I heard that metra might get rid of the godawful MP36s (FINALLY). Then Metra said it isn’t true. waddya think, everybody.
…and what are the problems with the MP36 engines?
Jim
There have apparently been some computer problems with them, but when I went looking, I also found comments indicating that some folks don’t like the looks of them…
First off, just about any new technology experiences some “teething pains” and the MP36 units are no different. Secondly, Metra has spent “mucho” bucks on these units and I have not heard anything here on the BNSF line to indicate any really serious problems with them. Finally, I’m not sure about good looks, but they are kind of brawny looking and IMHO they sure sound good coming through Eola in dynamic breaking. I think they’ll be around for quite some time…besides, what the heck are they going to replace them with as both EMD and GE currently don’t offer passenger power of any kind in their catalogs?
I’m an occasional Metra user and have never been stranded by a dead MP36 or, for that matter, F40PH. When I’ve seen Metra locos on sidings far from termini or servicing facilities, indicating they might be bad-ordered, they have been F40PHs (not to infer that the F40 is unreliable, given its age).
Considering that Metra has not been the only purchaser of MP36/40’s, I would think that the bugs have been pretty well worked out of them and that other transit agencies have flund them to be quite reliable. On Metra, they handle most of the service on the former MILW lines and I haven’t seen or heard anything about excessive equipment failures on those lines.
Methinks that the writer of the original post misses his E8/9’s.
Or maybe F40C’s…
Well wjem the first test at MK shops and id catchas fire and burns. The F40PHs and F40Cs are better.
I’ve been stranded by a dead F40PH-2 several times, but then again, I was the engineer. Metra’s fleet has been going through rebuilds by Precision Locomotive; ours have yet to be sent off. I found it interesting that Metra got the MP36’s and promptly sold off all but two of the F40C’s. Those two (611 and 614) sat dormant for a long time at their shop off Western Avenue (adjacent to our California Avenue coach yard), but they’ve been in every day service of late. I heard that they tried to buy back the F40C’s, but that they’d been parted out and scrapped. My point is that the unrebuilt F40’s are becoming more unreliable and are in need of a rebuild. But all in all, they are excellent locomotives. I have no experience with the MP36 as they are too heavy for our North Line until the bridges get rebuilt. I guess way back when they first got them, they tested one out on the Northwest Line up to Harvard, but I can’t confirm that. And right now they are one of the top candidates for new passenger locomotives.
I thought they were being rebuilt by Progress. I see a Progress info sheet about the rebuilds on all the rebuilt engines.
My bad. You’re right, it is Progress, not Precision. Just goes to prove I can’t trust my memory anymore. [:^)]