Former Metra Bi-Levels in St. Louis, and other sightings

[bnsfkline]

I was in Kirkwood again today, and saw something REALLY strange to me

Headed Eastbound towards downtown on Union Pacific Train MNPAS was 6 JCRX Cars. These are former Metra CNW Line cars. They were painted in that funky Grey-Orange-Brown scheme.

Does anybody know were these cars are headed, and if there are anymore that are going to go through St. Louis anytime soon? This was the first time I ever say any passenger equipment on a frieght train.

In other sightings The first train I saw was Train MDEAS, Denver-Alton and Southern Manifest. Power was UP 5456, EMDS 2619, UP 9208, and UP 2318. the 2318 had the word "Helper" on the cab. What does this mean?

Also saw my first solid set of Canadian National Power on UP Train MKCAS. Kansas City to Alton and Southern.

Till next time!

[coborn35]

Well, you said other sightings sooo...I have had the privelage to maitnence two bi-levels as the place where I work has two recently purchased from WSOR which had been aquired from METRA.

[Anonymous]

METRA must be doing something right if they can remainder off their 40- and 50-year-old commuter cars instead of having to junk them.

[jeaton]

When did the C&NW have a grey, orange, brown scheme? That really sound like the METRA color scheme for the electric cars operating on the former Illinois Central's electric suburban service. If they are going some where, the pantographs would have been removed. What did the cars look like otherwise? Slightly lower roof line for 8-10 feet at the end of each car??

Jay

[Anonymous]

Orange, brown and lots of white was (and as far as I know still is) Metra's color scheme today, and it was found on steelsided cars previously owned by C&NW.

When still under C&NW, and for the first couple of years Metra was around as a subsidizing agency but not an operating authority, the bilevel cars on C&NW's three Chicago commuter lines were classic yellow and green.

[eolafan]

The orange/brown/white scheme spoken of above was used on the Metra U.P. (then C&NW) line for a few years but the locomotives never had that scheme, and YES, it is the same basic scheme as used on the IC Electric line on the South Side of Chicago. This scheme is no longer in use and all of the diesel lines use cars in Stainless Steel (you will occassionally see a single car or two on the U.P. lines but mainly stainless) and all of the diesels are blue, orange and black OR the new scheme (same colors in a different combination) on the new MP units.

[jeaton]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

The orange/brown/white scheme spoken of above was used on the Metra U.P. (then C&NW) line for a few years but the locomotives never had that scheme, and YES, it is the same basic scheme as used on the IC Electric line on the South Side of Chicago. This scheme is no longer in use and all of the diesel lines use cars in Stainless Steel (you will occassionally see a single car or two on the U.P. lines but mainly stainless) and all of the diesels are blue, orange and black OR the new scheme (same colors in a different combination) on the new MP units.

Can't remember seeing them in that color, but then my memory banks may have gotten overloaded and just canned that record.

Jay

[techguy57]

Yeah, sounds like either they are parcelling out some of the old METRA cars or are sending them somewhere for overhaul.

Jim (eolafan) is dead on in his description as the old units are/were to be replaced by 2006 with the stainless steel units.

By the way, got to ride in one of the newer "new" units just after Christmas and was very impressed. Seemed bigger, and more roomy and had both a scrolling display with information on stops as well as a new audio systems which can actually be easily understood. The new voice is different but still very pleasant.

Mike
Mike

[wgnrr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by coborn35

Well, you said other sightings sooo...I have had the privelage to maitnence two bi-levels as the place where I work has two recently purchased from WSOR which had been aquired from METRA.

Speaking of the WSOR....down here in Horicon, Wisconsin, there are about 9 ex Metra/BNSF corrugated sided bi-level cars. Any one know what they are being used for? Is there a future for commuter rail in Madison? I know that the WSOR painted three ex CNW(I think) Bi-level cars in their own paint sceme, but they can't paint them in their paint because they are made of stainless steel. Any Ideas?

Phil

[Anonymous]

eolafan is right. All the operating RRs under Metra use stainless streamlined, or close to it, except for the UP, which as you recall acquired C&NW, and the (formerly IC) Metra Electric. I live near the north UP line (to Waukegan and Kenosha) and the typical commuter train is about 80 percent streamlined with a few heavysides. Considering that the oldest go back to the 1950s, the C&NW and UP seem to have gotten quite a bit of use out of 'em! I should have explained myself better the first go-around. [:(]

[eolafan]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wgnrr

QUOTE: Originally posted by coborn35

Well, you said other sightings sooo...I have had the privelage to maitnence two bi-levels as the place where I work has two recently purchased from WSOR which had been aquired from METRA.

Speaking of the WSOR....down here in Horicon, Wisconsin, there are about 9 ex Metra/BNSF corrugated sided bi-level cars. Any one know what they are being used for? Is there a future for commuter rail in Madison? I know that the WSOR painted three ex CNW(I think) Bi-level cars in their own paint sceme, but they can't paint them in their paint because they are made of stainless steel. Any Ideas?

