Not sure if this was posted before, but stolen from Trains Newswire, news of giveaway of old Metra bi-level commuter cars:http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/005/959azopx.aspWe handled some of these on the D&H recently. The ones I was in appeared to be in good condition.

Unfortunately, this tells an incomplete story.In order to qualify for the "free" or giveaway cars, one has to be a qualified transit agency that receives Federal funding. The "sale" is more accurately a Federal funding transfer, made by accounting juggling. This is done because Federal funding was used to rehabilitate the cars extensively during their lives; as the cars still have some reuse capability, Metra is required to make this offer. As far as I know, a museum or excursion line is not going to qualify for these freebies.There is a broker in the Chicago area that went in and hand-picked the 40-50 best (mechanical condition) ex-C&NW bilevel cars for rebuild and sale/lease. A couple of these are en route to Tacoma as I type for use on that 2100 trip--much to my surprise. Unfortunately, that broker is losing his shirt on these cars, as the Federal program basically stabbed him in the back AFTER he started up a rebuild program, aiming for resale to VRE, MARC, New Mexico, etc. The cars are supposedly in incredibly sound condition, fit for another 25-40 years of service; the only problem is that the interiors are less than stellar without a true upgrade to the same standard of transit seating that most agencies now have. (However, with the standing-room-only crowds of VRE, any seat would be a plus.)

I do believe that some of these cars have wound up with the NYSW Historical society and are currently being used in the 142 steam excursions in Phillipsburg, NJ.

Sandy,But what has to be said, and the reason METRA is retiring the equipment; is that they do not meet the present standards for ADA and emergency window sizing. Although some of these features may be grandfathered (that is why VRE and MARC may legally use the cars), METRA has dedicated local funding and was able to in one fell swoop enter the 21st century of railcar regulatory design. MARC, which does not have the political will to fund new equipment, is using the equipment to get out of a ridership jam.I handled the negotiations for the MARC acquisition, and everything you have stated in regards to FTA funding is factual, including the part about the broker s****ing himself; he did it to them on the E units that MARC got through him in 1993 also, in that WSMTD* had to pay a penalty to FTA for not returning their 80% cut of the proceeds of the disposition. I believe that the net result after the broker's commision was paid byWSMTD was negative. It also meant that MARC paid $100,000 ea. for locomotives they could have gotten for $20,000 cash and transfer of FTA ownership.Steve Zuiderveen*West Suburban Mass Transit District, actual owner of the METRA West lines equipment.

In all fairness as well, I will point out that he has attempted in the past to deal with museums and excursion operations that also want seats badly enough to say "the heck with unconventional bilevel appearance, we need seats!" Unfortunately, he claims every attempt of his to deal "realistically" on a business-like basis with any museum or excursion operation has ended up costing him far more than he has made. I've personally participated in the repossession of one car from a "deadbeat" client; and I hear the acquisition of a couple more by another operation nearly caused a total management shake-up in said operation (related more to budgetary expenditure issues and spending authority than the condition of the cars, which got nailed by graffiti vandals while in storage). Right now, I think he would rather scrap the remaining cars rather than deal with any other preservationists. Hence, my astonishment at hearing a couple of these cars had been promised to the Tacoma 2100 trips--this probably means that the excursion operators are on the up-and-up as business men, or the broker wouldn't have given them the time of day.It just goes to show, the easiest way to make a small fortune in rail passenger operations is to start with a HUGE fortune. Just ask any PV operator.

There are about 20-25 of these cars in Salt Lake City now, parked at the old UP diesel shops.

Interesting news about some of the bilevels going to Tacoma for the 2100. I assume someone knows they will need some source of HEP and undoubtedly that is not something the 2100 can furnish. Sure be a bummer to load up the cars to find them hot, dark, and stuffy.Bob Kutella

Judging from the ones currently running in Phillipsburg, NJ behind the 142, these cars have a big immediate problem: their windows are so fogged that you can't see out of them. Any of these cars that is to be put into service immediately will need all new windows.Chris.

Which MARC Train service did. 100% type II glass emergency windows.Steve

Fogged windows - that has always been a problem on these cars once they received FRA Lexan glazing. Just gets too easily scratched up, such as by a trip through the car washers. Not an inexpensive propostion to pop all those out of the rubber gaskets and replace. Maybe there is an opportunity for a corporate sponsor here with the tag line "Nothing beats glass!"Bob Kutella