Questions surface over NJ Transit's decision to leave 300 rail cars exposed

[Harry]

[float=left][/float]Each time James Weinstein explains how NJ Transit left 300 rail cars exposed to the floodwaters of Hurricane Sandy, he becomes a little more stern, more resolute.

 

"I can tell you unequivocally: The decisions on where to keep and move our rail cars and locomotives were sound, based on the best weather models and forecasts, historical experience and other information we had at the time, mid-day Sunday, when we had to launch the railroad shutdown," the NJ Transit executive director told the Assembly Transportation Committee Monday. "The facts are, the weather models we used at the time indicated an 80- to 90-percent chance that the Meadows Maintenance Complex in Kearny and the western portion of the Hoboken rail yards would stay dry."

 

Read more: NJ.COM

[Shortline Bus]

And since we were doing grade evaulation in thread Alan aka Brooklyn Bus about our region political, transit and utilitiy companies fares for Sandy i say this.

http://www.nyctransi...890#entry618890

 

 

 

Weinstein gets a minus grade IMO for his handling of Sandy. I know some ppl. want to discredit Gov. Christie but IMO he does little in terms of hand on decision making on mass transit issues.

 

Only reason Weinstein does not get a grade was that like Chairman Lhota across the Hudson with his system, Weinstein and his employees was able to get his trains, buses and light rail fairly quick. However losing 300 cars at a time NJT is getting at or near record ridership is a huge downer.

[theaveragejoe]

And since we were doing grade evaulation in thread Alan aka Brooklyn Bus about our region political, transit and utilitiy companies fares for Sandy i say this.

http://www.nyctransi...890#entry618890

 

 

 

Weinstein gets a minus grade IMO for his handling of Sandy. I know some ppl. want to discredit Gov. Christie but IMO he does little in terms of hand on decision making on mass transit issues.

 

Only reason Weinstein does not get a grade was that like Chairman Lhota across the Hudson with his system, Weinstein and his employees was able to get his trains, buses and light rail fairly quick. However losing 300 cars at a time NJT is getting at or near record ridership is a huge downer.

 

 

I would blame NJT for not keeping some of the older Comets that were in better shape. Not all of them were scraped some of them live on for other commuter roads.

[pjbr40]

i cant blame anyone IMO. You folk forgot one thing. Mother Nature Rule!!! No matter how hard they tried to put their stuff in safe haven place, mother nature will get there and do her job.

[theaveragejoe]

i cant blame anyone IMO. You folk forgot one thing. Mother Nature Rule!!! No matter how hard they tried to put their stuff in safe haven place, mother nature will get there and do her job.

 

 

My beef with NJT is getting rid of commuter equipement that still could have been kept for reserve/spare fleet. The ALP44's, GP40FH-2's and The F40PH-2CAT's ones lease to AMT ,The Comet III's , and some of the Comet II's in better shape could have been kept around longer.

[Jamaica Express]

My beef with NJT is getting rid of commuter equipement that still could have been kept for reserve/spare fleet. The ALP44's, GP40FH-2's and The F40PH-2CAT's ones lease to AMT ,The Comet III's , and some of the Comet II's in better shape could have been kept around longer.

 

 

There was no point in keeping the GP40's around, since the PL42's and ALP45's were being delivered. The F40's that were sent to Canada was a blessing, those things were plagued with mechanical and oil leakage issues. The Comet III's were SUPPOSED to be rebuilt, however NJT found it more economical to replace them with newer Multilevel Cars since the rehab process would have just been just as expensive. As for the ALP44's, I agree, they could have at least kept or sold the ALP44M's built in 1996. But again, it was decided it would be more economically efficient to order additional ALP46A's as opposed to rebuild the 44's.

[theaveragejoe]

There was no point in keeping the GP40's around, since the PL42's and ALP45's were being delivered. The F40's that were sent to Canada was a blessing, those things were plagued with mechanical and oil leakage issues. The Comet III's were SUPPOSED to be rebuilt, however NJT found it more economical to replace them with newer Multilevel Cars since the rehab process would have just been just as expensive. As for the ALP44's, I agree, they could have at least kept or sold the ALP44M's built in 1996. But again, it was decided it would be more economically efficient to order additional ALP46A's as opposed to rebuild the 44's.

 

Funny that NJT and the State have no money but money was wasted on buying too much new equipment. NJT could have saved some cash on rebuilding this equipment as ordering new equipment. With the money saved they could have sped up system expansion. Also the GP40FH-2's and The F40PH-2CAT's running on AMT ran fine, just that NJT didnt maintain them. AMT has since bought ex GO F59PH's so the NJT locos will be heading back to NJT soon.

[Jamaica Express]

Funny that NJT and the State have no money but money was wasted on buying too much new equipment. NJT could have saved some cash on rebuilding this equipment as ordering new equipment. With the money saved they could have sped up system expansion. Also the GP40FH-2's and The F40PH-2CAT's running on AMT ran fine, just that NJT didnt maintain them. AMT has since bought ex GO F59PH's so the NJT locos will be heading back to NJT soon.

