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WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016

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WMATA in trouble

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by WayneJay on Mon Apr 25 22:12:27 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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Yup. Right on the heels of WMATA being turned down for federal help.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by WayneJay on Mon Apr 25 22:12:27 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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Yup. Right on the heels of WMATA being turned down for federal help.

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(1393569)

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by WayneJay on Mon Apr 25 22:12:27 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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Yup. Right on the heels of WMATA being turned down for federal help.

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(1393583)

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Tue Apr 26 00:52:41 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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Some of us have been saying these things for years. The question is when will those who appoint the board and control the agency's pursestrings start paying attention?

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 09:14:58 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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I wrote this at reddit.com/r/washingtondc in response the article:
As one former Metro executive said, it’s about "a two-lane road running at interstate-highway speeds, carrying interstate-highway traffic, with limited off-ramps."
Hindsight is 20/20.

The folk that have been running the railroad for the last 25 years didn't remember anything learned by the folks that designed and built it during the 25 years before.

Today the railroad is running at 55% of it designed capacity with rolling stock that consumes 20% more power and is 15% heaver then what it was built to handle.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by TransitChuckG on Tue Apr 26 09:30:47 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 09:14:58 2016.

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Thanks, John.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue Apr 26 12:09:22 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 09:14:58 2016.

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How do these warm bodies not pay attention to original specifications and go off on tangents as if they knew everything?

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 12:25:12 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Olog-hai on Tue Apr 26 12:09:22 2016.

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How do these warm bodies not pay attention to original specifications and go off on tangents as if they knew everything?

Because they think they know everything. Supposedly knowing everything doesn't change the fact that you sill can't put 10 lbs excrement into a 5 lb bag.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Olog-hai on Tue Apr 26 14:13:22 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 12:25:12 2016.

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The more you do that, the more you end up with naught but excrement.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 21:02:08 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 12:25:12 2016.

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BART and Metro both started out by ignoring 60 years and more of subway experience. Some of this was a suburbanite disdain for the noisy and dirty New York system where more people used 2 midtown stations than either BART or Metro would achieve system wide in 25 years.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Italianstallion on Tue Apr 26 21:39:07 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 21:02:08 2016.

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Serves them right.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 22:43:27 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Italianstallion on Tue Apr 26 21:39:07 2016.

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unfortunately, and as always, the biggest losers are the citizens who paid for a full featured system and got lemons that have never performed as claimed in the pre revenue agit-prop. The cutesy flashing lights at the platform edges are a great example of expensive silliness which IINM turn out to mess with the train positioning hardware.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Tue Apr 26 22:48:35 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 22:43:27 2016.

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Um, what's your source on the platform edge lights messing with the train positioning hardware? I've never heard of such a thing and it sounds quite fishy to me.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Tue Apr 26 23:03:15 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 21:02:08 2016.

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I rode BART years ago, perhaps it was in better shape then. I noticed that it ran at lower speeds than I expected, generally less than its 80mph design speed much less the 90mph 'catch-up' provision, but still far faster than the sickening slog of the NYCTA. It was, at least during my limited use of it, a far better experience that the NYC subway, though with a far smaller network.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 23:33:55 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by WMATAGMOAGH on Tue Apr 26 22:48:35 2016.

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actually, my memory is a post on this site from SBJ, though I hope he will chime in to confirm. The issue came up in discussion of why 8 car trains do not platform reliably.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 23:50:34 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 22:43:27 2016.

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unfortunately, and as always, the biggest losers are the citizens who paid for a full featured system and got lemons that have never performed as claimed in the pre revenue agit-prop. The cutesy flashing lights at the platform edges are a great example of expensive silliness which IINM turn out to mess with the train positioning hardware.

The edge lights have nothing to do with the berthing of trains at station platforms. The automatic stopping of trains is a function that is executed by train board hard in response to fixed position way side hardware. The wayside hardware has the capability of instructing trains that are less then 8 cars long to stop short, center or long at the platform. All the light flash along the entire length of the platform regardless of the length of the train or where it is programed to automatically stop.

I will note that the original schema was to have the light flash only where a train that was less then 8 cars long would stop. It did that by using the short, center or long instruction along with same data that local train control sends back to the ROCC that identifies the train length and direction. The schema was never implemented, however the edge light were and sill are wired as 8 circuits that are 75' long each.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 23:59:03 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 23:33:55 2016.

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actually, my memory is a post on this site from SBJ, though I hope he will chime in to confirm. The issue came up in discussion of why 8 car trains do not platform reliably.

WMATA claims the less then precise automatic stopping of trains has to do with traction power upgrades. I happen to believe it is that in combination with improperly calibrated onboard hardware and or defective, missing or improperly calibrated wayside hardware.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 00:08:58 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Tue Apr 26 21:02:08 2016.

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BART and Metro both started out by ignoring 60 years and more of subway experience. Some of this was a suburbanite disdain for the noisy and dirty New York system where more people used 2 midtown stations than either BART or Metro would achieve system wide in 25 years.

