BADASS New Metra Locomotives
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- Опубліковано 26 вер 2024
- The newest members of Metra's fleet are huge, former freight locomotives. In this video, we're taking a closer look at what will soon be hauling commuter trains in Chicago.
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I'm a conductor for CSX and I frequently go to Chicago. I saw METX 502 in CSX's Barr Yard (Riverdale, IL - within Chicago limits) a couple days ago. Pretty neat to hear it coming from the south, then seeing it in person. Very shiny.
The red beacon light is for the Layover alarm system. Metra locomotives have a layover system, (battery charger, water immersion heater, and engine lube oil heater) that they use in the winter when the locomotive is shut down. If the layover system fails, the red light (amber beacon on f40ph) flashes to alert mechanical staff.
I thought it was an Emergency Locomotive.🚨 😂😂😂🚨
@@arbigdog73 Lol, What they should do is have it flash every time it breaks down! They can call it the "Road failure" light.
Thanks I was wondering... I thought the red light meant it would be used in RCL Service but that answered my question
I am confused. It sounds like "Metra" is for passengers, but this looks like a freight locomotive. Are locomotives like this used for passengers?
@Eric Mason You are right being confused, so were the rest of us when they ordered them! Metra is a passenger railroad, and yes, that is a locomotive normally used to haul freight. They are gonna run passenger trains with 6 axle freight power.
Another amazing video.
Nice seeing you here drayton :)
Can't lie that new paint livery makes those SD70 look pretty modern and clean. Far from my favorite livery but better than a lot out there. Has the interior been updated or just cosmetics on the outside?
I heard they'll be just as polluting, but have gearing changed for Metra service
@@hobog Guessing that's the reason why they are gonna be called SD70Mach?
@@hobog No, they were changed from EPA tier 0 to tier 3.
@@Ferreira0504 I guess not all rebuilds are required to be Tier 4? Maybe that's just new locomotives
@@jacorp7476 Rebuilds aren't required to be tier 4 in general. Only new diesel locomotives.
They did a fantastic job. The paint scheme looks amazing on it.
A Chicago trip could be worth it, especially if you visit the Illinois Railway Museum and the preserved Burlington Zephyr in the Museum of Science and Industry. On the topic of Metra, I believe there are two surviving EMD F40C units left in Metra's Western Avenue rail yard, but they might be scrapped now that these SD70MACHs slowly being delivered.
The Illinois Railway Museum also has and operates the Nebraska Zephyr. Going back to Metra... I believe their last 2 F40C units are numbers 611 and 614.
Id rather just ride on the zephyr at irm than go downtown just to look at one lol
Those F40Cs should be preserved at museums instead of being scrapped.
I saw a f40c parked at the fox lake yard one time and I was like “I didn’t know metra had beefy stuff like that” I think it was 611 and this was within the past 4 years when I saw it, I don’t know where it is now
The F40-Cs are counted as storage. I have not heard anything about METRA getting rid of them
Yes, Chicago definitely worth the trip. And consider going up to the observation floor of the "former Sears Tower" which I have no idea the new name. Go up there especially Standard Time so basically winter months, at the evening rush hour. You can watch dozens of Metra and CTA trains making their way out of Chicago, and for quite some distance!
I got lucky in ~1975-77ish when I was laying over between trains, walked to Sears Tower just to go see it and this was before the observation deck was there. I intended to try to go up as high as I could to look around, got very lucky that both of the elevator watchmen were away from their post (took two sets of elevators to go up) and extremely luck that I actually wound up on the soon-to-be observation "deck", under construction with sawhorses here and there and basically a lot of drywall/trim going up. Nobody but me! And at evening rush hour! What a way to while away the hours and certainly still a great image in my mind.
From which I say, go up for a look if you have the time! It would be fun to hear what you have to say, in a future video.
It's the Willis Tower now. But it will always be the Sears Tower for this Chicago native😊
I can already hear Cowl Unit Productions saying,"Mandated passenger variant" RN.
