Staten Island Railway Gets New Locomotives
2 of the 4 new locomotives for the Staten Island Railway. Photo courtesy of the MTA.
Earlier this month, the MTA announced that it will take delivery on 4 new locomotives for the Staten Island Railway. They issued a press release about it via e-mail:
MTA New York City Transit’s Staten Island Railway (SIR) is taking delivery of four new diesel locomotives manufactured by the Brookville Equipment Corporation of Brookville, Pennsylvania.
The locomotives traveled by rail to Port Newark and then by barge to the Stapleton Home Port. The cars were lifted by crane and trucked to the Clifton, where they were again lifted by crane and placed onto the tracks. They will undergo testing for about a month before entering service.
These new locomotives will replace four old second-hand locomotives: two that date from 1968 and two that date from 1940’s. They will be used year-round to support maintenance-of-way efforts in maintaining tracks, right-of-way and structures. They will be used daily during the autumn months to propel work equipment that steam-clean the running rails and apply traction-enhancing gel. In addition, during winter months, they can be used to clear the line in the event of a major snowstorm. And, they may even be used to haul passenger cars to maintain limited service should there be a temporary third rail outage.
Funded in 2006 with an $8.8 million capital budget, the final cost came in significantly under budget at approximately $1.6 million per locomotive. The locomotives were part of a combined order that totaled 16 units: six for Metro North Railroad, six for Connecticut DOT and four for Staten Island Railway. These low-emission locomotives each weigh 230,000 pounds with 2250 horsepower and are expected to remain in service for 35 years.
Purchases like these are just an example of why the MTA needs proper funding. These new locomotives will be very useful for the operation of the Staten Island Railway. Now just imagine if the agency’s finances continue to spiral out of control due to a lack of proper funding. If the continued lack of funding continued to be the status quo, you will see less & less of useful purchases such as these locomotives. In the long run, not only will the MTA suffer but so will its riders.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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MTA should directly connect Staten Island to the rest of the Subway System, no transfers to a ferry and no out of the way hike for a shortchanged S98 bus. Lets go politicians, get off you rears and do whats obvious already!
FED UP WITH THE TRAFFIC!