Neither ignored 60 years of more of subway experience because neither are subways as defined by past practices. Both are hybrids, a combination of subway and commuter rail. The average distance between stations is greater then the average distance between stations in the system built in the first half of the last century.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:19:13 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Tue Apr 26 23:03:15 2016.

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So my perspective begins w/CTA in the 50s, a brief period in Philly pre PATCO, 4 years in NYC, and riding BART from day one up to a short trip today.
BART is "cleaner" although when the cars still had carpet it got very,very grotty. The platforms are generally clean, the trains mainly run ontime, the fares are a total ripoff (imho), and despite their computers, they can't run as frequently as CTA did in the 50s.

Indeed they run at slower speeds on short segments where stations are closely spaced--downtown SF, Oakland, Berkeley. AFAIK they are allowed 80 but not 90. Early on they rtan faster on short segments resulting, no surprise, in premature brake pad failure. Besides, a one mile trip does not require going faster than 30-35.

So, as to experience, clean, of course air conditioned (except when it isn't working), quieter than NYC sometimes/sometimes not, until recently 90+% OTP, but infrequent service, no overnight service; anouncements ask riders to remain seated until train is fully stopped and unfortunately many do.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:21:42 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 23:50:34 2016.

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thankl you for correcting me. I still believe I read something about interference between the lights/circuitry and berthing,butgiven that I am 3k miles away,...

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:26:22 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 23:59:03 2016.

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again, thanks for clarification/correction.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:34:24 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 00:08:58 2016.

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you, and BART's early PR folks can say that till...but I believe you are wrong. Whether you think of building into the "next county" where very little development has yet occurred (think early pix of Queens), or under a river to the next state (H&M), high platform, barrier fare control, custom EMU stock, they look, smell, function like subways tome. Seems to me Oren and I were going around about distances as a distinction several weeks ago. Bottom line, I may be "wrong" in your view(s), but my view is not likely to change.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 00:51:44 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:19:13 2016.

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Could the brake issues have been addressed by regen? It's DC, so regen shouldn't be that hard.

Re frequency of service: SF bay doesn't have the incredible density of NYC, and the 19th century city layout which makes driving physically impossible as a means of getting the workforce to/from jobs. Do they now have enough ridership to fill more frequent trains?
I'd say that on the balance, if the thing runs on a published schedule, it doesn't need to have 5 or 8 minute frequencies.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Wed Apr 27 03:36:46 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 00:08:58 2016.

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Both are hybrids, a combination of subway and commuter rail.

As I've said before, WMATA and BART are arguably the Americanized versions of the German S-Bahn concept, especially in BART's case, except that due to our railway regulatory scheme which requires multiple employees and bans lightweight equipment, we're forced to reinvent the wheel by creating expensive segregated infrastructure.

FWIW, WMATA is better at playing urban metro compared to BART*, but it's interesting to compare it to Montreal Metro which was their contemporary, and functions more like a traditional system, but also SkyTrain which employed the next generation of ATO, and has done a bunch better job of achieving what WMATA was expected to do.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 07:50:24 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Wed Apr 27 03:36:46 2016.

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. . .SkyTrain which employed the next generation of ATO, and has done a bunch better job of achieving what WMATA was expected to do.

SkyTrain isn't 40 years old yet. The pieces and parts that makeup SkyTrain haven't been allowed to wear out like WAMTA has.

I quit counting the number of times that I have pointed out that WMATA built out the railroad faster then they increased the fleet size to carry the loads.

You can't put 10 lbs excrement into a 5 lb bag and expect that 5 lb bag not to break.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 11:32:42 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 00:51:44 2016.

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actually SF does have the narrow streets/density such that driving in the downtown area really is stupid. As to ridership/train frequency, BART trains in AM rush flood the platforms at the three Financial District stations such that there is a proposal to build wall platforms in addition to the wide island platforms in use now.
My complaint about infrequent service relates to 20' headways in the evenings and all day on weekends. The issue is not starting a trip from home--of course you can check the schedule; but when returning from a movie, live event. entering a station to see that you have just missed your train adds that 20' to your trip.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by hilo on Wed Apr 27 14:15:58 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Tue Apr 26 23:59:03 2016.

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You are right. It is mostly the wayside equipment being defective (i.e. PSS markers not working). However, the traction power stations are in need of serious upgrades. I believe a 7K got stuck in tunnel recently because of loss of power. I suspect the third rail in that area was well below minimum voltage required for the onboard equipment to be able to operate.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Wed Apr 27 14:18:04 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 07:50:24 2016.

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SkyTrain isn't 40 years old yet.

Yet, it isn't that far behind. The oldest segment is still 30 years old.

FWIW, I'm tempted to argue that 40 years is the magical point for a system where short of fresh infusions of new capital money, systems start to transition from expansion mode into capital replacement mode. NYCTA hit that point in the 1940s, TTC, in the 1990s, and WMATA and BART are hitting that point now.

