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Originally Posted by swimmer_spe
You make some great insights into the issue.
But, there is a difference between end of life and real end of life.
You can cut out old metal and replace with new.
You can cut out stressed metal and replace with new.
You could retrofit NA stuff to remove the EU stuff.
These stripped down cars could then be filled with bunks.
However, knowing that they will not be in serviceable condition by 2025, scrapping them seems like the only answer.
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VIA is the king of refurbishing old equipment and if they could, they would. Their LRC cars have been refurbished several times and if you look at their
Summary of the 2019-2023 Corporate Plan it describes the work that is planned to their Heritage Fleet:
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3.3 Heritage Fleet Modernization
VIA Rail’s second major equipment project is the refurbishment of its heritage fleet. Known under the umbrella “Heritage Fleet Modernization”, this program aims to modernize the aging fleet of HEP cars and protect the Corridor seat capacity until the new fleet train sets are in service. Seat capacity issues will be far less disruptive than planned under the previous status quo as deliveries of the new fleet will for the most part be timely.
The interiors of 17 HEP cars will be refurbished and reconfigured to meet the seating and accessibility requirements that were previously satisfied by the LRC cars; these cars will be known as HEPIII. The contract for this work is underway and was awarded to Bombardier Transportation on April 3, 2018.
An additional 25 HEP cars will see their interiors renewed in kind, without reconfiguration, and their systems will also be completely re-engineered in order to serve as a secondary capacity protection in the case of unplanned events. Awarding of the contract took place on April 10, 2018, Cad Railway Industries was the selected supplier. The lifecycle of all 42 cars (25 + 17) will extend well beyond the Corridor Protection Plan and the vehicles will continue to provide value for Long-Haul services once the plan reaches its end.
VIA Rail is also in the process of, or planning to, modernize the interiors, critical systems and kitchens of its diner, Chateau, and Skyline cars. Initiating this process is the contract awarded to Rail GD who will refurbish and transform four of the dining cars.
The Montréal Maintenance Center (MMC) is upgrading 33 business and economy HEP II cars. These include systems modernization and / or overhaul, as well as interior redesign and / or improvement.
P42 locomotives will receive reliability enhancements that will reduce maintenance costs, increase the equipment’s availability and improve the work environment for on board crews. As well, the F40 fleet will have components modified to permit them to serve in push-pull operations. Both projects will take place at the MMC.
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The stainless steel construction off the HEP cars means they could be refurbished and reused almost indefinitely. The aluminum bodies and frames of the LRC cars also gives them a very long lifespan (though it was noted previously that they have deteriorated enough that they won't be able to be refurbished again).
The soft carbon steel used in the Renaissance cars accelerates their deterioration. Refurbishing them would be very expensive and you would end up with a poor quality product.
Could it be done? Probably. Should it be done? No. It really is becoming a case of the age old question: If you replace every single part in a truck, is it still the same truck?
The Renaissance cars bought under a government that was very penny wise and pound foolish. With all the money that has been put into them so far, we likely could have had brand new ones that were built to meet VIAs requirements. The best use for them when they are retired is as scrap metal.