"Of coruse a MANDATED PASSENGER VARIANT"
Aye I can hear it too
Also liked
I work for Caterpillar and one day I want to go work at Progress Rail. I love MACS and I loved this video
So close to 50K!!! You've well earned it Charlie. Thanks for all the quality content!
It’s the return of the Mac!
Bernie Mac? Mac Daddy? Cat Daddy?
I live in Chicago and railfan Metra quite a bit. Can't wait to see these on the rails here. You gotta make a trip here.
Very detailed look of the MACH, well done! With the enhanced cooling upgrade as indicative of the flared radiators, I wonder how much interest the Class 1's will have in these upgraded tier 3 Macs as freight haulers.
the class 1 have avoided doing T3 and T4 rebuilds in most cases. Almost all their fleet is still pre 1995 locos
@@gdrriley420 Considering the median age of Class 1 locomotive is approximately 25 years, I really don't see how "almost all their fleet" could possibly be built pre-1995. Using inaccurate data to prove your point only makes others not believe you at all, even though the original point might be valid.
@@RestrictedProceed 54% of active locos are T1 and below with massive amounts more stored. 25.7% are T2
NS, UP, BNSF have all stored or sold off large amounts of their fleet in the last 5 years.
~15% of the fleet is T3 with 5% being T4
Railroads are going to keep digging into their stockpiles of old locos when current ones get tired.
@@gdrriley420 That still doesn't change the fact that you were wrong by stating "Almost all their fleet is still pre 1995 locos". "Pre-1995 technology" would be a better wording, but still wrong, as you yourself just demonstrated post-2005 locomotives (Tier 2 upwards) account for considerable fleet size.
Metra has been overhauling and refurbishing some of their older locomotives to reduce their emissions and make the locomotives more fuel efficient. That includes adding Caterpillar engines for head end power for the MP36PH fleet,eliminating the static inverter those locomotives came with originally with,rebuilding the F40PH/PHMs(“Winnebago”),as well as acquiring second hand F59PH/PHIs.
Everyone thought it wouldn't be a good idea but these new SD70s hopefully will prove themselfs for the good machines they are
😆
@@minutemanmac I
@@minutemanmac I have
They are a shortsighted, inefficient, polluting investment. This is 2 generations behind the Siemens Charger for passenger locomotive efficiency in N America
@@hobog if you know anything about metra is that they don't use nothing else but EMD prime movers therefor there not buying chargers they could buy F125 but idk, plus even though it might be ridiculous you can still make older tech work if you put alot of work in it, idk just wait it might surprise you 🤷
Hey man, cool video, I was actually in Patterson, GA (or for reference the town Progress Rail's shop is in) when 502 came thru on one of the locals, I thought it looked so clean, I like the old RTA livery. (Edit: As of 11/28/22, I've counted atleast 5-6 EX-KCS EMD SD70 Like locomotives behind the shops as well as a Primer unit sitting in the shop with similar headlights as 500 and 502.
Metra 502 was on CSX train M350 Cincinatti Queensgate Yard to BRC Clearing Yard this morning. Passed westbound through Deshler OH at 7:50am.
Another thing they did was replace the bell. Pretty much all of these units were originally built with EMD Steel Mechanical Bells, but if you look closely, you can see that on the SD70MACHs, they replaced them with Graham White E-Bells.
They have to do that. People and commuters at our stations have grown used to the E Bells so the old mech bells have been removed.
That’s crazy to hear that these Metra giants came from the KCS and TFM. Great video V12!
Got to see this beauty of a beast in east Knoxville yesterday!! Very nice looking loco
Amazing video as always. These units are interesting to see. Very odd seeing a freight locomotive converted for passenger use similar to the Amtrak Dash 8-32BWH. Would be awesome to see these SD70MACHs be made in model form one day in the future.
I totally agree these are my personal favorite locomotives
Excellent editing, and great narration. Can’t wait for your channel to blow up!
They look awesome Progress Rail did a great job on them . Look forward to seeing more videos once they get out on the system . Nice job putting this video together , thanks for sharing .
