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IS METRA UP TO SOMETHING??

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IS METRA UP TO SOMETHING??
Posted by condi on Monday, April 27, 2009 10:19 PM

HI ALL 

TO DAY AT THE LAFOX RD CROSSING OF TE UP GENEVA SUB EBOUND WAS A GENERAL FREIGHT AND WHAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIN???  13 VERY OLD METRA CARS IN NEED OF A LOT OF WORK. #'7755 7787 7788 7789 7791 7794 7801 7804 7806 7810 7811 8738 & 8743.. WHO KNOWS IF METRA HAS PLANS ON REBUILDING THESE CARS AND WHERE COULD THEY HAVE BEEN KEPT??  THE ONLY MARKINGS ON THE CARS ARE THE #'S. THE SIDES OF THE CARS LOOKED BAD WITH DOORS PART WAY OPEN BUT THEY ROLLED BY SMOTH

 

CONRAD

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Posted by al-in-chgo on Monday, April 27, 2009 11:40 PM

condi

HI ALL 

TO DAY AT THE LAFOX RD CROSSING OF TE UP GENEVA SUB EBOUND WAS A GENERAL FREIGHT AND WHAT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE TRAIN???  13 VERY OLD METRA CARS IN NEED OF A LOT OF WORK. #'7755 7787 7788 7789 7791 7794 7801 7804 7806 7810 7811 8738 & 8743.. WHO KNOWS IF METRA HAS PLANS ON REBUILDING THESE CARS AND WHERE COULD THEY HAVE BEEN KEPT??  THE ONLY MARKINGS ON THE CARS ARE THE #'S. THE SIDES OF THE CARS LOOKED BAD WITH DOORS PART WAY OPEN BUT THEY ROLLED BY SMOTH

 

CONRAD

Great question, Conrad.  If no one with more knowledge than us guys doesn't post in a day or two, I'd recommend that you move your post to "Transit" because that includes all metro-area rail systems, including commuter.  -   al

 

al-in-chgo
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Posted by eolafan on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 6:06 AM

I believe I can provide a partial answer to the original question...I believe these cars are the ones that have been stored on the Wisconsin Southern in Horicon, WI for the past few years or so.  As to what Metra plans to do with them, I will have to leave that to a much more informed forum member than me.

Eolafan (a.k.a. Jim)
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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 9:15 AM
I believe that these are cars that Metra sold years ago (when all of the new ones arrived) to a western commuter system (Salt Lake City?) for a buck apiece. The purchaser never used them, but Metra is buying them back (at more than a buck apiece) to ease its capacity crunch. They will have to be rehabbed, and probably updated a bit. I heard they were going to be used on some of the northerly lines. The 7800s are regular coaches, and the 8700s are cab cars. More info later, if I have a chance to dig it out.

EDIT: Definitely en route to Metra from the Utah Transit Authority. I'm sure they'll move to California Avenue (the coach yard) soon.

Carl

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Posted by ndbprr on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 11:25 AM

There is also a bunch stored in the EJ&E Joliet yard. My understanding is they were to be used for the great circle commuter route hitting nothing but suburbs.

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Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 1:05 PM

They're going to the Beech Grove shops to be painted white, and fitted with shackles. They will be used to move all of the people sick with swine flu to the concentration camps. Mischief

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Posted by CShaveRR on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 3:31 PM
zardoz

They're going to the Beech Grove shops to be painted white, and fitted with shackles. They will be used to move all of the people sick with swine flu to the concentration camps. Mischief

Aww, go on, Jim! Those people would be so ill as to not need special shackles. And in this day and age, more humane treatment of un-American perpetrators or terrorism suspects is encouraged, as is the economical rehabilitation of equipment, so more routes can be upgraded.

Just cuff 'em to the existing seats...

Carl

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Posted by Poppa_Zit on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 5:19 PM

ndbprr
There is also a bunch stored in the EJ&E Joliet yard. My understanding is they were to be used for the great circle commuter route hitting nothing but suburbs.

I heard those all had asbestos. Can't be scrapped like they are, yet mitigation is cost prohibitive.

"Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. They are not entitled, however, to their own facts." No we can't. Charter Member J-CASS (Jaded Cynical Ascerbic Sarcastic Skeptics) Notary Sojac & Retired Foo Fighter "Where there's foo, there's fire."
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Posted by zardoz on Tuesday, April 28, 2009 8:18 PM

CShaveRR
Just cuff 'em to the existing seats...

Laugh

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Posted by blownout cylinder on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 6:24 PM

zardoz

CShaveRR
Just cuff 'em to the existing seats...

Laugh

They had seats?----all the sameLaughLaugh

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Posted by Chris30 on Thursday, April 30, 2009 11:16 PM

Quote by Condi:

DOORS PART WAY OPEN

Hobo hotel.

CC

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Posted by condi on Friday, May 1, 2009 3:49 PM

today on a eb metra was car#7725 in new paint and sitting right next to the engin.

looks like metra is getting some of the old back into action mighty fast.

conrad 

 

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Posted by chad thomas on Friday, May 1, 2009 4:14 PM

 

zardoz

They're going to the Beech Grove shops to be painted white, and fitted with shackles. They will be used to move all of the people sick with swine flu to the concentration camps. Mischief



....Comming to a Amish team track near you....Wink
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Posted by zardoz on Sunday, May 3, 2009 10:07 PM

As of yesterday (050209) the old 11 Metra bilevels were still in Horicon, south of hwy 33 crossing, still in their rapidly-fading icky Metra colors. One is even covered in graffiti.

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Posted by WSOR 3801 on Monday, May 4, 2009 12:48 AM

zardoz

As of yesterday (050209) the old 11 Metra bilevels were still in Horicon, south of hwy 33 crossing, still in their rapidly-fading icky Metra colors. One is even covered in graffiti.

 

More than one has graffiti.  Most are listed with FRYX reporting marks.  It would be nice to have them leave, could use the track space for other junk.

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Posted by trainboyH16-44 on Monday, May 4, 2009 8:35 AM

 cl;dr

TURN OFF CRUISE CONTROL

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Posted by waynej on Tuesday, May 5, 2009 8:48 AM

There's is one next to the engine sitting in Kenosha that rides back and forth.So I think they are tring to bring them back to cover the budget crunch and increased ridership.On The Bilevel a few months ago.  

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Posted by wilmette2210 on Thursday, May 7, 2009 12:09 PM

Yes I have read about this in the Tribune, Metra is bringing the old cars out of retirement to ease the capicity crunch until they can get funds to buy new equipment. 

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