Besides the AEM7, have any manufacturers made any other MARC diesel locomotives? TIA.
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I'm only aware of the AEM7 in O scale. I have the Atlas version with a set of Atlas Comet cars which are sort of a stand in for the Sumitomo single level cars that Marc runs.
Do you think there would be any interest in doing the MP36 in MARC and other roads. How about the SC-44? Asking for a friend.
@GG1 4877 posted:I'm only aware of the AEM7 in O scale. I have the Atlas version with a set of Atlas Comet cars which are sort of a stand in for the Sumitomo single level cars that Marc runs.
Do you think there would be any interest in doing the MP36 in MARC and other roads. How about the SC-44? Asking for a friend.
Given that there’s several F59PHIs in O Scale, I never quite understood why someone didn’t attempt to make the MP36/MP40 or regular F59PH.
I think the interest is there for an MP36 and a Charger, but I don’t really see them being a success as a Sunset project. The main issue would be price, and sounds. The people wanting those locos would be the people used to paying Lionel/MTH prices for diesels, and getting correct/mostly correct sounds with them. I’d love to be wrong though.
If sounds could be worked out, I’d be in for a Charger and an MP36 at virtually any price.
I wouldn't mind having some MARC stuff at one point, and I would like those two locomotives also, but I agree with the above post about how well it would sell. I'm afraid that things like that would get cancelled, but I would love to be wrong about that too!
The Motive Power Industries variations of the MP36 can be found on multiple commuter roads such as the Roadrunner in Albuquerque, LA's Metrolink, as well as MARC. In that sense it is more than a single road locomotive. My favorite scheme is the Roadrunner scheme. However, it may be a locomotive who's time has come and past as they are being replaced with SC-44 chargers in most cases.
Here is a photo I took of a MARC MP36 from the BWI platform in 2016.
Also an out the window shot of a MARC HHP-8 from 2012. Like Amtrak's these didn't last too long.
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@GG1 4877 posted:
Actually, the HHP-8s are still in service on MARC. They went through an extensive overhaul a couple of years ago and they were reintroduced on regular services when full service resumed at the end of August. I believe there are four total in revenue service. Saw one on Thursday leaving Washington Union Station.
@GG1 4877 posted:I'm only aware of the AEM7 in O scale. I have the Atlas version with a set of Atlas Comet cars which are sort of a stand in for the Sumitomo single level cars that Marc runs.
Do you think there would be any interest in doing the MP36 in MARC and other roads. How about the SC-44? Asking for a friend.
I'd definitely be in for a MARC Charger and accompanying set of Bombardier bi-level cars. I ride them at least a few times a month. I thought Siemens licensing was a show-stopper?
I gave up on waiting for manufacturers to make anything in MARC diesels. Christine Braden created one for me using an MTH GP40. I plan to add the exhaust stack on the rear like MARC had on their rebuilt GP40s (GP39 I believe MARC called them). Lionel could have offered the HHP8 in MARC. No idea why the did not maximize use of that tooling at the time?
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@GG1 4877 posted:The Motive Power Industries variations of the MP36 can be found on multiple commuter roads such as the Roadrunner in Albuquerque, LA's Metrolink, as well as MARC. In that sense it is more than a single road locomotive. My favorite scheme is the Roadrunner scheme. However, it may be a locomotive who's time has come and past as they are being replaced with SC-44 chargers in most cases.
Here is a photo I took of a MARC MP36 from the BWI platform in 2016.
Also an out the window shot of a MARC HHP-8 from 2012. Like Amtrak's these didn't last too long.
Nice photos! I always thought the MARC scheme looked real nice on the HHP-8s and MP36s.
As far as models go, what’s interesting about the MP-series is the lack of them out there. Only one HO manufacturer made the MP-series, and nobody else repeated it. As you said, there’s definitely more than one road available for the MP-series. I count twelve roads and three locomotive types, (not including the MP54 and MP32 because they’re too regional) plus special paint schemes for certain roads.
@VistaDomeScott posted:I gave up on waiting for manufacturers to make anything in MARC diesels. Christine Braden created one for me using an MTH GP40. I plan to add the exhaust stack on the rear like MARC had on their rebuilt GP40s (GP39 I believe MARC called them). Lionel could have offered the HHP8 in MARC. No idea why the did not maximize use of that tooling at the time?
Do you ever not have all the cool stuff? lol. If you don’t mind, I would love to see your collection showcased in a YouTube video someday.
As I understand it, the reason MARC called them GP39s is because the turbo 16-cyl 645 prime mover was replaced with a turbo 12-cyl 645 prime mover. Not sure why this was done. Maybe to avoid lengthening the frame to fit the HEP generator? Hot Water would know.
GP40s were rated for 3000 hp, GP39s rated for 2300 hp.
GenesisFan99, thanks! Maybe I can showcase the works of Christine in a video sometime. She certainly has fulfilled my wishes for trains over the past few years.
Just to add some backstory to MARC engines…
Years ago, I was on the MARC Riders Advisory Council, and served as chair for a number of them. When then-MTA Administrator Paul Wiedefeld came on board, I suggested to him that the MTA license MTH (a Maryland company) to produce new MARC models. We drew up plans to license a number of MTA rolling stock, including:
-AEM-7
-Budd RDCs
-Kawasaki Bi-Levels
-F7
-Sumitomo Single Levels
-GP38’s
-MP36’s
-HHP’s
-Baltimore Light Rail
-Baltimore Light Rail Maintenance of Way
-Baltimore Metro
As part of the agreement, the MTA specified that these were the only models MTH was licensed to produce in MTA livery, as they wanted to avoid brand confusion if MTH produced something that the MTA didn’t actually run.
In the end, MTH ended up producing the AEM-7 and RDC and I’m fortunate enough to have both. We even recorded actual crews on the trains calling stops for the Penn line, although I’m not sure if those recordings actually made it into the sets. I really wanted to see that F7, though. Ultimately, MTH ended up producing a fantasy scheme of Amfleets in MARC livery as part of a larger run with Amtrak AEM-7’s and Amfleets, and that caused the MTA to object. I was sadly the one that had to deliver the news to Andy Edleman and MTH stopped producing MTA rolling stock at that point. I sure wish things had gone differently, but it was just one of those unfortunate circumstances.
I, too, hope we will one day see an O gauge manufacturer make an MP36, and I’d love to see it in MARC livery. Lord knows that engine is on enough commuter railroads already: MARC, VRE, Railrunner, Metrolink, Metra, Frontrunner, just to name a few.
Rafi