Passenger Trains > So What's Up WIth Metrolink #888?

They took delivery of it several weeks ago. Surely someone is out there looking for it. Has it entered service yet? Presumably on the San Berdoo line?

Someone said that it couldn't or wouldn't run on the OC lines until something (I think was) called an ATS shoe was installed. Has that been done?

If that engine isn't in service yet, when will it be? And what will become of #800? Will it be retired or will one of the other oldies be retired? Or will we be surprised and see it at Fullerton this weekend?

And when will #889 be delivered?

Someone sent me a pic of it at Fullerton last Friday, not sure which train it was, on the OC or the 91.

And I saw it last Thursday sitting in the Metrolink yard mixed in with all of the other units. I'm not a big fan of the appearance of those locomotives. Kinda strange looking, but that's just my own opinion.

It was trailing unit on M608(?) on Friday, but it was completely shut off. I'm wondering if it had broken down (the train was 15 minutes late, maybe they had trouble with the unit and shut it off before departure causing the delay and quietness) or if perhaps it was there to be tested for integrity (truck tracking maybe) at high speed...

Metrolink will probably be testing it for several weeks, having a dead test is not unlikely if they're not testing the prime mover, so the prime mover can't interfere with the other results of whatever's being tested.

It was sitting at the yard today, with one coach hooked up to it, on the tracks right outside the shops.

I was told by a friend who works for Metrolink that it was being tested before put into service.

Des-Lab

Nothing is set to be retired, these locos are initially going to permit the F59 fleet to be overhauled, then as the F59s come back online there will be additional service added (notably the Orange County Shuttle service). From Metrolink's PR it sounds like the locos should be delievered at an average rate of about one per month, and it's likely each will get a couple weeks of testing and breaking in before "coming online"

The locos SCAX 888-902 have been added to the SCRRA/SDNR Track bulletins and will probably be added to the Timetable in a few weeks.

Des-Lab Wrote:
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>
>
> If that engine isn't in service yet, when will it
> be? And what will become of #800? Will it be
> retired or will one of the other oldies be
> retired? Or will we be surprised and see it at
> Fullerton this weekend?
>
> And when will #889 be delivered?


800 was on the valley today and on 4-25, SCAX 888-902 was added in Joint Special Instructions--Max speed lite or multiple 50mph, with cars 90mph

Ok. A couple more questions on Metrolink ops.

First, do any units have assigned or dedicated routes? For example, on train #804, which runs north/eastbound to Riverside weekdays and stops at Anaslime Canyon every day at 1635 (4:35PM), the engine one day will be #880. The next #877, the next #855, and so on. On the other hand, on the weekends, it appears that the same sets are assigned to each of the weekend runs. If, for instance, loco #867 is used on the 0830 west/southbound train #857 on Saturday, 9 times out of 10, that same unit will be used on Sundays #857. But from week to week, it varies. Indeed one Saturday, #800 was used on that run! I was very grateful to get some pix of it.

Is there any rhyme or reason to any of this? How are the trains assigned to each run? So to that end, with #800 being used as a stand-in spare engine, how is it decided what route(s) it's used on? Is there a reason that when in service, it almost always seems to be seen on the Burbank line?

And likewise, what is the criteria for determining which 'end' the loco is on and whether or not the train pushes or pulls a given leg of a journey? For example, all pictures and trains I've seen on the San Bernardino line have the engines cab facing east (the train pushes into [westbound] LA from San Berdoo and pulls the other way). On the OC line, the engine almost always faces south (pulls to Oceanside and pushes to LA), whereas on the IEOC line (uses the Olive Sub), both configurations are used.

Des-Lab Wrote:
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> Ok. A couple more questions on Metrolink ops.

From the locomotives I see on a daily basis on the San Bernardino Line, I believe Metrolink rotates "spare" locomotives onto each set of equipment to allow routine maintenance. Once a unit is removed and gets maintenance it will go on the assignment of the next locomotive in line to be maintained instead of back to its original assignment. This makes it easier and simpler to move locomotives around.

As far as push-pull, it was originally pull out of Los Angeles and push into Los Angeles. The Inland Empire-Orange County Line makes this somewhat more complicated because it is both heading into and out Los Angeles on different parts of its route.

Had some electrical problems during testing. Once repaired they will test again.

From my first experience with push-pull in Chicago (visit in 1971) and observations in other cities, the general rule is to have the control cab leading coming into the terminal. This is especially true where the passenger access to the platforms is from the end. (e.g. Caltrain's San Francisco terminal). LA is different in that passengers get to the platforms in the middle. The idea is to avoid having passengers walking past the noisy, smelly locomotive. As I recall, when Metrolink started the Orange County service, the "ceremonial" first train ran with the loco leading toward LA because it made for better "photo ops".