# MARC (Maryland Area Regional Commuter) Equipment



## jrud (Aug 23, 2018)

Anything directly related to MARC Equipment including locomotives, passenger cars, ticket machines, stations, PTC, etc.


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## jrud (Aug 23, 2018)

MARC has a few interesting equipment related items that have been spread around on this forum or have no obvious home. PTC and HHP-8 update are two examples. The MRAC (MARC Riders Advisory Council) Minutes are a place to start. https://mta.maryland.gov/marc-riders-advisory-council-meeting-minutes-0


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## Ryan (Aug 23, 2018)

There are plenty of other threads that discuss various aspects of MARC equipment.

If you have something specific to discuss, start a thread. We don't need a single rudderless thread with no real content.


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## cpotisch (Aug 23, 2018)

Ryan said:


> There are plenty of other threads that discuss various aspects of MARC equipment.
> 
> If you have something specific to discuss, start a thread. We don't need a single rudderless thread with no real content.


Agreed. I try to only start threads if I have a specific question or notable information that doesn't fit anywhere else.


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## jrud (Aug 24, 2018)

I’m used to aircraft and military forums that tend to have bigger topics (Indian Navy, F-35...). Very focused topics seem to wander way off topic quickly. In affect, they become a broader topic but not as easy to find. For example, the MARC and Amtrak HHP-8 failures discussion in the Amtrak Siemens Charger section. Or, the topics die quickly. The MARC Charger Starting Service topic had one older entry when I found it. Broader topics seem to last longer while still providing structure. The “what are you doing” topic on this forum may not be very specific but does get lots of posts. One other way is to introduce a more focussed hierarchy and have, for example, a DC area commuter category with smaller topics under it. Some of the larger rail forums use that idea successfully to make it easier to find info. In the end, posting is optional. TTFN


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## jrud (Aug 24, 2018)

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/news/Baltimore-transit-agency-gears-up-for-BWI-Airport-station-renovation--55434 This has been needed at BWI for a while.


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## MARC Rider (Aug 24, 2018)

jrud said:


> MARC has a few interesting equipment related items that have been spread around on this forum or have no obvious home. PTC and HHP-8 update are two examples. The MRAC (MARC Riders Advisory Council) Minutes are a place to start. https://mta.maryland.gov/marc-riders-advisory-council-meeting-minutes-0


Hey, I looked at the minutes of the last MRAC meeting, and I see that WMATA has eliminated the "metro option" for dealing with MARC/VRE meltdowns. (They let people ride Metro by showing a MARC or VRE ticket. I actually used that once when flooding on the Anacostia River caused all the Penn Line trains to terminate at New Carrolton..) Another boneheaded move by Metro to discourage people from taking public transportation. They really need to think regionally and have all of the different fiefdoms -- States, agencies, operators work together to make sure we poor harried commuters can get around without too much hassle. Traffic is bad enough as it is. Each rush hour MARC train has over 1,000 passengers. How would the jurisdictions like it if all of us started driving around in single occupancy vehicles? Think the Beltway is jammed up now? Heh, he, just wait.


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## bretton88 (Aug 24, 2018)

MARC Rider said:


> jrud said:
> 
> 
> > MARC has a few interesting equipment related items that have been spread around on this forum or have no obvious home. PTC and HHP-8 update are two examples. The MRAC (MARC Riders Advisory Council) Minutes are a place to start. https://mta.maryland.gov/marc-riders-advisory-council-meeting-minutes-0
> ...


These days I think the chances of a WMATA meltdown are greater than a MARC meltdown. Maybe that's why it was eliminated.


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## Trogdor (Aug 25, 2018)

jrud said:


> I’m used to aircraft and military forums that tend to have bigger topics (Indian Navy, F-35...). Very focused topics seem to wander way off topic quickly. In affect, they become a broader topic but not as easy to find. For example, the MARC and Amtrak HHP-8 failures discussion in the Amtrak Siemens Charger section. Or, the topics die quickly. The MARC Charger Starting Service topic had one older entry when I found it. Broader topics seem to last longer while still providing structure. The “what are you doing” topic on this forum may not be very specific but does get lots of posts. One other way is to introduce a more focussed hierarchy and have, for example, a DC area commuter category with smaller topics under it. Some of the larger rail forums use that idea successfully to make it easier to find info. In the end, posting is optional. TTFN


I generally dislike those broader topics in other forums. They tend to be about nothing in particular, and you miss important news because it’s buried amongst tons and tons of mundane stuff (My train was 6 minutes late...there’s a burnt out lightbulb on the platform at Martinsburg...the conductor dressed up like an old-timey railroad guy for Halloween...MARC just announced they’re electrifying the entire system and buying Japanese bullet trains...Some passengers missed the train because it departed from track 2 instead of track 1...What do you think of their current bilevel cars?...Here’s a photo I took of my friend riding MARC in 1995...etc.).

Then when someone who then learns of a big announcement and doesn’t see a topic about it, they create one, only to be jumped on by self-appointed thread police who say “That’s already being discussed in the catch-all thread.”

If you have a problem with thread drift, ask a moderator to make a post bringing things back on topic or to split the way off-topic stuff into a separate thread.


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## Ryan (Aug 25, 2018)

^^^ What he says.

For example, the BWI station improvements should really have their own thread in the Amtrak forum, being an Amtrak station.


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## jrud (Aug 25, 2018)

bretton88 said:


> MARC Rider said:
> 
> 
> > jrud said:
> ...


