Septa says "Farewell" to their AEM-7's

Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum

Help Support Amtrak Unlimited Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Acela150

Super Buff
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Messages
9,348
Location
Somewhere between here and there
This Saturday the First of December. Septa will officially run a "Farewell to the AEM-7" Excursion of sorts. See the link for details. 

I also have information that a Rules Instructor at Septa had proposed a much more Rail Fan friendly trip that would have included High Speed Running, Photostops, and would have been an all day jaunt. To make it better Septa ran it by Amtrak.. Amtrak gave it the ok! Septa in turn decided against it for some reason. 

http://www.septa.org/events/aem7-farewell.html
 
I believe NJ Transit might still have some of their units in service (they call them ALP-44s). 

NJ_Transit_ABB_ALP-44M_4430.jpg
 
I believe NJ Transit might still have some of their units in service (they call them ALP-44s). 

They took those out of service a long time ago. Also, the ALP-44 is a different locomotive model than the AEM-7. They’re similar, but they don’t just “call them ALP-44s”. It’s a different loco.
 
Darn, darn, darn--I would have loved to do this, but I am committed to a bus trip to Cape May that day :( . I'm going with a friend, otherwise I would cancel and do this instead.
 
I also have information that a Rules Instructor at Septa had proposed a much more Rail Fan friendly trip that would have included High Speed Running, Photostops, and would have been an all day jaunt. To make it better Septa ran it by Amtrak.. Amtrak gave it the ok! Septa in turn decided against it for some reason.
Well that’s a shame. I would have loved to try something like that. Still, I’ll see if I can make it for the one that is happening. Fingers crossed.
 
They took those out of service a long time ago. Also, the ALP-44 is a different locomotive model than the AEM-7. They’re similar, but they don’t just “call them ALP-44s”. It’s a different loco.
What are the differences, then? 
 
Unfortunately I don’t really know the exact differences. Just that they are two different models built by two different manufacturers.
A little Wiki research provides some clarity.

The original Sweedish Locomotive, the SJ  RC4... The engine in this locomotive was the basis for the AEM-7, built via a joint venture between EMD and the Sweedish AESA company and produced between 1978 - 1988.  Hence, the name "Sweedish Meatballs."

sj-rc4-1186.jpg

In 1989, NJ Transit commissioned AESA (now merged with the Brown, Boveri & Cie Co. of Switzerland to form the ABB Group), to have its ABB Traction Div. build a variant of the AEM-7 exclusively for them, between 1989 - 1997.  Hence, the ALP-44.  
 
Last edited by a moderator:
AESA is actually ASEA which stands for Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (General Swedish Electric Company)

ABB divested its rail equipment manufacturing functions which was acquired by DaimlerChrysler to form DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems around 1999, which changed its name to Adtranz. Adtranz was acquired by Bombardier in 2001, and its Tram division was divested to Stadler as required by the European Commission, thus making Stadler a viable company in the rail equipment market. So by inheritance, it is Bombardier that provides whatever spares etc. for all RC4 and derivatives that are still around.
 

1@Acela150[/USER] I don’t see the cost listed on that page. Is it free or is it the typical fare for that segment or what?
So that's pretty much a Million Dollar Question. Welcome to Septa where it's run by a bunch of idiots. The rumors say either Free or the cost of a regular ticket. I'm not going for this exact reason. I need to know the cost. And I don't think I'll be out trying to get photos cause the weather is supposed to be rainy. 

 
I'm assuming it's also an unreserved service. Which I'm going to say is a horrible idea. Either the train is going to be so packed that it won't be enjoyable with standing pax or it'll be empty because no one is going to commit to it. Reservations are a good thing for any excursions.
 
I'm assuming it's also an unreserved service. Which I'm going to say is a horrible idea. Either the train is going to be so packed that it won't be enjoyable with standing pax or it'll be empty because no one is going to commit to it. Reservations are a good thing for any excursions.
And how do you propose Septa go about that? They don't have a reservations system. The same reason that NJT sold tickets for the ACES Service through Amtrak. 

The consist will be 2301 4 coaches and 2305. 
 
AESA is actually ASEA which stands for Allmänna Svenska Elektriska Aktiebolaget (General Swedish Electric Company)

ABB divested its rail equipment manufacturing functions which was acquired by DaimlerChrysler to form DaimlerChrysler Rail Systems around 1999, which changed its name to Adtranz. Adtranz was acquired by Bombardier in 2001, and its Tram division was divested to Stadler as required by the European Commission, thus making Stadler a viable company in the rail equipment market. So by inheritance, it is Bombardier that provides whatever spares etc. for all RC4 and derivatives that are still around.
However, when ABB divested its rail traction business, certain parts were kept within the ABB fold due to synergies with other (non transportation) parts of the business that shared research and manuafcturing resources. For example ABB continued to make transformers and also auxiliary converters, and also some other things. At the time of the divestment, ABB and Bombardier signed an agreement, I think for a 10 year duration, that they would not compete in these areas and this essentially barred ABB from going back into the train buiness.

Now that that grace period has expired, ABB are again making converters and drive chains and also motors and supplying these to both Bombardier and Bombardier's competitors. Stadler trains (at least the more recent deliveries)  for example almost all use ABB converters. Siemens' ICE-3 has an ABB transformer. Some of the ICE-1 trains were recently retrofitted with ABB converters, as were the Swiss Re460 locomotives. ABB has also succesfully tendered for and acquired contracts to do maintenance, retrofit and repairs on Swedish locomotives including the Rc4 and derivatives. 
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Well I am going to try and see if I can find out the price, as I am interested in going. If any other AUers are at all interested, please send me a PM, as that would really seal it for me. :)  
 
Oh, I really hope someone goes and takes photos and posts them here :) . That way, those of us who were idiotic enough to be talked into a bus trip with 4 hours total on NJ roads that day, and cannot see a polite way to get out of it, can see what we really would have liked to do instead and had to miss! :(

The weather says PM showers, so the train trip may avoid rain completely. :unsure:

If any of you go, please say goodbye to the AEM-7s for me. I really liked them and will miss them. :(
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There are ways to run a reserved trip without a reservation system.

Take the Lancaster and Cheater RR in South Carolina who ran a very popular Christmas train for five plus years with five PVs. They didn't have a res system so this how they did the ticketing.

The passengers would call the office phone and request tickets. Then they set them aside for a week till your check arrived in the mail. Afterwards the check arrived they mailed you the ticket.

Of course they had all paper tickets so it was really easy to control inventory that way. They ran a total of twelve different trains like this over a weekend.

The septa trip would be really easy to handle as a one off trip.
 
Yeah so I have concluded that it’s just the standard fare for that route, however I’m having a hard time figuring out what that fare actually is. I know that Paoli is Zone 4 and Suburban is Zone 1, but I don’t see the price of a 4 to 1 ticket listed anywhere. Can someone familiar with SEPTA direct me to a link or something that lists those prices? I take it I’m the only one planning on going to this?
 
Yeah so I have concluded that it’s just the standard fare for that route, however I’m having a hard time figuring out what that fare actually is. I know that Paoli is Zone 4 and Suburban is Zone 1, but I don’t see the price of a 4 to 1 ticket listed anywhere. Can someone familiar with SEPTA direct me to a link or something that lists those prices? I take it I’m the only one planning on going to this?
Suburban is NOT Zone 1. It's Zone "C". If you buy in advance at the ticket office it's $10.50 round trip. 
 
Ok then. Well since it’s going to be pretty early and I’m not sure how I’d get to Paoli (or even Pennsylvania) in the first place, I guess I’m not going. RIP, AEM-7s. :(
 
Back
Top