Living out here in Chicago, it’ll be interesting to see how the new SD70MACHs do on revenue service. Word is that they’re supposed to enter service some time in 2023, along the busiest Metra line which is the BNSF. They’ll be operating alongside the F40PHs in the Metra system of which several of the older F40PHs are due for retirement.
I bet they wind up being parked mostly in Naperville or Hinsdale.
@@jwboilermaker my bigger curiosity would be how they’d handle the rapid turnaround Metra is known for.
The original plan was to put them in service along the Milwaukee District lines.
@@jwboilermaker They've had 2 of them coupled to each other at the BNSF yard on Canal and Roosevelt for the past few months now.
Sounds like it’s time for a Chicago road trip to see it in action. 😬
Besides the non-rebuilt F40PH-2s, I wonder if the SD70MACHs will also replace the last two F40Cs. If yes, those two should definitely go to a museum. Also great to see the SD70MACHs in an epic paint scheme so far!
It’d be nice to see an f40c at IRM along with some of their other Chicago commuter equipment
I’m so glad metra is still getting old equipment instead of those boring old chargers like everyone else. F59phis and sd70machs
As someone who has grown up in Chicago spotting on the Racetrack, I'm beyomd excited to see these! Something about a 6-axle SD70 pulling 6-8 Bi-level cars seems a bit overkill to me😂
NJ Transit was running 6 axles for almost 25 years with their U34CH's pulling single level cars, so it's happened before.
SD70MACHs are going to be so exciting when they start running. A freight locomotive for passenger service is just so odd but has such a cool part to it, the only issue with them really is that their top speed is 80 mph which does cause speed restrictions if infrastructure is upgraded. Oh, but I am ready for these things! Also, the Horn should be a K5LLA. Like wow, just hearing a K5LLA is going to confuse so many into thinking the freight is coming, but nope! It's the Metra! Also, loved the video man! Thanks for making it.
Alaska Railroad has been using Freight locomotives for the longest time. They use GP40-2s and SD70MACS which both types have HEP, in fact SD70MACs 4317-4324 were the first SD70MACs to have HEP built into them.
@@Andrew-on7oh Yeah I already knew that
As a Chicago Native you really should visit. Awesome rail fanning in the Chicagoland area!
Very interesting, Great to see the engineer to let you see the SD70MACH closer!
Interesting that these have a similar electrical configuration to the Alaska Railroad equivalent passenger SD70MACs, idling several axles when HEP is switched on. The ARR units use all axles otherwise.
Pretty wild to see these MACs going from hauling unit grain and coal trains up a 2% grade for KCS and TFM (now known as KCS de Mexico) to hauling passengers at 80mph! Nice to see them getting a new lease on life!
Great information about these locomotives! I live in the Chicagoland area, and I will be getting my camera ready!
Looks like the horn is a K5LLA R1L, just like the ones mainly seen on SD70ACe’s. Can’t wait to hear how that sounds.
I thought it looked more like a K5LA. Who knows, we'll just have to hear.
@@AbelG8781 K5LA’s and K5LLA’s have basically the same low profile, it’s just that K5LLA’s usually have bell #1 (the biggest one in the middle) facing backwards. On the K5LA it’s usually either bells #2 and #3 or bells #2 and #4, that’s when you hear people call it the K5LA-R23 or K5LA-R24, the R for reversed and the numbers behind the R denoting which bell #(s) is/are reversed.
@@MichaelN12 that's how I can identify the low profiles vs the Gevo K5HL profile. You're probably right though, can't wait to hear it!!
I would love to do something like this with 11 Class 60 Diesel Locomotives and run them with the CAF Mk5a rolling stock. HEP, uprated traction motors for 103mph running and push-pull equipment. I would use these in Ireland on the Derry/Londonderry to Dundalk via Belfast as well as a new Belfast to Sligo service to boot as well.
Really neat to see the old 6-axle freight haulers getting a new life with Metra. My only gripe is a visual nit-pick at the look of no traction motors on the axles nearest the fuel tank. It looks naked. Like some model manufacturers of the 1980's omitting that detail on their SD40-2 models because I guess they figured no one would notice or care that those traction motors weren't there. Now there really IS a prototype for everything!
