Status of the P-40s?

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MattW

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I tried searching for the big topic where we were talking about the P-40s but the search wouldn't pickup any of the terms like Ivy (for Ivy city) or P-40.

So what's the latest? Anyone know?
 
Last I heard 5 of the 15 were at Beech Grove and in theory at least one or two are currently in the shop undergoing the planned work.

I've heard nothing on when they might start releasing any to service, much less when more might be moved from storage to BG.
 
well this contradicts what a member on the "other forum said" he said that the engines are going to cost more to overhaul then expected and that only 5 will be returned to service. he said he got it from a source who wanted that info out right away.
 
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amtrakwolverine said:
well this contradicts what a member on the "other forum said" he said that the engines are going to cost more to overhaul then expected and that only 5 will be returned to service. he said he got it from a source who wanted that info out right away.
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Not to contradict you but Alan says in his post only 5 engines were in Indiana getting restored...
 
Long Train Runnin said:
amtrakwolverine said:
well this contradicts what a member on the "other forum said" he said that the engines are going to cost more to overhaul then expected and that only 5 will be returned to service. he said he got it from a source who wanted that info out right away.
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Not to contradict you but Alan says in his post only 5 engines were in Indiana getting restored...
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That's true, but if Hokie saw 5 more sitting in Ivy City, just north of DC, that means that Amtrak is getting them ready for transfer to Beech Grove. So at the very least, even if that report that AW saw was right that the costs are higher than expected for this program, Amtrak still plans to at least get 10 on the road. Which does contradict the post that AW saw, which according to AW said only 5 would ever get done.
 
When can we expect one of these P40s to be on the road?
 
AlanB said:
Long Train Runnin said:
amtrakwolverine said:
well this contradicts what a member on the "other forum said" he said that the engines are going to cost more to overhaul then expected and that only 5 will be returned to service. he said he got it from a source who wanted that info out right away.
Click to expand...
Not to contradict you but Alan says in his post only 5 engines were in Indiana getting restored...
Click to expand...
That's true, but if Hokie saw 5 more sitting in Ivy City, just north of DC, that means that Amtrak is getting them ready for transfer to Beech Grove. So at the very least, even if that report that AW saw was right that the costs are higher than expected for this program, Amtrak still plans to at least get 10 on the road. Which does contradict the post that AW saw, which according to AW said only 5 would ever get done.
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That information that AW's talking about came out after the P40's were moved down to Ivy City. Since these have been sitting there much longer than the first batch, the conclusion that I draw is that they moved the 5 to Ivy City in early July, then realized that there was going to be a lot more work/money involved in restoring them and they're sitting there pending a decision to be made. I'd imagine that Amtrak can't very well move them back to storage and admit defeat and doesn't want to move them to BG where they'll just take up space, so they'll continue to sit in Ivy City until this is resolved.

But, that's nothing more than conjecture on my part, and assumes that this rumor is true.
 
Well by now I think the oly train they are destined for is the Auto Train, so they'll need to get some more out (not 5, but maybe 2 or 3). Also they might as well move the ones they can't use back/to Bear/Beech Grove.
 
Well it's also entirely feasible they just wanted to clear up space in Wilmington, but not clutter up BG, so they're sitting in Ivy City. When I saw them last week the 513 was coupled up with them. Until you see them go back to Wilmington I'm just going to assume the program is on as planned. With as long as these engines have been down it's not exactly an overnight process to get these back up. Remember that most of these were stored before they received the much needed overhaul they were due for. So not only do you have to get them back up to where they were, but you have to do overhaul too. IIRC they're also being ACSES outfitted, and that adds a little time too.
 
As for the cars in Ivy City,they were stored in Bear, not Wilmington, and if they will be refurbished then they will be sent to Beech Grove, not Wilmington.
 
cpamtfan said:
Well by now I think the oly train they are destined for is the Auto Train, so they'll need to get some more out (not 5, but maybe 2 or 3). Also they might as well move the ones they can't use back/to Bear/Beech Grove.
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Well even if things are costing more than expected, and frankly I think that it's too early for Amtrak to really know for sure, they ought to be able to get out the original 5. If they can't get out 5, then that means that Amtrak so badly miscalculated things that it's costing 3 times what they expected. That's not good.
 
