Nostalgia & History > SPV's Ride Again

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (later MNCR) spent 12 million for 10 SPV-2000's.

They were to be operated on the Hudson line, which was ex-New York Central territory.

SPV had two meanings. Budd said it was "Special Purpose Vehicle", while most others called them 'Self Propelled Vehicles." 

Eventually, they were called "Seldom Powered Vehicles" when they became full of problems. Soon, they were pulled from service and their short career's were over.

Anyway, here's a few running off revenue miles.

On a crisp Fall day, a pair of Budd SPV's are just about to make the station stop at Crugers, New York.

November, 1984.

 

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A pair of SPV's rush South.

Cold Spring, New York.
October, 1987.

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Another pair of Budd SPV's pop out of the short tunnel along the Water Level Route at Oscawanna, New York.

They're heading Southbound as is that Metro-North van (right).

December, 1984.

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An off hour single SPV heads thru the triple track rock cut just South of the Crugers, New York station.

The Crugers station was taken out of service in 1996 due to various reasons such as: no expansion room, not enough parking and protected wetlands.

May, 1984.

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First-rate SPV photos. I can't recall seeing so many SPV action photos before.
Bob

I have always wondered as to what was the major issue with these.  It is not like they were in any way revolutionary.

Does anyone know why they were failures?

Great photo s by the way.

Probably a stupid question.  Are the engines in that hump on the top?

Thanks.

Randy Lundgren
Elgin, TX

I see in image 2, somebody modified the R in railroad to an F, Failroad.
Doug

The two engines are mounted under the units, the roof blister was for other items (cooling, exhaust, etc).
MNCR had the second largest fleet with 10 units, CDOT had the largest with 13, and they wore Amtrak stripes.
The SPiV was a mechanical nightmare.  A search of the board will yield some results from previous postings.

Thanks for posting!  I love seeing them in service, especially under their own power.

texchief1 Wrote:
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> Probably a stupid question.  Are the engines in
> that hump on the top?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Randy Lundgren
> Elgin, TX



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/19 07:17 by tmurray.

Of the 13 Connecticut owned SPVs, 12 were originally intended for use by Amtrak on the New Haven-Springfield line while the 13th was for use on what is now Metro-North's Danbury branch. The Danbury car, No. 50, was not lettered for Amtrak even though it wore Amtrak striping.

For a year or so in 1980-81, an SPV provided through coach service from Springfield to New York and Philadelphia by being added to Boston trains in New Haven.

the RDC concept seems too much for one 85' unit

then they are subject to loco inspection intervals , which maybe a drawback

new ones have crash standards to meet

are tri rails DMU's in service now?  alaska's, or are they coaches now.

which  agencies x-spv's were on the fall colors trains?  con dot?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/19 13:14 by dan.

Those 10 SPV's were cut up a few years ago. The MN runs they were used on are now 7 car loco-hauled consists, mostly hourly, to GCT.

Nice shots of a rarely running subject!

Not too many ever made it to California, but here is FRA DOT T-10 under its own power in Apr 1996 in Cajon Pass,
and the same car? now owned by Caltrain not under its own power as part of a PTC test train at the Central maintenance & Operations Facility (CMOF) or Fort Caltrain in San Jose in Aug 1996.

Jim B



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/19 19:59 by jimB.

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Last that I knew, one of the 10 MTA/Metro-North SPVs is at Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum.

dan Wrote:
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> 
> which  agencies x-spv's were on the fall colors
> trains?  con dot?

None were on the Autumn Colors Express. Supposed to be but didn't show. Not sure what happened.

DOTX #10 was stopped behind an e/b CSXT train, Lander Road (about half way between Brunswick and Point of Rocks), Maryland, 11/20/00.  I was using my first digital camera, a Sony Mavica, at the time.  A crewman climbed off the car and told me he had the same camera.  We spent some time talking about it.  Gerry

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41bridge Wrote:
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> dan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 
> > which  agencies x-spv's were on the fall
> colors
> > trains?  con dot?
>
> None were on the Autumn Colors Express. Supposed
> to be but didn't show. Not sure what happened.

Not sure who owns them, but six were to be used but were not.  Cars on that train needed to be Amtrak certified and understand they failed the inspection.

Image two is interesting, possibly a description under the engineers side widshield?