Passenger Trains > San Diego Coaster’s F59PHIs

Does anyone know if the Coaster F59 locos run on a particular train or is it just random? In the last two years, I have probably seen around 50 Coaster Consists and only 3-4 have had an F59, so I have been trying to see them as much as I can.


Thanks
Austin

Posted from iPhone

sorry i can't answer your question however, i sure did like seeing/hearing those F59PHI's..........

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They only have 2 F59s, the others are F40s.  Not sure if Coaster is planning to replace the 59s with the SC-44s as well.

Why does there appear to be a rush on replacing the F59s in California - be it Surfliners, Coaster - and even in the PNW? Course the loss in California is Metra's gain in Chicago.......Is there a rationale of sorts? 

Is it true that the engineers are not fans of the F59s? They ride a little rough? I remember seeing one engineer REALLY upset when he had to take the lead of an F59 that was being run up the the coast on the Coast Starlight to Seattle.........It had a P42 in the consist too, but the F59 was left in the lead.......

I don't think California is in any rush to replace the F59s.  Rather it is a known fact that these locos were leased (from Amtrak no less) and once the lease was expiring they would not renew the lease in favor of leasing/purchasing newer equipment...like the Siemen's engines.  As far as the Coaster is concerned, North County Transit (the owner) is purchaing seven new Siemens locos to replace the F40s.  Since they want to expand their service they may or may not keep the F59s.  No other informartion thus far on the Coaster F59s.

Took a look at one of the F40's at Oceanside yesterday afternoon. You can really tell they've been next to the ocean all of their lives, there are holes rusted clear through the cab door, battery box door and on the rear of the unit where the carbody and deck meet. It really needs to be either replaced or remanufactured.

Amtrak784 Wrote:
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> They only have 2 F59s, the others are F40s.  Not
> sure if Coaster is planning to replace the 59s
> with the SC-44s as well.


NCTD has extended the charger order to 7 units. This is enough to replace both the F40's and the F59's, but from my understanding the F59's will be retained. 

bnsf6606 Wrote:
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> Rather it is a known fact that these
> locos were leased (from Amtrak no less) and once
> the lease was expiring they would not renew the
> lease in favor of leasing/purchasing newer
> equipment...like the Siemen's engines. 

Couple of corrections here:
A) The F59PHIs were leased by Amtrak from EMD. They were then contracted to CalTrans and others.
B) The 15 year lease between Amtrak and EMD was up. EMD did not want the lease renewed, as they had already sold them to Metra.
 

Coaster does not have any F40's.  Those locomotives were built by Boise Locomotive in the 1990's.  I don't know the model designation, but if you look at them broadside you will see they are longer than an F40.

Pig-Mauler Wrote:
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> Coaster does not have any F40's.  Those
> locomotives were built by Boise Locomotive in the
> 1990's.  I don't know the model designation, but
> if you look at them broadside you will see they
> are longer than an F40.

The model number is F40PHM-2C

So yes, they do have F40s.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_F40PH#Variants 

Thank you for the research and the correction!