 

 

As long as Christie is in office, system expansion in regards to new lines will be non-existent, he's not exactly a fan of transit and if you live and/or work in NJ you will know what I mean. NJT's view on ordering new equipment verse rehabbing was, what's the point of refurbishing old equipment when the process is going to cost just as much as new equipment but only have 1/2 the life cycle.Although I must admit, I've always been slightly suspicious of those "rehab costs just as much as new equipment" claims because back when the Comet II's were rehabbed, I'm pretty sure that costed no more than 100 million or a little over, for all 160 cars (IIB's included). Metro-North refurbished their 64 Comet II's for 34 million. So I don't know where they got off claiming the III's being rebuilt would have costed just as much as new Multi-levels.The GP40's would have stuck around if the ALP45's were never ordered. With ARC being CANCELED, which still makes my blood boil until this day..the ALP45's are without a doubt the biggest waste of money NJT has probably ever spent. They have no plans on running them into NYP anytime soon, if ever, and the trains they haul are no longer than 6 cars, which could easily have been handled by existing diesels. PL42's are great, they can haul 10-car single level consist or 8-car Multis which is something none of the other "normal" diesels can do. Same for the 46's/46A's. As said before though those 44M's could have at least been kept for electric service on the Hoboken Service side where trains don't need to be any longer than 5 cars on the Montclair/Gladstone Locals.

[qjtransitmaster]

As long as Christie is in office, system expansion in regards to new lines will be non-existent, he's not exactly a fan of transit and if you live and/or work in NJ you will know what I mean. NJT's view on ordering new equipment verse rehabbing was, what's the point of refurbishing old equipment when the process is going to cost just as much as new equipment but only have 1/2 the life cycle.Although I must admit, I've always been slightly suspicious of those "rehab costs just as much as new equipment" claims because back when the Comet II's were rehabbed, I'm pretty sure that costed no more than 100 million or a little over, for all 160 cars (IIB's included). Metro-North refurbished their 64 Comet II's for 34 million. So I don't know where they got off claiming the III's being rebuilt would have costed just as much as new Multi-levels.The GP40's would have stuck around if the ALP45's were never ordered. With ARC being CANCELED, which still makes my blood boil until this day..the ALP45's are without a doubt the biggest waste of money NJT has probably ever spent. They have no plans on running them into NYP anytime soon, if ever, and the trains they haul are no longer than 6 cars, which could easily have been handled by existing diesels. PL42's are great, they can haul 10-car single level consist or 8-car Multis which is something none of the other "normal" diesels can do. Same for the 46's/46A's. As said before though those 44M's could have at least been kept for electric service on the Hoboken Service side where trains don't need to be any longer than 5 cars on the Montclair/Gladstone Locals.

 

alp45 aren't those dual modes that can kill off bay head shuttles?

[Jamaica Express]

alp45 aren't those dual modes that can kill off bay head shuttles?

 

 

Theoretically yes, but there is an FDNY restriction on these engines, they apparently feel its not safe to have that much fuel underground around people (the ALP45's have more fuel than Amtrak and LIRR's dual modes) plus NJT has no desire to use them for NY service...don't ask why?..makes no sense? yes I know

[qjtransitmaster]

Theoretically yes, but there is an FDNY restriction on these engines, they apparently feel its not safe to have that much fuel underground around people (the ALP45's have more fuel than Amtrak and LIRR's dual modes) plus NJT has no desire to use them for NY service...don't ask why?..makes no sense? yes I know

 

then why not use for hoboken booton service through to hackettstown?

[theaveragejoe]

As long as Christie is in office, system expansion in regards to new lines will be non-existent, he's not exactly a fan of transit and if you live and/or work in NJ you will know what I mean. NJT's view on ordering new equipment verse rehabbing was, what's the point of refurbishing old equipment when the process is going to cost just as much as new equipment but only have 1/2 the life cycle.Although I must admit, I've always been slightly suspicious of those "rehab costs just as much as new equipment" claims because back when the Comet II's were rehabbed, I'm pretty sure that costed no more than 100 million or a little over, for all 160 cars (IIB's included). Metro-North refurbished their 64 Comet II's for 34 million. So I don't know where they got off claiming the III's being rebuilt would have costed just as much as new Multi-levels.The GP40's would have stuck around if the ALP45's were never ordered. With ARC being CANCELED, which still makes my blood boil until this day..the ALP45's are without a doubt the biggest waste of money NJT has probably ever spent. They have no plans on running them into NYP anytime soon, if ever, and the trains they haul are no longer than 6 cars, which could easily have been handled by existing diesels. PL42's are great, they can haul 10-car single level consist or 8-car Multis which is something none of the other "normal" diesels can do. Same for the 46's/46A's. As said before though those 44M's could have at least been kept for electric service on the Hoboken Service side where trains don't need to be any longer than 5 cars on the Montclair/Gladstone Locals.

 

I agree I think its BS as Metro North rebuild their Comet II's for cheap and also they are running Shoreline cars from 1983 and 1987 which are very close to the Comet cars. Reason why NJT has no money is poor management. There is no reason with the current funds spend on NJT that the system couldnt be run better. Cancelling ARC is only gonna cost them more in the long run. Just like AMT (Montreal) those ALP45's have been a waste of money as they arent being run as they were built to do so dam shame to the people of NJ with there hard earned tax dollars at waste again.

[mfs NJT459]

The senate bill for $60 billion in Sandy relief aid was passed today, will go to the President for signing, I wonder if NJT will apply for any of that money for repairs of their railcars and dual mode locomotives