most of the lower numbered 2600 moved to the Blue after 2012 as the 5000 entered service. Some were used on Purple and most of them moved to Orange. (It got messy!)

 

 

Thank you for the info, the 5000s delivered was really messy for the 2600s. At one point red had 2400s, 2600s and 5000s with orange having 2400s, 2600s and 3200s.

[busfan2847]

On 2/10/2024 at 12:57 PM, Javi75 said:

Thank you for the info, the 5000s delivered was really messy for the 2600s. At one point red had 2400s, 2600s and 5000s with orange having 2400s, 2600s and 3200s.

2400 had moved from Red to Purple by end of 2000. As Green received production 5000 in fall 2012 2400s moved to Red and Purple. On the Red they stayed a few months as production 5000 started to arrive end of 2012.

Orange had 2400 for a brief period in 2013/4 after they had been replaced on the Red, Green and Purple by 5000. 2600 started to move to Orange in mid-2014 replacing the 2400 and allowing the 3200 to move to Brown and Blue.

[Bus1883]

#2657-58 gone

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

1 hour ago, Bus1883 said:

#2657-58 gone

aare those scrapped

are 2799-2800 gone too

[Policeman]

On 2/13/2024 at 7:17 PM, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

aare those scrapped

yes

 

On 2/13/2024 at 7:17 PM, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

are 2799-2800 gone too

they are at Skokie Shops near 3352 n those other cars

[Erin Mishkin Jr.]

Any info for why blue line cars are in the yard of midway orange line

3143 3144 3065 3066 3003 3004 2651 2652 to name a couple 

[artthouwill]

10 minutes ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

Any info for why blue line cars are in the yard of midway orange line

3143 3144 3065 3066 3003 3004 2651 2652 to name a couple 

Maybe @garmon757 could better answer  but with more 7000s arriving on the Blue Line,  there's probably no more space for storage.   The Orange Line yard has plenty of space.   Those cars could just be stored there or they could be available for use on the Orange line.   Skokie Shops could be full of 7000s and cars needing major work.   If extra storage space is still needed. 61st yard might be an option to store cars ready for retirement until space is available at Skokie. 

[Busjack]

1 minute ago, artthouwill said:

an option to store cars ready for retirement

Unless CTA is increasing the fleet to 1800. the more logical place would be put them on flatbed trucks and send them to the scrapper. I don't know why both CTA bus and rail have hoarder syndrome. Maybe we will see them on A&E.

[Mr.NewFlyer1279]

6 minutes ago, artthouwill said:

Maybe @garmon757 could better answer  but with more 7000s arriving on the Blue Line,  there's probably no more space for storage.   The Orange Line yard has plenty of space.   Those cars could just be stored there or they could be available for use on the Orange line.   Skokie Shops could be full of 7000s and cars needing major work.   If extra storage space is still needed. 61st yard might be an option to store cars ready for retirement until space is available at Skokie. 

idk if it was mentioned before but starting Spring 2024 blue line will see a decrease in 2600’s as the 7000’s are arriving at a faster pace now, that whole 8 car set at midway could be waiting for skokie for retirement or they could jus be part of the orange line now considering some 26’s off the orange got sent to scrap recently 

[artthouwill]

2 minutes ago, Busjack said:

Unless CTA is increasing the fleet to 1800. the more logical place would be put them on flatbed trucks and send them to the scrapper. I don't know why both CTA bus and rail have hoarder syndrome. Maybe we will see them on A&E.

I think CTA is taking a measured approach to scrapping.   It might be better to have too many cars than to parents down the fleet and then have the remaining 2600s start crapping out en masse.  Add to that the slow delivery of the 7000s and they could find themselves with a fleet shortage.  Their thinking seems to be to run a lot of cars for a little while  rather than run a fewer amount of cars into the ground  

[Busjack]

4 hours ago, artthouwill said:

they could find themselves with a fleet shortage.

Given the service cuts  with the staff shortage, that makes little sense.While it might make sense with bus (give NP 400 buses and see what runs), so long as Brownage isn't running, Orange needs maybe 120 cars. Certainly not the 72 cars on 9 Brownage trains.

[garmon757]

21 hours ago, Erin Mishkin Jr. said:

Any info for why blue line cars are in the yard of midway orange line

3143 3144 3065 3066 3003 3004 2651 2652 to name a couple 

 

21 hours ago, artthouwill said:

Maybe @garmon757 could better answer  but with more 7000s arriving on the Blue Line,  there's probably no more space for storage.   The Orange Line yard has plenty of space.   Those cars could just be stored there or they could be available for use on the Orange line.   Skokie Shops could be full of 7000s and cars needing major work.   If extra storage space is still needed. 61st yard might be an option to store cars ready for retirement until space is available at Skokie. 

Maintenance hold per the Midway Shop. They’re slated as transfers for Orange Line service.

[Busjack]

1 hour ago, garmon757 said:

 

Maintenance hold per the Midway Shop. They’re slated as transfers for Orange Line service.

 

So (unless, as I suggested sarcastically, CTA is increasing the fleet to 1800), does that mean that the Orange Line is now running worse junk?

[Bus1883]

4 hours ago, garmon757 said:

 

Maintenance hold per the Midway Shop. They’re slated as transfers for Orange Line service.

So basically blue line cars are replacing the orange line ones, at least that’s what it seems like?

[garmon757]

3 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

So (unless, as I suggested sarcastically, CTA is increasing the fleet to 1800), does that mean that the Orange Line is now running worse junk?

Well you have to think about the Brown Line running a boat load of crap also but the Orange Line is going to have to figure out how to maintain the rest of them because Midway Shop is responsible for both Orange and Brown’s 2600s due to Kimball Shop is extremely small. I believe the average lifetime mileage is has to be roughly 750,000 miles at the very least overall. However, it’s been getting way worse on the defects, especially during these last couple of winters to the point that it’s putting a damning strain on balancing service between both lines.

[garmon757]

36 minutes ago, Bus1883 said:

So basically blue line cars are replacing the orange line ones, at least that’s what it seems like?

That’s correct.

[busfan2847]

4 hours ago, Busjack said:

 

So (unless, as I suggested sarcastically, CTA is increasing the fleet to 1800), does that mean that the Orange Line is now running worse junk?

I think more likely could be using worse junk. If the ones being replaced on the Blue line are in good condition why not send them to Midway. The best of those transferred and the best of those already at Midway are kept - the rest make a one way trip to Skokie.

[Busjack]

47 minutes ago, busfan2847 said:

using worse junk

That's what I meant, but thought I implied it by saying "now," as @garmon757 said the transfers are now on mechanical hold. But I see that  @garmon757explained it more fully above.

[Busjack]

2 hours ago, garmon757 said:

the Orange Line is going to have to figure out how to maintain the rest of them because Midway Shop is responsible for both Orange and Brown’s 2600s due to Kimball Shop is extremely small.

That also informs us on what series will go to each line. Like when it came out (when improper welds were found on the 5000s) that Lake shop was also doing 54th's work, Midway is also doing Kimball's work. Kimball shop and yard might have been adequate in about 1987, but not now.

[Bus1883]

23 hours ago, busfan2847 said:

I think more likely could be using worse junk. If the ones being replaced on the Blue line are in good condition why not send them to Midway. The best of those transferred and the best of those already at Midway are kept - the rest make a one way trip to Skokie.

I’d say why not retire the 2600s off the Blue Line since the 7000s are directly going there instead of sending their cars to the orange line to retire their cars as orange lines 2600s are in much better shape compared to the ones on the blue line.