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Colorado Railcar/US Railcar DMU Question

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  • Member since
    March 2018
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Colorado Railcar/US Railcar DMU Question
Posted by Trainzguy2472 on Monday, January 20, 2020 3:07 PM

Hi all,

A little while ago, I stumbled across a little company called US Railcar.  It appears to have been formed out of the remaining assets of Colorado Railcar when it closed back in 2008.  I've found very little recent information about this company, which appears to be inactive.  They seem to have no factory, so where would their products be produced? If you know more about it, please let me know.

Also, do any transit agencies still operate Colorado Railcar products?  Does US Railcar offer repair services for the products of their predecessor?  And are there any manufacturers of FRA-compliant DMUs in the US anymore since Nippon-Sharyo closed up shop?  I'm only asking out of pure curiosity, since I always thought Colorado Railcar went bankrupt in 2008 and that was the end of the story.

 

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  • Member since
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  • From: US
  • 60 posts
Posted by mccannt on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 12:52 AM

TriMet, the transit agency in the Portland, Ore. metropolitan area, operates four Colorado Railcar DMUs on its Westside Express (WES) regional rail line between the Portland suburbs of Beaverton and Wilsonville.

Cars #1001-1003 are fully-powered, bi-directional DMUs with a streamlined cab on the "A" end and a flat cab on the "B" end; car #2001 is a non-powered trailer with a streamlined cab on one end only.

WES trains operate rush hours Monday-Friday, with eight round trips during each peak period (16 total). Two of the DMUs operate as single units, and the third is paired with the cab-trailer. 

WES also has a backup train of two older Budd RDCs that operates when one or more of the DMUs is out of service, and has two additional RDCs that it will refurbish and add to the service.

  • Member since
    November 2010
  • 10 posts
Posted by Marc6850 on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 5:56 AM

Trainzguy2472

Hi all,

A little while ago, I stumbled across a little company called US Railcar.  It appears to have been formed out of the remaining assets of Colorado Railcar when it closed back in 2008.  I've found very little recent information about this company, which appears to be inactive.  They seem to have no factory, so where would their products be produced? If you know more about it, please let me know.

Also, do any transit agencies still operate Colorado Railcar products?  Does US Railcar offer repair services for the products of their predecessor?  And are there any manufacturers of FRA-compliant DMUs in the US anymore since Nippon-Sharyo closed up shop?  I'm only asking out of pure curiosity, since I always thought Colorado Railcar went bankrupt in 2008 and that was the end of the story.

 

 

Trainzguy2472

Hi all,

A little while ago, I stumbled across a little company called US Railcar.  It appears to have been formed out of the remaining assets of Colorado Railcar when it closed back in 2008.  I've found very little recent information about this company, which appears to be inactive.  They seem to have no factory, so where would their products be produced? If you know more about it, please let me know.

Also, do any transit agencies still operate Colorado Railcar products?  Does US Railcar offer repair services for the products of their predecessor?  And are there any manufacturers of FRA-compliant DMUs in the US anymore since Nippon-Sharyo closed up shop?  I'm only asking out of pure curiosity, since I always thought Colorado Railcar went bankrupt in 2008 and that was the end of the story.

 US Railcar intended to further develop DMU's for commuter and regional rail, and had test units in Tri-Rail service in Miami.  They never built any DMU's and I believe are closed.  They had good technology but.............

 

 

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Posted by colinhrdng on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 9:17 AM
http://www.usrailcar.com - here is their website...
  • Member since
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  • From: Georgia USA SW of Atlanta
  • 11,827 posts
Posted by blue streak 1 on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 11:43 AM

At one time TriRail operated the DMUs during off peak times.  Rode one in the trailer as DMU was closed off.  Thought acceleration very slow.  Believe they have been parked and currently located in Sanford which Sun Rail was going to use but never has ?

 

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 78 posts
Posted by BostonTrainGuy on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 12:27 PM

Don't forget the Alsakan cruise trains.  Their equipment is still operating up north.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 8 posts
Posted by worldrails101 on Tuesday, January 28, 2020 2:20 PM

Colorado Railcar's unique American-built DMU equipment went to Oregon for TriMet, to Alaska for the Alaska Railroad, and to Florida For TriRail. Their popular single and double level full dome cars still operate each summer on the Alaska Railroad for ARR passenger service, and for the private dome car services offered by Princess Tours, Holland America Line, and Premier Alaska Tours (originally built for Royal Caribbean Tours). CRC domes also run through the Canadian Rockies on the "Rocky Mountaineer". 

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