Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:Assuming it’s to mean Reading & Blue Mountain Northern...?
Do you mean the "Reading & Northern", or maybe the "Reading, Blue Mountain & Northern"?
Got news from a traveling railroad buddy of mine. The final two Units, F9A #271 and F7B #275 are sold and will be going to the Aberdeen, Carolina & Western Railway, a shortline railroad in North Carolina that operates on former and leased Norfolk Southern tracks. No talk on when they'll be moved, possible repaints, etc.
And thats...all she wrote folks. The Glitz and Glamour of F unit fame no longer runs on a Class 1 Railroad anymore. Today marks the closing chapter of the carbody units.
TheRWBYRailfan posted:And thats...all she wrote folks. The Glitz and Glamour of F unit fame no longer runs on a Class 1 Railroad anymore. Today marks the closing chapter of the carbody units.
Union Pacific would like a word with you about E9s https://www.up.com/aboutup/spe...treamliner/index.htm
Lou1985 posted:TheRWBYRailfan posted:And thats...all she wrote folks. The Glitz and Glamour of F unit fame no longer runs on a Class 1 Railroad anymore. Today marks the closing chapter of the carbody units.
Union Pacific would like a word with you about E9s https://www.up.com/aboutup/spe...treamliner/index.htm
Except,,,,,,,,,,,the UP hasn't used their executive E Units, in many years!
Hot Water posted:Lou1985 posted:TheRWBYRailfan posted:And thats...all she wrote folks. The Glitz and Glamour of F unit fame no longer runs on a Class 1 Railroad anymore. Today marks the closing chapter of the carbody units.
Union Pacific would like a word with you about E9s https://www.up.com/aboutup/spe...treamliner/index.htm
Except,,,,,,,,,,,the UP hasn't used their executive E Units, in many years!
But they still own them 
Doesn't the KCS still have their executive F's?
Rusty
Lou1985 posted:Hot Water posted:Lou1985 posted:TheRWBYRailfan posted:And thats...all she wrote folks. The Glitz and Glamour of F unit fame no longer runs on a Class 1 Railroad anymore. Today marks the closing chapter of the carbody units.
Union Pacific would like a word with you about E9s https://www.up.com/aboutup/spe...treamliner/index.htm
Except,,,,,,,,,,,the UP hasn't used their executive E Units, in many years!
But they still own them
So? They still "own" Challenger 3985, as well as a 2-10-2 and another 4-8-4 (stored inside the Cheyenne Roundhouse), plus the only operational DDA40X in the world, and nothing is happening with them either.
Rusty Traque posted:Doesn't the KCS still have their executive F's?
Rusty
Yes, they sure do, and they use them, also.
Yikes I forgot about the KSC and UP Units
^^;
Well, the chapter closes for Norfolk Southern at least. UP and KCS still got it.
Does BNSF Even have such a train? Or do they just stick to borrowing the ex-T&NO units at Galveston?
TheRWBYRailfan posted:Yikes I forgot about the KSC and UP Units
^^;Well, the chapter closes for Norfolk Southern at least. UP and KCS still got it.
Does BNSF Even have such a train?
Yes, BNSF does indeed have a fantastic business car "train"!
Or do they just stick to borrowing the ex-T&NO units at Galveston?
Absolutely NOT!!!! BNSF uses their own nice and clean freight power as needed, whenever the business car specials move throughout their system. That said, they have "borrowed" SP 4449 from Portland, OR. once or twice.
BN(SF) did have some exec F units. I think Rob Krebs got rid of them.
Most railrods with business cars have their own self contained power units for electricity, and/or power cars. So, use a clean road freight unit for power.
Dominic Mazoch posted:BN(SF) did have some exec F units. I think Rob Krebs got rid of them.
The BN Executive F's (and E) have been residing at the Illinois Railway Museum since 1997.
Rusty
I saw the Pan Am RR executive F units in Freeport, ME last month. Have they been taken out of service?
Are F units a money pit? Is that the reason NS sold them? But, two of them will have a new life hauling tourists on the RBMN. Andy is a true railroader. NS, well Moorman was kind of like Andy Muller in that he supported steam and excursions, but now that chapter has closed. NS is now back to its 1995-2006 self. When they had no F units, steam, or excursions. Actually I should correct that. The new era is actually unique, as there are also no charters or Amtrak specials anymore or even Bennett Levin’s PRR E8’s anymore, which are now mothballed. What will be left on NS that is not a regular freight train? OCS with freight power? Circus train is gone as well, so the OCS and Amtrak will be the only passenger trains on NS now?
Robert K posted:Are F units a money pit?
No, just oddball units (even though they're GP38-2's on the inside) taking up space while still requiring routine maintenance that were used on occasional non-revenue runs.
In other words, they didn't earn their keep.
However, it all boils down to what I've been saying for years: "All it takes is a change in management."
Who knows? Even the mighty UP might change their mind one day.
Rusty
Bob Claytor and Wick Moorman were the best CEO’s at NS because they supported steam excursions and more PR events. I don’t like David Goode or Jim Squires very much. Only difference now vs. 1995 is that now not even Amtrak charters are running on NS. No special excursions whatsoever. At least Muller will have fun running two of the F’s on his railroad hauling tourists.
Rusty Traque posted:Robert K posted:Are F units a money pit?
No, just oddball units (even though they're GP38-2's on the inside) taking up space while still requiring routine maintenance that were used on occasional non-revenue runs.
In other words, they didn't earn their keep.
However, it all boils down to what I've been saying for years: "All it takes is a change in management."
Who knows? Even the mighty UP might change their mind one day.
Rusty
Put another way: any piece of machinery being kept in operating condition is a money pit. Keeping those covered wagons in operation is tiny potatoes in the big picture but when you have thousands of operable locomotives at your disposal why not use a couple idle ones of them. As to PR, most of the people who ever see those executive trains don't know the difference between an F and a Geep. It is different when the locomotive IS the attraction (see also, UP Big Boy). Lots of non-railfans are queuing-up to see that big flashy noisy thing but only railfans care about some old F units. And railfans can go to Jim Thorpe so it's all good.
I just wonder if Andy's F's including the ones he bought from NS will be the motive power for RBMN's railfan excursion on April 18, 2020? I can't see 425 pulling that although it could be 425 and diesel help. But, my suspicion is that it will be diesel only because of the distance, from Reading to Pittston and return using the new Nesquehoning bridge. First excursion I believe through the gorge originating from the Reading/Port Clinton side and avoiding downtown Jim Thorpe.
Latest pics of the 270 Marlboro Machine I received from a friend today. Cool coincident.
Attachments
Images (2)
Dave Zucal posted:Latest pics of the 270 Marlboro Machine I received from a friend today. Cool coincident.
Interesting! For whatever reason I thought the F's would have been painted green.
Photo was shared with me from a railroading friend outside of this forum. Looking slick RBM&N!
Attachments
Images (1)
TheRWBYRailfan posted:Photo was shared with me from a railroading friend outside of this forum. Looking slick RBM&N!
The R&N livery fits the F unit well!