Please, yes, it would be nice to see, if Metra were hauling coal… For hauling self-loading cargo, a obese 6-axle locomotive is definitely the wrong choice!
The power to weight wasn’t need to have the two extra traction motors per metras needs
I live about an hour north of Chicago, it’d be interesting seeing one of these here considering how much more power they have
Bet you were surprised to see this 🤣 . Awesome video and information about locomotive 🚂 great job.
They look Amazing! Love the Paint. Great Video as always! Well Done. Thank You........
Saw three (3) them on the Rails on someones Railfan Channel. Beautiful Color and Design. 👍
great train video
Well done.
Can't wait to purchase 2 of these units for my model railroad
That horn looks like a K5HA due to the high manifold. Could be wrong could be a k5lla24r were it’s got a bell backwards! Either way it’s a Nathan airchime K5 series. Great video.
Fun fact: this is the first time six axle power will be used on mainline passenger trains since the infamous SDP40F, hopefully these end up having careers more akin to their distant ancestors; the E units of old.
Ah, you seem to be forgetting about Amtrak’s E60s. Those lasted into the early 2000s if memory serves me right.
@@josefstalin9068 He opened with "fun fact"... you expected accuracy?
Look up the U34CH. That was probably still running main-line NJ Transit trains after those were retired.
Metra used F40Cs until 2004/2005 when the MP36PH units started coming online.
What a sharp looking unit
Only thing I'm worried about for Metra is that they tried using a 6-axle freight locomotive converted for passenger use once before, but it failed. Apparently it rode rough. We'll see how this is improved, but I suspect they'll probably see a similar issue.
They used the E9s for a long time and they were 6 axle and this is a proven locomotive not a prototype
@@sctco432 they also used F40Cs, which were also 6 axle locomotives, which pretty successful as well
That first KCS locomotive you shot (#3944) I actually caught on Union Pacific MASBN (still in grey) in Springfield, Illinois, back in December 2014. Man, if she is to become one of the Metra rebuilds, that would be amazing.
the footage and the video quality of it looks amazing, especially in 4k.
A run down of the C& NW commuter system in the 60 and 70s would be cool. Was for runner to Metra and was really cool(f-7s E -8 etc Not to mention its 400 and bi-level penn, smoking to Minneapolis
I love the paint scheme
It's awesome
Reminds me of the F40c
That Engine almost looks like a SD70MAC with flared radiators
I believe Metra bought former Union Pacific SD70Ms which were built with flared radiators in the late 90s and early 2000s.
@@trainsbignsmall UP SD70M with flared radiators are 2002-year Tier2 emissions locos.
@@rearspeaker6364 okay. Thanks for the info!
Funny how here in Texas, I see brand-new NS AC44C6M rebuilds fresh from Fort Worth about every week on the UP Sunset Route (Valentine and Lordsburg subs), and they end up entering service on the UP rather than their home system! Wouldn't be too surprised if NS fueled and started up one of those new bad boys for Metra on the trip there! Lol
Wow thanks for this bit of info I grew up in the Chicago area and remember when Metra came into existence and while I remember those colors the way I remember them from back in the day they looked quite a bit different than these do but am glad they are using them to pay tribute to the early days
Interesting looking Locomotives! Can’t wait to see them in Service!
That horn is a Nathan Airchime K5LLAR1. These horns are actually common for newer SD70s as I railfan in Canada where we get not only GEVO locomotives but also sometimes the occasional SD70AC leading a train. The K5LLA is very easy to identify as the longest bell which is in the middle of horn is facing backwards instead of all bells facing forwards as seen in the more common K5LA.
Awesome video on this new unit with lots of great angles! The lower side stripe that's orange with the maroon line in it looks like this might be paying homage to the Milwaukee north line, maybe one of the next units will be yellow with a green line in it for UP-West!?
Super video! Nice locomotives and trains! Good work! Thumbs Up
Greetings from Dublin
Andrew
Great footage and information, fantastic work!
i seen this loco today she was headed by the same CSX locos through defiance, Ohio on its way to Chicago did not realize it was Metra until this upload
5:51 I’m surprised they used a K5LLA. That’s the first time I’ve heard of that horn on a passenger locomotive.
