AMT COMMUTER/GO TRANSITAMT Agence Metropolitaine de Transport AMT News Editor Jean-Francois Turcotteamtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com
AMT ALP-45DP Watch:
AMT’s ALP45DP fleet remains stored and yet to enter revenue service. CN is still restricting them from moving under power on their lines per timetable special instruction. It is still unknown when these may be called to active duty.
AMT 1350 Stored in St-Eustache after some testing in May 2012. AMT 1351 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February 2012. AMT 1352 Removed from service following the derailment in Central Station and stored since December 9th, 2011. AMT 1353 Stored in St-Eustache following testing in May 2012. AMT 1354 In storage since December 2011 following testing. AMT 1355 In storage since December 2011 following testing. AMT 1356 Stored in Ste-Eustache since early January 2012. AMT 1357 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February 2012 AMT 1358 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February 2012 AMT 1359 Stored in Ste- Eustache since early January 2012. AMT 1360 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February 2012. AMT 1361 Stored in St-Eustache since late-February 2012. AMT 1362 Stored in St-Eustache since April 8th, 2012. AMT 1363 Stored in St-Eustache since April 8th, 2012 AMT 1364 Arrived on the property on May 14th, 2012. AMT 1365 Arrived on the property on May 30th, 2012. AMT 1366 Arrived on the property May 14th, 2012. AMT 1367 Arrived on the property May 14th, 2012. AMT 1368 Arrived on the property June 25h, 2012. AMT 1369 Arrived on the property June 25th, 2012.
As of June 25th, 2012 the entire AMT ALP-45DP fleet had been delivered by Bombardier, but are still stored in St-Eustache, QC. AMT expects re-introducing the ALP-45DP’s by the end of 2012.
Francois Jolin and your editor visited St-Luc Diesel Shop July 9th, and noted and photographed the following AMT power:
AMT F40PH 302 inside the Roundhouse at St-Luc.
Stored around the St-Luc Shop turntable: AMT F40PH 411 and 400 behind. AMT F59PHI 1330 AMT F59PH 530 RBRX F59PH 185xx
We witnessed a cornucopia of commuter equipment in the AMT Sortin Yard and shop complex on July 9th. While we could not obtain access to the site on this day, Frank was able to snap these panorama views off the property.
AMT F59PHI 1323, and 1327 AMT (NJT) F40PH-2 4118 AMT (NJT) GP40FH-2 4143 RBRX F59PH 18520
A nice surprise was catching ex-GO F59PH’s AMXX 1347 and AMXX 1343 which was just arriving at CN Taschereau Yard July 9th. The power will be prepared for AMT service at American Motive Power in Pointe St-Charles, QC at the former CN/AMF/ GEC-Alstom shop. Richard Marchi caught AMXX F59PH 1343 on July 8th at CN Taschereau Yard. Note the unit is already assigned her AMT number!
A day earlier, on July 7th Warren Schlo caught a CN eastbound at Newtonville, ON with AMXX 1343 enroute to Montreal.
The week July 16th, two more ex-GO units arrived in Montreal on separate CN trains: AMXX F59PH’s 1341 and 1342.
On July 21st, Richard Marchi was in Taschereau Tard and snapped AMXX 1343 and 1348 departing the yard enroute to AMP - Pointe St-Charles Shop (Montreal, QC).
As a new service is now required at Sherbrooke, QC, and the MMA will need extra power. The MMA will purchase two F40PH’s currently used in Montreal Commuter service AMT F40PH 270 and F40PHR 293, which have been removed from commuter service, have to be regeared and then sent to Sherbrooke, QC as helpers. Enroute from Montreal to Farnham St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC, Francois Jolin snapped Montreal Maine & Atlantic (MMA) train #2 catching the first rays of the morning sun as it crosses the Richelieu River on July 12th with AMT F40PH 293 is in the consist! Leased CP SD40-2’s 5928, 5926, MM&A (ex-NYSW) 3603, MMA (ex-BAR) GP7 23, and AMT F40PH 293.
On July 3rd, Jean-François Turcotte photographed the Junction de l'Est grade separation, under construction. AMT train 956 is running on the temporary deviation of the Deux-Montagnes Subdivision.
New approach signals on CP's Outremont spur near Blvd. St-Laurent underpass. These signals are being added as part of the former Outremont yard land redevelopment, which will see the up and down track relocated along the Parc subdivision. The sharp S-curves dictate the need for approach signals because they will prevent trains from foreseeing the signal aspect to what is currently known to train crews as the "the bush".
Old and new CTC signals at controlled point Outremont (a.k.a. the bush), as seen from Wilderton street. This is where the Adirondack subdivision, the Parc subdivision and the Outremont spur meet each other.
New CTC signals for the 15mph crossover at Park Avenue Station (AMT St-Jérôme line). The south end of the Parc subdivision is still using double track OCS/ABS, but not for long.
A single-light eastbound ABS signal is living on borrowed time, on CP's Parc subdivision, near Parc Jarry. CTC is yet to be installed between Bois-de-Boulogne and Outremont, but this should be completed within a few months.
