Some of you that were around in the late 1960s and early 1970s might remember these 100 mph Budd electric MU trains that ran between DC and New York. (Some had extended runs to New Haven).
The Metroliners were started by Pennsy, but really took off during the Penn Central reign. Inspite of flaws, they were popular with NEC travelers.
Each of these MU cars had 3 lights on the engineer’s end. However I’ve seen several photos where the middle light is off. Was the middle one a Gyra light?
Also, does anyone remember what type of horn chime was used?
(I was around then, but a kid at the time—I wish I had payed more attention!)
I have 4 Bachmann HO units that I’ve stripped and am completely repainting, repowering and detailing like the prototypes.
Antonio;
I can’t answer your question about what type of horn the Metroliners used except to say they were good and loud.
My boss and i were going to New York to present a paper at a technical meeting, and i conned him into taking the Metroliner. ( He always flew to New York on the Eastern air shuttle). We were talking about some pesonnel changes in our office as we left Washington and there were several grade crossings between Washington and Baltimore. It seems every time I said something the horn blew, and i had to repeat myself. Finally I gave up in disgust, and i told him we should wait until we approached Baltimore where we wouldn’t have any more grade crossings.
The Budd Metroliners rode rough, and that may have partially been due to the condition of the track. It was impossible to write anything while traveling on those Budd Mu’sI am not sure what the Metroliners’ top speed was, but I clocked one running at ~ 115 mph on one of my trips to New York by using my chronometer, counting 10 catenary poles, and noting how many seconds it took to pass the catenary poles. (There are 20 catenary poles to a mile on the Northeast Corridor)
Antonio;
I can’t answer your question about what type of horn the Metroliners used except to say they were good and loud.
My boss and i were going to New York to present a paper at a technical meeting, and i conned him into taking the Metroliner. ( He always flew to New York on the Eastern air shuttle). We were talking about some pesonnel changes in our office as we left Washington and there were several grade crossings between Washington and Baltimore. It seems every time I said something the horn blew, and i had to repeat myself. Finally I gave up in disgust, and i told him we should wait until we approached Baltimore where we wouldn’t have any more grade crossings.
The Budd Metroliners rode rough, and that may have partially been due to the condition of the track. It was impossible to write anything while traveling on those Budd Mu’sI am not sure what the Metroliners’ top speed was, but I clocked one running at ~ 115 mph on one of my trips to New York by using my chronometer, counting 10 catenary poles, and noting how many seconds it took to pass the catenary poles. (There are 20 catenary poles to a mile on the Northeast Corridor)
I once saw 136 mph on the digital spedometer on an MU Metroliner, southbound between Wilmington and Baltimore, and once saw 110 mph running westbound on the eastbound express track between Port Chester and Rye on a Turboliner.
The Metroliners had a 2-note relatively high pitched horn set made by Leslie, sort of an English hunting-horn sound. The lower bell had a tendency to overblow at an even higher pitch. They were tuned a 5th apart, Fsharp and Csharp above middle C. But they were unique and certainly got your attention!
I remember both the horn and their speed when I first drifted out of the PA hills to see what 100 mph looked like in 1970. I was along the ROW on a curve near Odenton. I heard the horn (one short), started to bring my movie camera up to eye level, and it was past before I could press the start button. Impressive beginning.
On another trip, I was at the station in Aberdeen when a southbound came through with the horn stuck! Talk about doppler effect and echoes Was lucky that time, got both movie and sound!
Even in the recent past, it was rather difficult to get info on these high speed electric trains from railfans because so much emphasis was placed on the: GG1s, E60s, MP54s, and New Haven electrics. The “Metros” were the closest vehicles we had to bullet trains in the 1970s, yet while Penn Central and later Amtrak received acclaims for the service, railfans “seemed” to ignore them.
Felton, that is super!
Have you transferred your film on to video or dvd? I’d love to see a clip with these and other NEC trains running back then. Can you post it online?
I had my movies (all 58 minutes’ worth) tranferred to VHS years ago, but have not had them transferred to DVD (yet). My RR tapes have been tranferred to CD. Still have the original media in both cases. If I could figure out how to convert the sound clip to MP3 or WAV, I could post it on line. BTW, the stuck horn movie and tape were made 5/29/72. It was a busy day in Maryland. RDG 2102 was running from Washington north on the B&O, got a GG1 and four Metroliners at Aberdeen.
I changed the above post to reflect actual info I finally managed to dig out of the file cabinet. Source was Extra 2200 South, Nov/Dec 1974.
For those interested in diesel horns generally, see Extra 2200 South, Sept/Oct 1974 and Nov/Dec 1974. These two articles have descriptions of all horns from the major manufacturers complete with the design chords and variations heard trackside. The ultimate in trivia and TMI, but pretty accurate based on recordings I’ve heard.
The similar looking vehicles, same body design with a roof hump like the rebuit Metroliners, were the Budd SPV’s, the diesel-mechanical “Self Propelled Vehicles” that were Budd’s attempt to improve on the RDC. They turned out to be Lemons of the worst sort and did not give reliable service. Metro Morth tried them for Brewster - Goldens Bridge and Bridgeport - Waterbury and Norwalk - Danbury service. They were returned to Budd, and most became Amtrak or commuter railroad cabcars. Amtrak had some for the New Haven - Hartford service and these mostly became regular coaches.
Amtrak Budd mu Metroliners did make it to Metro North when service was extended west in the morning and back in the evening from New Haven, one train a day. But this was an Amtrak operation, New Haven - Washington - New Haven. They were later used in Keystone service, then became cab cars or regular coaches.
At least six of the Metroliners were converted to straight coaches (44551-44556) and at least 12 were converted to cab coaches for push-pull duty. One was converted to 9800, the conference car.
See this link for more details: http://www.on-track-on-line.com/amtkrinf-metrocon.shtml
I read a couple of years back that a group was trying to save and preserve the last “original” Metroliner that still has the pantograph on the roof and the unpainted stainless steel body.
Anyone know if it was saved?
Also, someone posted a while back that Amtrak didn’t own the MUs, but they were owned by some financial group or bank. Most curious.
Antonio, are your Bachman models the early ones without the floor bracing or the later models with a midfloor brace? Also what are you using to repower them, I’ve been thinking myself about rebuilding a bachman E60 for mine service on my line.
"I read a couple of years back that a group was trying to save and preserve the last “original” Metroliner that still has the pantograph on the roof and the unpainted stainless steel body. Anyone know if it was saved? "
Metroliner 860, a coach/cafe car, was preserved by the RR Museum of Pa. a few years ago; the rest of the unrebuilt ones, as far as I know, met the scrapper or have been cannibalized. Even 860 is in heavy need of restoration. I was part of the crew that went to Wilmington and did salvage work on the scrap lines for seat frames, seat cushions, upholstery, coffee makers, light fixtures, pantograph shoes, pantograph parts–and yes, horns (the 860 had rebuilt Leslie S2’s; I salvaged originals).
I really like the pic of the Metroliners.If I can only figure out how to save or download.
Comment about the Budd SPV’s, I remember reading someone referring to them as “seldom powered vehicles”.
Rgds IGN