Passenger Trains > Chicago Milwaukee Metra

I am in Chicago this weekend for my nephews wedding. Took a ride from Schaumberg to Chicago Union Station. A few miles out of CUS there is a Metra yard and noticed three F59's stored in the yard . The 469 and two other 400s. Was curious are these units going to Metra or are these units headed some where else ?

Posted from Android

Metra's newly acquired F59PH's and F59PHI's are in the 73-99 numbering range, but I see now that they were numbered as you describe, and I found a video of 469 running on a test train. Maybe those are waiting to go through the paint booth or for some other work? There also have been 3 F40C's sitting at those shops for years.

Having said that, I just checked a Metra group on facebook and there is a video someone posted today going by the shops. If you saw what they saw, it is a much different scene than usual. A F40C-F40H-F40C combo is couple to a bunch of newly repainted or acquired ancient gallery cars. I can't recall the F40C's being that visible for a long time. Then there is a string with a F59PH (91 I think) and several F59PHI's. The numbers are hard to see on the Metra painted ones, but I can read 458, 456, 464, and 451 on the Amtrak painted ones. Maybe some of that is just weekend layover? I'm pretty sure I've seen 91 in service, possibly on the North Central Service trains, which don't run on weekends. Actually I think I saw it on my bus ride yesterday shoving towards Western Ave. from CUS, it stuck out because NCS trains are the only ones with the engines on the south end. Also, I found images of 452 and 457 in the Metra Electric shops.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/18/19 21:26 by inCHI.

I saw 458 on the Southwest Chief at Dalies, NM on March 2. It was the third unit. At the time, I had heard that it was destined for Metra. The unit in front of 458 is Amtrak heritage 184.

Kim Heusel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/19/19 03:37 by KimHeusel.

---

Thank you both... To me it was interesting to see most of the 450 and 460s daily running up and down the West coast corridors .. LAX to San Diego and to San Luis Obispo and return. I never ran a F59. I ran the the 500s and the F40 when the SP crews still ran Amtrak .before the inception of Amtrak hiring their own crews.

Posted from Android

Metra has ONLY two F40C's #611 and #614. NRE Dixmoor,IL had one other (609?) laying round for years. IIRC, all others were scrapped.


inCHI Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Metra's newly acquired F59PH's and F59PHI's are in
> the 73-99 numbering range, but I see now that they
> were numbered as you describe, and I found a video
> of 469 running on a test train. Maybe those are
> waiting to go through the paint booth or for some
> other work? There also have been 3 F40C's sitting
> at those shops for years.
>
> Having said that, I just checked a Metra group on
> facebook and there is a video someone posted today
> going by the shops. If you saw what they saw, it
> is a much different scene than usual. A
> F40C-F40H-F40C combo is couple to a bunch of newly
> repainted or acquired ancient gallery cars. I
> can't recall the F40C's being that visible for a
> long time. Then there is a string with a F59PH (91
> I think) and several F59PHI's. The numbers are
> hard to see on the Metra painted ones, but I can
> read 458, 456, 464, and 451 on the Amtrak painted
> ones. Maybe some of that is just weekend layover?
> I'm pretty sure I've seen 91 in service, possibly
> on the North Central Service trains, which don't
> run on weekends. Actually I think I saw it on my
> bus ride yesterday shoving towards Western Ave.
> from CUS, it stuck out because NCS trains are the
> only ones with the engines on the south end. Also,
> I found images of 452 and 457 in the Metra
> Electric shops.

Here's what I currently have as far as active Metra F59PHI's:
Metra 73 (ex-Amtrak Surfliner 450) 
Metra 84 (ex-Amtrak Surfliner 461)
Metra 85 (ex-Amtrak Surfliner 462) 
Metra 88 (ex-Amtrak Cascades 463)
Metra 91 (ex-Amtral Cascades 468)
Metra 93 (ex-Amtrak Cascades 470)

The above are what I have personally seen in service and all are in Metra's version of the Surfliner paint scheme. I saw Metra 85 under the Roosevelt Road bridge last week and not sure if it is in revenue service yet.

As far as the F59PH fleet, numbers 97 thru 99 are in regular service. There is a gap between the last F59PHI (93) and the F59PH's. My understanding is that Metra's board approved the purchase of 3 used F59PH's about a year ago but I have seen or heard nothing since.

Any trains west of CUS with power on the east end of the train are trains to and from the Heritage Corridor service to Joliet via the CN. SouthWest Service trains are serviced at the BNSF 14th Street Yard south of Union Station.