Passenger Trains > New Motivepower Order for 12 MPXpress Commuter Locos

WILMERDING, PA, June 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wabtec Corporation (NYSE: WAB - News) said its MotivePower subsidiary has received orders worth $33 million for 12 MPXpress® commuter locomotives from transit agencies in California, Minnesota and New Mexico. The locomotives, to be manufactured in Boise, Idaho, are expected to be delivered in 2008-09.
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"We've now delivered or received orders for 100 MPXpress® locomotives from eight different transit agencies throughout North America since 2003, making it the proven and preferred choice for commuter rail agencies," said Albert J. Neupaver, Wabtec's president and chief executive officer. "We're pleased to be at the forefront of the growth and improvement of public transit."

In the most recent orders, the Southern California Regional Rail Authority and the Metropolitan Council of Minnesota exercised options to purchase an additional four units each, as part of a multi-agency procurement. The Mid- Region Council of Governments in New Mexico, which already has five units in service, exercised its option for another four locomotives.

The MPXpress® locomotives offer significant technological improvements, including higher-horsepower engines to move more passengers within the same schedule, improved fuel efficiency, advanced emissions reduction technology and microprocessor controls. They will also meet the latest crashworthiness and safety standards recommended by the American Public Transportation Association. The locomotives will contain a number of components produced by other Wabtec subsidiaries, including the microprocessor control system, braking equipment, brake shoes and radiators.

Wabtec Corporation (www.wabtec.com) is a global provider of value-added, technology-based products and services for the rail and transit industry. Through its subsidiaries, the company manufactures a range of products for locomotives, freight cars and passenger transit vehicles. The company also builds new switcher and commuter locomotives, and provides aftermarket services. The company has facilities located throughout the world.

"Preferred choice" or only choise ?
Bring 'em on.


TCS - ye ha

Well, there ARE those Alstom things on NJ Transit, and ConnDOT has a few Geneses (Genesises? P32DM's?). Come to think of it, a few Genesees would taste good right about now.

wlankenau Wrote:
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> Well, there ARE those Alstom things on NJ Transit,
> and ConnDOT has a few Geneses (Genesises?
> P32DM's?). Come to think of it, a few Genesees
> would taste good right about now.

Or a couple of Budds?

If EMD had a big enough order I'm sure they would put together a passenger version of their current fleet... Problem is there isn't enough interest.

As for GE they are developing a passenger locomotive based upon the GEVO design, but they're taking their sweet time as nobody has yet expressed interest. Most likely when they're ready they will roll out a hybrid model for agencies such as Amtrak or VIA to test.

MPI is the only company right now mass-producing passenger locomotives... and then it's just the MPX. It's making for a very very boring trainwatching scenery though, but you know what they say... in fifty years you'll be looking at a Railrunner MPX in a museum going "I remember those things, they were beautiful machines, wish they still ran 'em"

I don't think Alstom is set up to mass-produce the PL42ACs, though I thought MPI had nixed the F40s until they rolled out the ACEX 3106 last year.



**Just reading back through the article... what is going on with the Metropolitan Council of Minnesota? I can't find anything on their website about commuter rail, or even commuter rail planning... just light rail. Any idea of what they have going on?

Jaanfo Wrote:
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> **Just reading back through the article... what
> is going on with the Metropolitan Council of
> Minnesota? I can't find anything on their website
> about commuter rail, or even commuter rail
> planning... just light rail. Any idea of what
> they have going on?


http://www.northstartrain.org/

They got the notice to proceed from the Mid-Region Council of Governments in Albuquerque for the NMDOT locomotives last March. They've already been paid for the first milestone.

Tim Harris

Jaanfo Wrote:
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> As for GE they are developing a passenger
> locomotive based upon the GEVO design, but they're
> taking their sweet time as nobody has yet
> expressed interest. Most likely when they're
> ready they will roll out a hybrid model for
> agencies such as Amtrak or VIA to test.

GE will not develop it further without an order from a transit or passenger agency.

Are these anything like the MP36 that Caltrain and METRA have ?

As for EMD, given the disgrace of the F59 and those LIRR DM/DE Super Steel things that have EMD builder plates, I don't see EMD ever again trying to build a passenger loco.

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> Are these anything like the MP36 that Caltrain and
> METRA have ?

These *are* the same thing as the MP36 that Caltrain, Metra, and Railrunner have... MPXpress is just the "Press" name.

I like the way the MP36 locomotives look, but they seem like they're huge for a 4 axle diesel. What's their top speed? I know none of them exceed 79 mph currently, but could they be good for 110 mph? Are they rough on the track?

They're the worst riding engine I've ever had the misfortune to run or ride in.

In my personal experiences, if the MP36 engines are not running at either full power or in heavy dynamic brake, they have terrible terrible lateral anywhere from 20-80mph. Not being the right kind of engineer to say for sure, I can only guess that it's because the engines are so long and heavy on top of 4 axles. At high speeds the vibration can be quite violent.

A couple of weeks ago some officials from Utah were out at Caltrain riding in the MP36 engines, since they have apparently purchased some. The engineer of one of the trains they rode on said the engine did the typical lateral/vibration business at high speed and the officials didn't seem to think it was anything to write home about. For me, holding on for dear life shouldn't be "all in a day's work" but then again... maybe there's just not enough excitement in my life otherwise.

hsr_fan Wrote:
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> I like the way the MP36 locomotives look, but they
> seem like they're huge for a 4 axle diesel.
> What's their top speed? I know none of them
> exceed 79 mph currently, but could they be good
> for 110 mph? Are they rough on the track?

tmamtrak Wrote:
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> They're the worst riding engine I've ever had the
> misfortune to run or ride in.
>
> In my personal experiences, if the MP36 engines
> are not running at either full power or in heavy
> dynamic brake, they have terrible terrible lateral
> anywhere from 20-80mph. Not being the right kind
> of engineer to say for sure, I can only guess that
> it's because the engines are so long and heavy on
> top of 4 axles. At high speeds the vibration can
> be quite violent.

That's a shame. I kinda like the big things. They look a lot better than an F59 or a Genesis.

I visited MotivePower last year and they seem quite proud of the MP36s. Hopefully they can find a solution to that vibration.

Z

I think the new designation is MP40PH-3S or -3C as they are using the 4000 HP EMD 710. But, perhaps those who have already purchased the 3600 HP EMD 645 variant can still order the same, for parts commonality?

I would like, too, to see a "purely labeled" EMD passenger unit, however, the only two in production right now, the Wabtech/MPI MP36/40PHs, and, the PL42ACs, all have EMD prime movers, trucks, fuel tanks, and traction motors. So, it appears that EMD is still indeed in the passenger business, but, is using a different business model: supplying primary components, but allowing subcontractors to assemble the units into different configurations.

Just a random question. MP36s have 16-645Es, MP40s have 16-710s, but I heard somewhere that they were going to possibly make an MP-50?!? If so, what engine would they put in it?

-D