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Metra 8731


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Seen yesterday at Jeff Park - Metra 8731, a former cab car now a coach, with nothing left to show it even ever had a cab. This car has never shown up before and is one of five (8730,8731,8739,8740,8742) that were sold to Virginia Rail Express years ago, never put in service by them, and believed scrapped about five years ago. Well, obviously not scrapped. Does Metra have the other four also?

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Seen yesterday at Jeff Park - Metra 8731, a former cab car now a coach, with nothing left to show it even ever had a cab. This car has never shown up before and is one of five (8730,8731,8739,8740,8742) that were sold to Virginia Rail Express years ago, never put in service by them, and believed scrapped about five years ago. Well, obviously not scrapped. Does Metra have the other four also?

I thought Metra got 5 back from VRE and I thought Metra initially gave up 12 to VRE. I know at least one of those old cars run on the UP-West

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The ones that were back for a couple of years now were all 7800 straight coaches (7825, 7836, 7838, 7840). This one is a new arrival. There were a bunch, maybe 10, ex UTA-Salt Lake cars that came back, but those were never put in service and eventually dragged off to a junker somewhere.

7848 also came from VRE.

Some of the ex-UTA cars acquired in April 2009 are in service. These include 7787, 7788, 7794, 7795, 7801, 7804, 7806, 7810, 7811 and 8738 which I have seen in service on the Metra UP lines. The earliest to reenter service was 7787 which I first saw in June 2010 and the latest is 7795 which I first saw in service January this year. All have been extensively rebuilt with all windows replaced so you can see out of them (unlike the ex VRE examples!). I believe 7789, 7791 and 8743 also came back from UTA but I have not seen these in service.

I have also seen 8749 in service. I do not know where this came back from!

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Here is what is known about the "returnees":

VRE sent back 5 coaches and 5 cab cars. The coaches had been in service on VRE, the cab cars had not. Numbers as follows:

7825 (VRE V441), 7836 (VRE V442), 7838 (VRE V444), 7840 (VRE V446), 7848 (VRE V453), 8730, 8731, 8739, 8740, 8742

UTA originally got 21 coaches and 9 cab cars. These were 7787-7797, 7799-7801, 7804-7806, 7808, 7810-7812, 8727, 8733, 8734, 8738, 8743, 8745, 8747, 8749, 8752. None were ever put in service or even repainted. A couple of years back 13 were reported as returned (7787-7789, 7791, 7794, 7795, 7801, 7804, 7806, 7810, 7811, 8738, 8743). If 8749 is running around, it would seem more than just 13 came back, or 8743 was replaced by 8749?

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Here is what is known about the "returnees":

VRE sent back 5 coaches and 5 cab cars. The coaches had been in service on VRE, the cab cars had not. Numbers as follows:

7825 (VRE V441), 7836 (VRE V442), 7838 (VRE V444), 7840 (VRE V446), 7848 (VRE V453), 8730, 8731, 8739, 8740, 8742

UTA originally got 21 coaches and 9 cab cars. These were 7787-7797, 7799-7801, 7804-7806, 7808, 7810-7812, 8727, 8733, 8734, 8738, 8743, 8745, 8747, 8749, 8752. None were ever put in service or even repainted. A couple of years back 13 were reported as returned (7787-7789, 7791, 7794, 7795, 7801, 7804, 7806, 7810, 7811, 8738, 8743). If 8749 is running around, it would seem more than just 13 came back, or 8743 was replaced by 8749?

A freshly refurbished 8743 was at Ogilvie last night so it came as well.

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  • 1 month later...

I also saw three ex-Metra coaches that were originally C&NW coaches on an episode of the "Burn Notice" TV show from a few years ago. The bilevel coach design & paint scheme were unmistakable

They were in a rail yard in Miami, but when I emailed Metra about them, they were like Sgt. Schultz, they knew nothing!

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I also saw three ex-Metra coaches that were originally C&NW coaches on an episode of the "Burn Notice" TV show from a few years ago. The bilevel coach design & paint scheme were unmistakable

They were in a rail yard in Miami, but when I emailed Metra about them, they were like Sgt. Schultz, they knew nothing!

No real surprise there !

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I also saw three ex-Metra coaches that were originally C&NW coaches on an episode of the "Burn Notice" TV show from a few years ago. The bilevel coach design & paint scheme were unmistakable

They were in a rail yard in Miami, but when I emailed Metra about them, they were like Sgt. Schultz, they knew nothing!

Not surprising - many were sold to a dealer who did God knows what with them. Some ended being scrapped by General Iron at Cortland/Kingsbury, but many simply vanished.
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I ride the UP/NW line every morning into downtown. Sometimes my train (6:13am) Jeff. Pk., has two Pullman coaches together. I rode aboard #7836 yest. morn. Still has the old interior with the red plush seats.

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  • 1 month later...

7789 seen at Jeff Park UP/NW 7/9/14. 7791 still not seen?

Five more coming back to Metra from MARC-Maryland. Numbers not yet known. Who is doing the rehabs, especially on the ex-Salt Lake City cars? Metra themselves or a contractor?

Andre

There was an On the Bi-Level story that the rehab of the Amerail cars was being done in the RID shop, if that is any hint.

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  • 2 weeks later...

7789 seen at Jeff Park UP/NW 7/9/14. 7791 still not seen?

Five more coming back to Metra from MARC-Maryland. Numbers not yet known. Who is doing the rehabs, especially on the ex-Salt Lake City cars? Metra themselves or a contractor?

Andre

7791 seen Fri 7/25 at Jeff Park. All 14 ex Salt lake now verified as in service. Whoever is doing the work is doing a GREAT job - you can not tell the ex cab cars were ever cab cars. Look identical to trailers in every way.

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