What was SEMTA?

[ConrailMan5]

I was reading this browsing through this book with alot af old pictures in detroit. there was one picture with a few passenger cars lined up beneath the ren cen. What was the SEMTA commuter train? Like what did they use for power?

[Trainman2223]

SEMTA was formed to run the former GTW commuter service. They did so with some cast off long distance coaches and a collection of GP9/GP18 types as follow.

901 EMD GP9 22856 1/57 Ex-Grand Trunk Western 4908
902 EMD GP9 22863 1/57 Ex-Grand Trunk Western 4915
903 EMD GP18 25740 3/60 Ex-Grand Trunk Western 4950
904 EMD GP18 25742 3/60 Ex-Grand Trunk Western 4952
905 EMD GP10 22139 8/56 Ex-MBTA/Conrail/Penn Central 7559, nee-New Haven GP9 1229

The two GP18s were torpedo tube geeps. The 905 was a PNC rebuild.

Equipment included some ex-KCS long haul coaches that had the distinction of being the last long-haul cars ordered before Amtrak (1964).

[ConrailMan5]

Where did they dispose of the coaches and cars?

[Trainman2223]

I believe the GP units ended up at MBTA and the coaches were sold to Metro North and MARC.
The Metro North cars later went to Ringling Bro's Barnem and Bailey's circus train.
SEMTA "SouthEastern Michigan Transportation Authority".name was changed to SMART in 1989.
Sorry I dont have and dates or years.
Try searching SMART or DDOT history for more info.
Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation.(SMART)
Detroit Department of Transportation.(DDOT)

[Wrong Main]

The SEMTA trains were pretty good looking, usually a matched set. The GP's were painted in a silver/gray with orange ends, ala GTW, with black lettering. IIRC, they ran long hood forward, as God intended for passenger GP's to run. I've got slides of them that I shot back in 1977 and 1979. Unfortunately, I don't have a scanner yet (come on, Santa!). Hopefully, someone can confirm all this, or maybe I'm losing my mind...

[Trainman2223]

902,903 & 904 gray/silver body with orange ends. 905 was gray/silver with red ends.
SEMTA in black letters on the locomotive and Numbers in black on the cabs. on the ends and just after SEMTA had a logo much like the SMART logo.

[Michael]

One photo of SEMTA 521 here
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/R ... EMTARy.htm

[hoborich]

I remember SEMTA. Good god. Was it that long ago?

I remember the GTW commuters too, when I worked at the GTW Johnson Ave yard.

[PerRock]

There are a small handful of pictures on RRPA:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=SEMTA

peter

[Russ Hill]

SEMTA was formed in 1967 to consolidate the suburban Detroit bus companies.
It took over the GTW commuter service in 1977. Commuter service was discontinued in 1983.

The GP units were stored from 1983 until 1987, when they went to the MBTA. 901-904 were rebuilt by the IC Paducah shops.

These units were retired from the MBTA as follows:
901; 1993 scrapped
902; 2009
903; 1995 scrapped
904; 2009
905; 1994 to Central New England

[cmcw22]

SEMTA was formed in 1967 to consolidate the suburban Detroit bus companies.
It took over the GTW commuter service in 1977. Commuter service was discontinued in 1983.

The GP units were stored from 1983 until 1987, when they went to the MBTA. 901-904 were rebuilt by the IC Paducah shops.

These units were retired from the MBTA as follows:
901; 1993 scrapped
902; 2009
903; 1995 scrapped
904; 2009
905; 1994 to Central New England

I beleive 904 is still in service on MBTA, but I could be wrong

[railohio]

There are some good photos of the operation in Grand Trunk Western in Color Vol. 2 from Morning Sun.

[Michael]

From Wayne State University's Virtual Motor City Collection

[amtrak1007]

Gotta say the wayne state photos rock.

[Clay320]

Where exactly did SEMTA run??

[GTW6401]

Downtown Detroit to Pontiac. Former GTW commuter service between those cities.

[Beal99]

some of the old mans shots, who used to commute from birmingham on it.

[J T]

The SEMTA trains were pretty good looking, usually a matched set. The GP's were painted in a silver/gray with orange ends, ala GTW, with black lettering. IIRC, they ran long hood forward, as God intended for passenger GP's to run.

Esthetically, I find this more appealing to the eye...



...than this:



But I'm sure in this case, function was more important than form.

[Beal99]

The SEMTA trains were pretty good looking, usually a matched set. The GP's were painted in a silver/gray with orange ends, ala GTW, with black lettering. IIRC, they ran long hood forward, as God intended for passenger GP's to run.

Esthetically, I find this more appealing to the eye...



...than this:



But I'm sure in this case, function was more important than form.

well now you can see NOTHING in orange and silver in Detroit and like it

[J T]

Are the lines still there on which these trains ran?