This is a simultaneous meltdown question. IOW. Unless there is a common cause like high wind stopping/slowing all above ground passenger rail operations (it happened), WMATA and MARC are unlikely to meltdown on the same day. They do have some capacity to backup each other. The fact that WMATA was doing it for free is intriguing. 
MARC delays have been bad recently as shown in the Minutes. Can an integrated transportation policy with in place backup help. How can the Penn and Camden lines better backup each other. As an engineer (not of the train driving kind) the lack of redundancy seems unforgivable. Should MARC have busses to shuffle between stations when needed. What do other commuter rail systems do? Hopefully at least a few don’t keep people for hours on a broken down train.


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## jis (Aug 25, 2018)

Considering that WMATA has scheduled meltdowns in the form of track outage for maintenance almost every day these days, for the foreseeable future ...




In general it is quite a challenge to use WMATA quite often what with bustitutions and what not. But of course that has noting to do with MARC anyway.


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## jrud (Oct 3, 2018)

Has MARC service deteriorated noticeably recently? I ride a parallel Metro Rail train, but I read about crew training problems related to Charger locomotive setup, increased CSX interference, and the expectation that PTC will make things worse. All of this on top off existing problems with older locomotives, etc. The latest statistics I can find are from the middle of the year and they don’t seem good.


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## MARC Rider (Oct 3, 2018)

jrud said:


> Has MARC service deteriorated noticeably recently? I ride a parallel Metro Rail train, but I read about crew training problems related to Charger locomotive setup, increased CSX interference, and the expectation that PTC will make things worse. All of this on top off existing problems with older locomotives, etc. The latest statistics I can find are from the middle of the year and they dont seem good.


Can't speak about Camden and Brunswick lines, but Penn Line is doing OK. They slowed the schedule over the summer due to track work, so now I have to get up a half hour earlier in the morning to xatch a train at 0521 instead of the 0550 I used to ride, and that one has been running on time pretty consistently. It's usualy being pushed by an HHP8.


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## jrud (Oct 4, 2018)

On another thread I read about someone talking to a MARC engineer concerning the Charger. The engineer said the locomotive was fine once you got used to it. That could well relate to the setup training problems I read about. Maybe some things are starting to get better. I’m an early riser too. Try to catch the Metro Rail armt Greenbelt around 6:00am from north of Columbia. Not as early as you probably.


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## jrud (Oct 4, 2018)

Anyone know about the Camden and Brunswick lines? Is the CSX interference being worked around?


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## jrud (Oct 9, 2018)

jrud said:


> Anyone know about the Camden and Brunswick lines? Is the CSX interference being worked around?


These minutes from the MARC Riders Advisory Council discuss a lot of what I have been hearing. CSX interference and weather being problems. https://mta.maryland.gov/sites/default/files/MARCRAC_Minutes_2018-08-16.pdf


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## jrud (Oct 26, 2018)

And additional capital investment is welcome. Camden Station seemed pretty kludged. https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/article.aspx?id=55798&utm_source=featuredrightcol


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## Thirdrail7 (Jan 16, 2019)

MARC leased three ACS-64s from Amtrak.  They've had them since the holidays.


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## Acela150 (Jan 17, 2019)

Thirdrail7 said:


> MARC leased three ACS-64s from Amtrak.  They've had them since the holidays.


I thought I heard a rumor going around that Marc was using a Sprinter or two.   They should have leased them from Septa. They have about 6 or 7 that just sit everyday cause they don't have their new Push Pull equipment yet. :lol:


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## sitzplatz17 (Jan 19, 2019)

Thirdrail7 said:


> MARC leased three ACS-64s from Amtrak.  They've had them since the holidays.


I was wondering why I saw an ACS-64 coupled to some MARC bilevels at WAS yesterday evening. Came here to see if anyone knew and of course the answer was waiting for me!

Thanks!


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## Thirdrail7 (Jan 19, 2019)

Some of the Marc equipment doesn’t have ACSES, so they leased a few units.

Take that, Amtrak IG!!


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## jrud (Jan 20, 2019)

Thirdrail7 said:


> Some of the Marc equipment doesn’t have ACSES, so they leased a few units.
> Take that, Amtrak IG!!


An example 31 minutes into this video.


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## jrud (Jan 21, 2019)

Acela150 said:


> I thought I heard a rumor going around that Marc was using a Sprinter or two. [emoji4] They should have leased them from Septa. They have about 6 or 7 that just sit everyday cause they don't have their new Push Pull equipment yet.


A question. Could the lack of a restroom and the top speed restriction of 110 mph on the SEPTA locomotives have any affect on MARC’s preference for AMTRAK ACS-64s?


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## Ryan (Jan 21, 2019)

That and the fact that the Amtrak locomotives are right here.


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## MARC Rider (Jan 21, 2019)

jrud said:


> And additional capital investment is welcome. Camden Station seemed pretty kludged. https://www.progressiverailroading.com/passenger_rail/article.aspx?id=55798&utm_source=featuredrightcol


The photo in the article is of the Camden light rail station, not the MARC station, which is to the immediate left of the scene shown in the photo.


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## Thirdrail7 (Feb 22, 2019)

Now, the standees can stand around their bikes. This may be the reason MARC isn't lending out as much equipment. Oh well...as long as Ryan is happy.

https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-marc-bikes-20190219-story.html#



> The Maryland Transit Administration announced Tuesday that it had completed the installation of new bike racks on 35 MARC Train rail cars. The move will allow train riders to bring full-size bicycles on most weekday rush hour Penn Line trains.





> The new bike racks are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Train riders should look for a bicycle symbol on the MARC schedule to see which trains have bike racks installed. A green light on the outside of the car indicates that it has a bike rack. Passengers who can’t find an available bike rack will need to wait for the next train with bike racks.


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## Ryan (Feb 22, 2019)

This may actually be enough to encourage me to return to commuting by train.  The most annoying part of my commute is the 30 minute voyage over Capitol Hill, and being able to have a bike with me and ride directly to the Navy Yard shaves a good bit off of that time.


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