Very awesome shots! Loved the commentary too!
I just saw that Metra engine in the South Suburb in Chicago yesterday!!!
Hopefully the horns play La Cucaracha, we installed a set of air-horns in my brother's car that played that tune when we were young and happy.
That engine is a beast
You have to go to Chicago if you love trains. Chicago is the railroad capital of the world.
Another great video!
That is one awesome Metra locomotive
Neat, worked for KCS for a few years. Rode in many of SD-70 MAC's.
I love metra sd70mach look so awesome
Thank you very much for the video of this really attractive locomotive.
It just occured to me a couple days ago. These MACH's are going to be the most powerful Passenger EMD's. The FP45's and SDP45's only made 3,600, and all the passenger EMD's since them were 3,000 HP or slightly more. 4,000 is a nice change!
The old NJ Transit (Erie Lackawanna) U34CH's technically had 3600 HP, but 200 was dedicated to running the HEP so they were running 3400 HP.
The EMD F125 in current production makes 4700 HP
Metra's MP M36PH-3S => M36PH-3C have 3600 HP prime mover with the 3Cs having a Caerpillar C-27 as the HEP generator.
Good report. My life has been just fine and I too have not been to Chicago either. Happy holidays, friend!
Engineer saw you so he said "im going to move a little bit forward so take a gooood look"
If you come to Chicago, come to valley model railroad in south Elgin
Asombroso esquema me encanta,a mí me gustaría que reconstruyeran los SD90 mac para carga que están parados saludos desde Argentina.
CSX has another Howell yard where i live in Evansville Indiana
GREAT video!
If you do make a visit to Illinois Illinois Railway museum in Union Illinois is an absolute must!
@V12 Productions -
Usually nothing about "METRA" is "badass" but too often just bad, like plans to refit + regear old cargo locomotives to passenger locomoties (METRA only liked EMDs), while "NJ transit" does tons of upgrades to it´s entire rail network ...
see the "Ala...n Fis...er" videos:
"Metra Exemplifies Everything Wrong with American Passenger Rail " &
" NJ transit vs Metra with future plans"
(yes, both are inside USA)
(note: some words must sound funny because of YT´s auto-censorship)
cant wait to see it on the rails up here
I hope all those MACS get a 2nd chance at life in some way.
Will these new ones be used for both freight and passenger trains? Maybe occasional excursions too?
I am personally I HUGE fan of the new Metra SD70MACH’s
And it’s coming to us!
The choice of horn to be used on these units is fairly abnormal for Metra. In this footage #502 wears a New Widefont Raised Letter K5LLAR1L with a 1 piece Diecast 1L. Very interesting outfit for passenger service and I assume Metra has ordered all of the future conversions with these horns.
I didn’t even realize there were any tracks left in Thomaston
great video
Man though Metra loves the EMD locomotives so much wished they got the F125 like Metrolink has in California but I’m guessing it’s more expensive
The F125 use Cummins Prime movers instead of EMD Prime movers and if Metra would get some F125s they would have to be modified with a EMD 1010 Prime mover.
The red beacon light is for the layover system which is a system for the battery charger, water immersion heater to keep the water at a hot temperature so it doesn’t freeze and for the oil heater. They use layover when the engine is shut down for long periods of time so that way it has little difficulty starting back up. The engines are supposed to start revenue service on the BNSF “Racetrack” in February 2023.
More accurately, the red beacon will turn on to indicate a failure of the layover system. It’s not illuminated if the system is working as intended.
I saw one of these locomotives on a csx train not that long ago and it was cool
That is a very nice livery. It looks infinitely better than a Siemens Charger
What a beauty
The second SD70MACH Metra ordered is being delivered to Chicago for Metra. The second one is numbered 502. A new update on metra new SD70MACH fleet.
the horn on the sd70mach is a k5la
Nathans Airchime K5LA for the horn.
Good job and hmmm looks like a K5LAR24
Nicely done.
It might be a a K5 HLA