AMT COMMUTER - GO TRANSITAMT Agence Metropolitaine de TransportAMT News Editor Jean-Francois Turcotteamtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com
IN REVENUE SERVICE: Nil AMT 1350 Stored in St-Eustache after some testing in May. AMT 1351 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1352 Removed from service following derailment. AMT 1353 Stored in St-Eustache after some testing in May. AMT 1354 In storage following testing. AMT 1355 In storage following testing. AMT 1356 Stored in Ste-Eustache since early January. AMT 1357 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1358 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1359 Stored in Ste- Eustache since early January.. AMT 1360 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1361 Stored in St-Eustache since late-February. AMT 1362 Arrived in St-Eustache on April 8th AMT 1363 Arrived in St-Eustache on April 8th AMT 1364 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1365 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1366 Arrived on the property May 14th AMT 1367 Arrived on the property May 14th AMT 1368 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1369 Arrived on property Date unknown
As of June 25th, all AMT ALP45DP have been delivered by Bombardier, but are still lingering at St-Eustache. AMT expects re-introducing the ALP45DP’s by the end of 2012.
AMT adding more F59PH’s
After receiving ten former GO Transit F59PH locomotives in April (ex-GO 543, 544, 545, 548, 549, 550, 552, 553, 555, and 556), AMT is again adding more F59PH’s in the form of three RB Recycling F59PH, #18520, 18521 and 18522 (ex-GO 520, 521, 522). These units were until recently being leased to VIA Rail and used on Northern Quebec rail service to Jonquière and Senneterre while CAD was rebuilding the F40PH-2 fleet.
Leased from RB Recycling, RBRX F59PH 18520 and RBRX 18531 are seen deadheading through Montreal West, towards downtown, with what will become AMT train 111 to Hudson on May 30th. RBRX 18520 was being tested to ensure that it was compatible with AMT rolling stock. What makes this shot special is that the F59PH's are rarely doubleheaded in AMT service.
AMT 3-years capital investment plan was released to the general public on May 30th. Translated into English below by Jean Francois Turcotte, here is the original document in French: http://www.amt.qc.ca/WorkArea/downloadasset.aspx?id=100280&LangType=3084
The document describes the allocated and planned expenditures for ATM’s various rail and non-rail projects. This three years plan is essentially a continuation of last year’s plan, with expected costs revised (generally up). Note: some items listed in the plan have been on AMT’s wish list since the late 1990’s!
The following table summarizes the most significant rail-related project :
Note: the last four items are not related to AMT’s commuter rail network.
Société de Transport de Montréal (STM)
Starting on June 8th, STM and Bombardier/Alstom are displaying a full-size shell of the new MPM-10 Métro cars at its main hub, Berri-UQAM station. Officially named ‘Azur’ following public input, the new stainless steel, rubber-tyred Métro railcars will feature state-of-art new technology.
Each new train will be formed by nine new Azur cars: two unpowered cab-cars and seven powered mid-cars. As for TTC’s new Rocket subway cars, the new Azur cars will feature open gangway, meaning riders will be able to walk freely from one end of the train to the other.
The current order stands for 468 units, forming 52 trains, 38 of which intended to displace the oldest Métro cars in the fleet: the 1966-built MR63’s (currently numbered at 336). The remaning 14 trains will be used to increase service frequency on the 2-Orange line, currently overcrowded in the morning peak.
A completed prototype is expected to enter testing in 2013, with regular production starting in 2014. All cars will be built at Bombardier’s La Pocatière plant and at Alstom’s Sorel-Tracy plant.
A second order of MPM-10 cars is expected over the following years to replace 423 MR73’s built in the mid-seventies. Should all Métro expansions proceed as planned, STM expects its Métro car fleet to eventually reach 1053 units.
FP7A 4072 leads a set of Canadian Vickers built bi levels into Dorval Station, and CP FP7A 4067 hauling Canadian Car & Foundry (CC&F-built) coaches at the same location. The Bi-Levels were ordered by CP Rail in 1968 they were built by the Canadian Vickers and delivered to CP in June of 1969. They were designated as the double-deck or double-deckers by CP personal. The 40 CC&F single deck commuter coaches were built in 1953, and all delivered by September of that year painted CPR Tuscan red. AMT used them in blue and silver paint up until around 2000. (We would like to thank Richard Longpre for his assistance).
GO Transit News Edited by Daniel Dell’Unto Wayne D. Shaw sensed this shot shaping up as a westbound GO train being pushed by a GMD-built F59PH approached Oakville Station, just as an eastbound hauled by MPI-built MP40PH-3C 619 was departing. He panned with the eastbound as the westbound passed, and just before the noses of the two locomotives lined up he took the shot, catching the F59PH as a blur. The photo was taken July 13th 2009 at mile 21.0 on the Oakville Sub.
Metrolinx has announced they have placed an order for 60 upgraded Bombardier bilevels for GO Transit service. The upgraded cars look similar to the existing hundreds GO Transit currently employs, but feature an upgraded cab design for better safety and visibility, and all cars will have crumple zones incorporated to absorb energy in the event of a collision. Other improvements incorporated in this design according to the press release are as follows: "onboard wi-fi...improved ventilation, door and toilet systems. Better insulation [that] will increase energy efficiency, and LED lighting [that] will be used instead of fluorescent tubes." Production is set to begin in the second quarter of 2013, with the first cars entering service in spring 2015. An artists' rendering of the new cab car design was included in the press release, featuring paint scheme alterations at the cab end to match the look of GO's MP40 units. It appears end doors have been eliminated, which will probably reduce the use of new cab cars in mid-train service (current-design cab cars can sometimes be found serving as a regular coach in consists). See the report HERE. One of our new readers, Michael Hoffer-Lester snapped GO 555 and 45 in St. Catharines on July 1, 2011. and Go 635 on July 8, 2011.
TTC set 5561-5566 was noted in revenue service by mid-May.
In late-May, set 5381-5386 (the first set built) was put together for testing service, and later noted in service in June. This makes sets 5381-5561 all in service.
As of early June, deliveries of the 5571-5576 set have progressed.
Many of the 5600 series H5 cars and early 5700's have been noted at Future Enterprises in Hamilton ON being cut up for scrap. There are still a number of late 5600 series cars in service however, 5688/89 and 5698/99 were two sets noted. The cars are being trucked out of the TTC's Wilson Yard on a regular basis by low loader flatbed truck.
© CRO July 2012 |
