Passenger Trains > "New" equipment for Music City Star

I was out on the Nashville & Eastern RR yesterday, which hosts the Music City Star, the smallest heavy commuter rail operation in the United States.

The Star uses three F40PHs and ex Metra "dollar cars" (the old smoothside bilevel coaches sold off years ago).  The Star was not operating yesterday because of the holiday, but I heard "Star 122" (loco number, not a scheduled train) get permission to come onto the main to run a test train to Nashville to train on "this new cab car."  I wasn't aware they were getting new (to them) equipment, but this story in the Tennessean tells the whole story:

 https://www.tennessean.com/videos/news/local/wilson/2020/07/02/music-city-star-riders-get-upgrades/5361226002/

The test train was 122 and two shiny stainless steel bilevels, all 3 wearing the new Star branding under Nashville's larger "We Go" transit system.  122 is the first F40PH back from overhaul and wearing the new scheme.

At present, the Star is running a reduced schedule with the last of 3 morning and afternoon runs eliminated.

Mike Derrick
 

I think it was PTJ that had an article about this a few months ago.
I wonder if METRA will repatriate their ex-C&NW cars back as they did with VRE's and MARC 's ? 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> I wonder if METRA will repatriate their ex-C&NW
> cars back as they did with VRE's and MARC 's ? 

Why? There’s no immediate need for additional cars due to decreased ridership. New cars are coming in a few years so no need to spend money on old stuff.

Posted from iPhone

Are those ex-Metra/Burlington Budds?

I am impressed with the way they do things on the cheap, and make it work, unlike the Albuquerque system. 

joemvcnj Wrote:
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> I am impressed with the way they do things on the
> cheap, and make it work, unlike the Albuquerque
> system. 

The annual ridership on Albuquerque's commuter rail system is more than twice that of Nashville's commuter rail system.

But Music Sar is not hopelessly into debt and repeatedly threatened with shut downs out of frustration

I'm pretty sure that's what they are.

mp51w Wrote:
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> Are those ex-Metra/Burlington Budds?

These cars are likely ex-C&NW.  And I agree with an earlier post - Metra's ridership is down 97% with no signs of traffic coming back any time soon - I highly doubt Metra would want them back.

That is cool! My dad and I rode in 2015, it was a really good ride, quite scenic actually.

Has there been any more done on expanding the system?

Jim

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> That is cool! My dad and I rode in 2015, it was a
> really good ride, quite scenic actually.
>
> Has there been any more done on expanding the
> system?
>
> Jim

With regards to the Star?  If so, no.  Nashville voters shot down a tax increase in 2018 to fund mass transit expansion.  

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/01/nashville-transit-vote-davidson-county-mass-transit/564991002/

My opinion only-- the Star hangs on by a thread, and the present route is likely all you will see, if that even remains.  This is very much a niche commuter rail operation, much akin to Vermont's Champlain Flyer.  But Nashville does host a much larger population.  After several years in operation, some transit-based construction is finally starting in Mt. Juliet, which is pictured in the original article I linked.
 

I think they are the former Burlington cars that went to Michigan for the proposed but never started Ann Arbor commuter train.  If so, then those cars are older than the former C&NW cars that were originally purchased for the service.

agent1522 Wrote:
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> I think they are the former Burlington cars that
> went to Michigan for the proposed but never
> started Ann Arbor commuter train.  If so, then
> those cars are older than the former C&NW cars
> that were originally purchased for the service.

Nope, they are former C&NW cars. 

The cars with purple window bands in the Tennessean video story look like ex-Burlington Budd stainless steel bilevels. The cab car's number in the video is 795 and, unless changed since Metra, matches an ex-Burlington bi-level cab car. Music City Star's original cars are the C&NW smooth-sided regular steel type.

kevink Wrote:
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> Nope, they are former C&NW cars. .

I stand corrected, clearly the cars in the video linked above are Budd-built ex-CB&Q cars. I did not realize they had added new cars to their fleet.