SPECIAL FUND RAISING MODEL

If you live in the Chicago area, you may already know Oliver "Ollie" Tibbles. If not, you might think this is a video of a locomotive (Metra #401 to be exact). While that's an understandable mistake you would, in fact, be wrong. This is a picture of (perpetual) 7-year old Oliver "Ollie" Tibbles.

    

The MPXpress is a passenger locomotive designed for commuter service. MPI offers this locomotive as customizable thus each order can have slight external and internal differences, such as different prime mover engine and traction motor models and make, head end power (HEP) generated by a separate engine or by the prime mover, and so forth. To date, MPI has offered three main variants: MP36PH-3S, MP36PH-3C, and MP40PH-3C.

The MPXpress line of locomotives were the first production passenger locomotives to meet EPA Tier 1 emissions regulations, as well as FRA safety regulations regarding crash-worthiness, fire and software safety. The line also meets APTA crash-worthiness standards.

Numerous public transit agencies in Canada and the United States have ordered MPXpress locomotives for their commuter rail services, such as Caltrain, FrontRunner, GO Transit, Metra, Metrolink, New Mexico Rail Runner Express, and West Coast Express.

Model Info: MP36PH-3S

The 3S model uses a 16-cylinder MPI 645F3B diesel engine as its prime mover. Its HEP is generated from a static inverter that receives its power through connections to the prime mover. When providing full electrical power to the passenger cars connected to it, the prime mover must maintain a higher rpm in order to supply power to the passenger cars. The traction power when providing full HEP load of 500Kw is 2930 hp since HEP generation diverts some power from the prime mover.

Chicago's Metra has ordered 27 of these locomotives, which were built and delivered from 2003 through 2004. 14 were to replace Metra's aged F40C fleet, the rest for expansion. When the locomotives were first delivered, they developed software and computer problems, to the point that Metra had to put its F40C 611 and 614 back into service for a short time in 2004. One of the unique features of the MP36s in Metra's fleet compared to other operators is that they are equipped with a Gyralite (which is standard equipment on all of Metra's passenger locomotives) which are mounted in the spot where the train number board would be located on the front of the locomotive.