Phil

I seem to recall reading a newspaper article about possible Madison area commuter service a while back but also seem to recall the article speaking about "light rail" but perhaps I am incorrect.

[techguy57]

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

QUOTE: Originally posted by wgnrr

QUOTE: Originally posted by coborn35

Well, you said other sightings sooo...I have had the privelage to maitnence two bi-levels as the place where I work has two recently purchased from WSOR which had been aquired from METRA.

Speaking of the WSOR....down here in Horicon, Wisconsin, there are about 9 ex Metra/BNSF corrugated sided bi-level cars. Any one know what they are being used for? Is there a future for commuter rail in Madison? I know that the WSOR painted three ex CNW(I think) Bi-level cars in their own paint sceme, but they can't paint them in their paint because they are made of stainless steel. Any Ideas?

Phil

I seem to recall reading a newspaper article about possible Madison area commuter service a while back but also seem to recall the article speaking about "light rail" but perhaps I am incorrect.

Don't they also run some for Uof W homecoming and the bigger sporting events? Maybe there planning more?

Mike

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

The orange/brown/white scheme spoken of above ...

Can't remember seeing them in that color, but then my memory banks may have gotten overloaded and just canned that record.

Jay

Pictures 3-5 on North Milwaukee 2 show a couple similar cars in sad shape last April. These were probably cannibalized for parts to get the WSOR's pretty new bilevels in shape. The WSOR bilevels are the same type of car.

[wgnrr]

QUOTE: Originally posted by fuzzybroken

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeaton

QUOTE: Originally posted by eolafan

The orange/brown/white scheme spoken of above ...

Can't remember seeing them in that color, but then my memory banks may have gotten overloaded and just canned that record.

Jay

Pictures 3-5 on North Milwaukee 2 show a couple similar cars in sad shape last April. These were probably cannibalized for parts to get the WSOR's pretty new bilevels in shape. The WSOR bilevels are the same type of car.

Trying to gett everything togeather, this is all I can think of.

WSOR probably originally bought 4 ex Metra-RTA Bilevel cars, 2 cab cars, and 2 coaches. The WSOR used 1 cab car and the 2 coaches for their UW trains in and around Madison/Middleton. There was always 1 cab car sitting in the yard at north Horicon, which I'm speculating was the second cab car. WSOR recently painted the 3 cars in their paint sceme for the WSOR's 25th anniversary. The second cab car, as far as I know, is still there. Then the WSOR just bought these new cars that are sitting there now. I don't know what exactly they are doing with these, but we might know in the near future. With the gutted cars in Milwaukee in early 2005, they might have just been stored there for the railcar company in Milwaukee that assembles all of the newer bi-levels for Metra (Avalon Railcar???), or the WSOR gutted them to rebuild their own bi-levels.

I'm not shure if any of this is what actually is true, but this is all I can get out of it. Maybe Noah H. or anyone else that likes the WSOR can get me straight.

Phil

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wgnrr

QUOTE: Originally posted by coborn35

Well, you said other sightings sooo...I have had the privelage to maitnence two bi-levels as the place where I work has two recently purchased from WSOR which had been aquired from METRA.

Speaking of the WSOR....down here in Horicon, Wisconsin, there are about 9 ex Metra/BNSF corrugated sided bi-level cars. Any one know what they are being used for? Is there a future for commuter rail in Madison? I know that the WSOR painted three ex CNW(I think) Bi-level cars in their own paint sceme, but they can't paint them in their paint because they are made of stainless steel. Any Ideas?

Phil

We bought 2 of them from the WSOR. One was in the brown orange scheme. WSOR has put new reporting marks on them and is selling them for basically free.

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wgnrr

With the gutted cars in Milwaukee in early 2005, they might have just been stored there for the railcar company in Milwaukee that assembles all of the newer bi-levels for Metra (Avalon Railcar???), or the WSOR gutted them to rebuild their own bi-levels.

The company that is assembling the new bilevels is Super Steel -- see pictures 5 and 6 on Metra in Milwaukee All their parts are new. WSOR gutted the other cars to get their "new" cars operational in time for the 25th anniversary. I'd speculate that the cars may have originally been purchased as fodder for Northern Railcar, now defunct, but once a sister company to WSOR.

[coborn35]

WSOR will nopt be using them. Their passenger operations are over. They just sold their E and F units. I know the owner of the E units.[8D]

[fuzzybroken]

So that's why they've been sitting in Janesville? Who bought 'em?

[DrummingTrainfan]

Once I saw a MP36 on an UP frieght train, just as though it was a boxcar. As for the orange/brown cars I'm suprised that paint still exists, most cars that aren't ribbed would've probably been painted in the newer blue stripe scheme, but I guess some escaped.

[coborn35]

The E units were bought by John Larkin.

[wgnrr]

Thanks, guys for the information. I know that John Larkin bought the ex-WSOR 71A, the F7, but he just bought the E-Units? This kind of stuff just slips past me, and everybody else knows it but me. Well, I guess you learn something new every day.
Phil