New 30mph CTC universal crossovers at Bois-de-Boulogne. This is current east end of the Parc subdivision CTC. What is puzzling with these new crossovers is that the Perry Island bridge lies less than a mile West and its gauntlet track still restricts trains on the north track to 15mph.
New CTC signals governing the Perry Island Bridge gauntlet track. Contrary to previous reports, the gauntlet track is NOT being replaced as part of the Parc subdivision CTC project.
The Perry Island bridge with its unique gauntlet track configuration. AMT must have had its reason for keeping the 15mph gauntlet in place while it was installing new 30mph crossovers less than a mile east at Bois-de-Boulogne. But we couldn't but notice than a conventional, single track bridge would have provided greater operating freedom as the new crossovers, while requiring two less pairs of points.
On July 20th, the Journal de Montréal reported that AMT anticipates introducing 12-cars sets of MR90 electric multiple units on the Deux-Montagnes line in 2013. The Deux-Montagnes line is currently requiring five 10-cars MR90 sets, with 8 remaining MR90’s in maintenance or left as spare (for a total of 58 cars). Adding two more cars on some trains is expected to relieve serious overcrowding (most notably trains #924 and 926), but this will likely push equipment utilization over its practical limit. The fact that AMT is seriously considering extending trainset length, plus the massive influx of former GO-Transit F59PH’s, hints that AMT does not expect any of its pricey ALP45DP’s to re-enter service any time soon.
In June 1996, Tim Mayhew snapped AMT FP7A 1301 (ex-CP 4071) on the west side of the St Luc Diesel Shop with an HEP generator car behind. Friday nights after the commuter runs were done, some of the diesel fleet would be brought in for inspection and minor repairs.
GO 2438 has been wrapped in a special livery to "encourage debate and public input on our environment, cities, transportation and sustainability". It is known as "Art Train Conductor No.9".
Initially GO put up a mockup photo with cab car 203 done up to show what it would look like: http://gotransit.com/public/en/news/promotionsandcontests.aspx
Bilevels numbered 2792, 2794 have been noted in service, part of the ongoing order for Bombardier bilevels being delivered.
GO bilevel 2425 was noted in mid-July parked at the west end of Willowbrook Yard in rough state, presumably it is next to head to CADRail in Lachine QC for refurbishing. CADRail won the contract for refurbishing the 2400 series bilevels, beating out ONR's shops in North Bay ON. (*With notes from Brendan Frisina).
Metrolinx announced in July that Toronto’s regional transport agency has awarded Bombardier Transportation a C$200m order to supply GO Transit with 60 double-deck commuter coaches. These will be an updated version of Bombardier's Bi-Level design, likely similar to those purchased by AMT - Montreal last year.
The contract was announced by O Passengers will benefit from onboard wi-fi, and improved ventilation, door and toilet systems. Better insulation will increase energy efficiency, and LED lighting will be used instead of fluorescent tubes.
Mark’s father (David Zulkoskey) shot GO Transit F59PH 560 arriving at its final destination of the day, Barrie, Ontario on July 6th, 2012.
After sitting around Mimico for nearly a year because AMT didn't have the room for them, the 10 ex-GO F59PH's purchased directly by AMT from GO, and began to move to Montreal in July. They've been renumbered as AMXX 1340-1349, likely in numerical order but not confirmed (from GO 543-45, 48-50, 52-53, 55-56).
AMXX 1343 (ex-GO 548?) was on the move in early July 2012. AMXX 1345 (ex-GO 550?) and 1348 (ex-GO 555?) were on the move mid-July 2012 to Montreal.
They're all being shipped by CN from Toronto to Montreal, but only one or two units at a time (in light of the March 2010 Pickering derailment that was partially caused by train forces, handling, and the marshalling of 4 RBRX ex-GO F59's behind the power).
Ron Visockis snapped AMXX 1341 moving EB at Belleville, ON July 12-2012.
TTC Toronto Rocket set 5571-76 is in service as of early July, and the 5581-86 set is testing.
The Toronto Rockets, numbered in the 5381-6076 series (6-car trains using only the first 6 numbers of a set, i.e. 5401/02/03/04/05/06, 5411/11/12...) will eventually reach a point where they will begin to replace the 5600, 5700, 5800 and 5900 number series of the current H5 and H6 subway cars. It remains to be seen if cars with the same number will end up in service together, as the TTC doesn't primarily rely on car fleet numbers for subway operations..
The first of the TTC's new LRV's (streetcars) has been noted under production inside the Bombardier Thunder Bay ON plant. It is unknown when it will be ready to leave the property. Mock-ups have already been on display by the TTC at various events (doors open, garage tours, etc).
© CRO August 2012 |
ntario
Premier Dalton McGuinty on May 25 during a visit to Bombardier's Thunder Bay
plant, where design work is underway. Production will begin in the second
quarter of 2013 for entry into service from spring 2015. According to
Bombardier, the revised design will include a new structure incorporating crash
energy management crumple zones. The push-pull driving cars will have a revised
cab design, which, as well as increasing safety, will provide better visibility.
Cab ergonomics will be improved, and train monitoring capabilities enhanced.