HokieNav said:
That information that AW's talking about came out after the P40's were moved down to Ivy City. Since these have been sitting there much longer than the first batch, the conclusion that I draw is that they moved the 5 to Ivy City in early July, then realized that there was going to be a lot more work/money involved in restoring them and they're sitting there pending a decision to be made. I'd imagine that Amtrak can't very well move them back to storage and admit defeat and doesn't want to move them to BG where they'll just take up space, so they'll continue to sit in Ivy City until this is resolved.
But, that's nothing more than conjecture on my part, and assumes that this rumor is true.
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I haven't gone looking for the old topic on the first 5, but it seems to me that when the first 5 got to Ivy City they were deemed to be unreliable enough to make the long run to Beech Grove as is. They were held for at least 3 weeks or so to have some work done to make them road worthy enough to make the run to BG. So if the next 5 were moved in early July, and according to Geoff only 817 got to Ivy City in July, the others got there in August, I'd say that the crews in Ivy City are doing the same type of work to make them road worthy enough to be towed to BG.
 
AlanB said:
cpamtfan said:
Well by now I think the oly train they are destined for is the Auto Train, so they'll need to get some more out (not 5, but maybe 2 or 3). Also they might as well move the ones they can't use back/to Bear/Beech Grove.
Click to expand...
Well even if things are costing more than expected, and frankly I think that it's too early for Amtrak to really know for sure, they ought to be able to get out the original 5. If they can't get out 5, then that means that Amtrak so badly miscalculated things that it's costing 3 times what they expected. That's not good.
Click to expand...

I meant some of the current P40s in Ivy City. Send two or three and there would probably be enough for the Auto Train.
 
AlanB said:
I haven't gone looking for the old topic on the first 5, but it seems to me that when the first 5 got to Ivy City they were deemed to be unreliable enough to make the long run to Beech Grove as is. They were held for at least 3 weeks or so to have some work done to make them road worthy enough to make the run to BG. So if the next 5 were moved in early July, and according to Geoff only 817 got to Ivy City in July, the others got there in August, I'd say that the crews in Ivy City are doing the same type of work to make them road worthy enough to be towed to BG.
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That's certainly possible - if my memory serves me correctly, it was early July when 817 made it to Ivy City (I commute past there every morning), so we're going on about 6 weeks of them sitting there. Also, when the first batch of 5 was being prepped, they moved around some and all 5 weren't seen together until about a week or so before they left. This batch of 5 has been sitting coupled together sitting out by themselves for 3-4 weeks now, so if they're doing any work on them, they're doing it out in the open, not in any of the buildings.

Like battalion51 said, the 513 has been coupled up with them for about a week now as well.
 
cpamtfan said:
AlanB said:
cpamtfan said:
Well by now I think the oly train they are destined for is the Auto Train, so they'll need to get some more out (not 5, but maybe 2 or 3). Also they might as well move the ones they can't use back/to Bear/Beech Grove.
Click to expand...
Well even if things are costing more than expected, and frankly I think that it's too early for Amtrak to really know for sure, they ought to be able to get out the original 5. If they can't get out 5, then that means that Amtrak so badly miscalculated things that it's costing 3 times what they expected. That's not good.
Click to expand...
I meant some of the current P40s in Ivy City. Send two or three and there would probably be enough for the Auto Train.
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Sorry, I misunderstood what you were saying. :(

And having given further thought to this idea that they're spending more on refurbishing these engines than planned, I really think that unlikely. Amtrak should know what it would cost, especially since they pulled out 10 of these engines and sold them off to New Jersey Transit and Metro North. It's not like this is the first time they took a P40 out of mothballs.
 
The P40s have been ready to roll to Beech Grove for about a week now and the special move is happening today from what I'm hearing. This time they're heading west on the Cardinal's schedule (even though the Cardinal isn't running today) from WAS to IND. Leaving in about 30 mins, arriving IND tomorrow morning and will be towed to BG sometime shortly thereafter.

Rafi
 
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