Railway Preservation News :: View topic - Locomotive Hauled PRR MP54 Suburban Coaches

This past July, the RMLI had to disposed of their MP54 RPO and combine, as the cars were in a state of collapse, and were dangerous to the public.

IIRC, the Metroliner MU design that came out about the time Penn Central (PC) was formed would have been an MP65 (?) in PRR nomenclature.

....as I recall--the Wilmington & Western has at least two operable/running and had a couple projects in the back of the enginehouse last time I looked. The excursion line that ran for a very short time on the nearby Octararo in the 1990s also had MP54s, and I know I've seen others about--Walkersville Southern?

One of those 11 was sold to Queen Ann's Railroad (they also sold the QA the 0-6-0T, #3) and I believe this is the one now in service on the Walkersville Southern...and I also know that the WS was in the process of buying 2 other ones from the W&W....dunno if that sale ever went through.

Author:	Frank Hicks [ Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:59 am ]
Post subject:	Re: LIRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
Richard Glueck wrote: This past July, the RMLI had to disposed of their MP54 RPO and combine, as the cars were in a state of collapse, and were dangerous to the public. RMLI scrapped 4209 and 1391? I hadn't realized their condition was that bad. There's an MP54 at the fairgrounds in Syracuse, NY which seems to be pretty well maintained, and MP54's at the Seashore Trolley Museum and Connecticut Trolley Museum which are suffering from benign neglect. Besides those and the RMLI cars, the only LIRR MP54 I know of is combine 1398, which last I heard was serving in a pseudo-preserved capacity as the Port Jefferson Station-Terryville Chamber of Commerce.

Author:	JimBoylan [ Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:21 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: LIRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
Dougvv wrote: IIRC, the Metroliner MU design that came out about the time Penn Central (PC) was formed would have been an MP65 (?) in PRR nomenclature. I think they were MP85, 85 feet long over the vestibules. I think that the Long Island "Double Deck" cars were MP70 and may have been the last to be measured over the body corner posts excluding the vestibules. A MBM62 was a Motor Baggage Mail combine with no vestibules, so it was measured over the entire body, even though the roof and floor were the same length as a MP54, which was measured over the body corner posts excluding the vestibules. I think the Long Island "Double Deck" MU trailers were T70, but I don't know about the PRR MU trailers. Early Long Island 49 foot long MU cars, about the same size as an Interborough Rapid Transit elevated car, were MP41.

Author:	Richard Glueck [ Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:39 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: LIRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
The RPO was cut up two weeks ago. The combine is either being scrapped at this moment or will be cut up in the immediate future. These cars were in the worst of condition. In fact, the RPO collapsed in on itself as it was being cut up.

Author:	Dougvv [ Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:06 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: LIRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
Thanks. MP85s. I was sort of close. 8P

Author:	junior [ Fri Aug 03, 2007 2:18 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Locomotive Hauled PRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
Alexander D. Mitchell IV wrote: ....as I recall--the Wilmington & Western has at least two operable/running and had a couple projects in the back of the enginehouse last time I looked. The excursion line that ran for a very short time on the nearby Octararo in the 1990s also had MP54s, and I know I've seen others about--Walkersville Southern? Actually, the Brandywine Scenic used DL&W cab cars which are now at the Cooperstown & Charolette Valley Rwy up in NY. W&W has owned over the years, 11 MP54's. They currently have I believe 7 on the property of which one is currently used as the "open car." One of those 11 was sold to Queen Ann's Railroad (they also sold the QA the 0-6-0T, #3) and I believe this is the one now in service on the Walkersville Southern.....and I also know that the WS was in the process of buying 2 other ones from the W&W....dunno if that sale ever went through. Biggest problem with the MP's is if all the equipment has been removed from underneath (battery boxes, electrical equip, etc.) and the spring rigging in the trucks has not been adjusted, the cars sway and rock too much...almost like you are riding on a boat. This was one of the main reasons W&W didn't use them too often. Their open car has had its' riggin readjusted (extra coil springs removed) as far as I know. Otherwise, they are your generic commuter car modernized in the 1940's or later....sturdy and very appealing IMO for any tourist operation.

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Author:	Tim Moriarty [ Sun Oct 20, 2013 5:56 pm ]
Post subject:	Re: Locomotive Hauled PRR MP54 Suburban Coaches
Quote: One of those 11 was sold to Queen Ann's Railroad (they also sold the QA the 0-6-0T, #3) and I believe this is the one now in service on the Walkersville Southern...and I also know that the WS was in the process of buying 2 other ones from the W&W....dunno if that sale ever went through. The WS has four MP54s (7045, 7128, the Southampton, and one in rough shape currently under restoration) but they came from the West Virginia Northern and Gettysburg, not the QARR. As for the purchase of cars from the W&W, that didn't work out and no W&W cars came to Walkersville. I wasn't involved in that deal but I do know that no MP54 cars came to the WS from the W&W.

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