I quit counting the number of times that I have pointed out that WMATA built out the railroad faster then they increased the fleet size to carry the loads.

Judging by WMATA's maintenance regime, I suspect that even if the additional fleet was purchased, we'd be looking at the same foibles with the lack of maintenance and pencil-whipping.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Joe V on Wed Apr 27 14:21:42 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Wed Apr 27 14:18:04 2016.

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Most of the original IND of 1932 was pretty shabby by 1972.
Few if any Arnine cars hit 40.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 14:51:08 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 11:32:42 2016.

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True. As a rider, I wouldn't like the 20 min off-rush headways, but if the trains are mostly empty at 20 min (I don't know if this is the case) there's not much case to make it 10.
Elimination the "driver" who has no actual job to do would be good for a savings. Maybe enough to decrease off hours headways.

With BART's automation, perhaps there's an easy way to split trains for off-hour use. Maybe the uncoupling could be done by an automated robo-device in the yard (pretty simple robot, it would run on a small guideway). The train could then pull itself, say, ten feet away to test the coupling/uncoupling. With no "driver", that un/coupling is now done, that was it.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 16:42:16 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 14:51:08 2016.

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cutting the headway to 15 minutes (briefly tried but stopped when sales tax based subsidy tanked would make a real difference. As to "empty" trains in the evening, come ride, they are not empty between Balboa Park andBerkeley-Oakland stations. Secondly, having crappy service coming home tends to encourage car use for evening outings.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by randyo on Wed Apr 27 17:35:04 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Joe V on Wed Apr 27 14:21:42 2016.

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Correct, yet the IRT Hi-Vs exceeded 50 years old and many of the BMT steels made it past 40.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Olog-hai on Wed Apr 27 17:45:58 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 14:51:08 2016.

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Can't trust the robots.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Hamilton Express on Wed Apr 27 18:27:14 2016, in response to WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by TransitChuckG on Mon Apr 25 18:22:50 2016.

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Wow... This is sad to look at. I think that it's only gonna be a matter of time before we see graffiti on trains and stations in this system. Safety and maintenance also needs to start being their #1 priority, because clearly, it doesn't look like it. I just hope that the WMATA gets the help and money it needs badly.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 20:33:41 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Olog-hai on Wed Apr 27 17:45:58 2016.

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"Can't trust the robots."

You have to train them when young. ake them for walks along a model railroad, and keep a bowl of 9v batteries around for treats. But never, ever give them a connection to HBO/Showtime.

To be xtra safe, program them to self-destruct when processing the characters "Sarah Connor".

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 22:22:02 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Hamilton Express on Wed Apr 27 18:27:14 2016.

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Wow... This is sad to look at. I think that it's only gonna be a matter of time before we see graffiti on trains and stations in this system.

Not likely, one of the few policies that is adhered to the letter is the removal of graffiti.

Safety and maintenance also needs to start being their #1 priority, because clearly, it doesn't look like it. I just hope that the WMATA gets the help and money it needs badly.

Money is not the answer. I know some might poop poop these article because they came from The Washington Times, but much of what is stated should be considered before coming to any conclusions about more funding.

Metro derailed by culture of complacence, incompetence, lack of diversity
‘Inept get promoted, … capable get buried’
Luke Rosiak
The Washington Times
02 26 2012

Even with big salaries, Metro can’t fill its jobs
Silver Line to pose major test for hiring
Luke Rosiak
The Washington Times
03 27 2012

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 22:47:41 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by hilo on Wed Apr 27 14:15:58 2016.

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However, the traction power stations are in need of serious upgrades. I believe a 7K got stuck in tunnel recently because of loss of power. I suspect the third rail in that area was well below minimum voltage required for the onboard equipment to be able to operate.

If you are referring the incident that happened a couple of weeks ago, I don't think so. The train lost power a few hundred feet short of the Rosslyn platform. The 2 substation in the area are on the east side of the Potomac River (Watergate) and south of the Rosslyn station (Rosslyn) Watergate is rated at 7 Megawatts, Rosslyn is rated at 6 Megawatts. Those substations are above average in the megawatts rating department. WMATA also bonded aluminum buses to the web of the third rail system wide back in the 1990s to reduce resistance.

John in the sand box of Maryland's eastern shore.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Thu Apr 28 00:19:23 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 22:47:41 2016.

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Besides that, how many watts does it take to just move a train, not accelerate it to service speed?

Lemmee guess: Cut the HVAC, and 400hp at the motors could move a train at a brisk walk on level track, eventually getting to a brisk run (15mph). It's enough to get forward/back to the nearest station.
I'll take a guess that you could get moving in that config with half a megawatt at the substation, 300K watts at the motors.
Your car can develop that much powah, if it's got a Hemi.

Nope, not buying the "train ran out of money" line.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by TransitChuckG on Thu Apr 28 06:38:04 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Sand Box John on Wed Apr 27 22:22:02 2016.

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Wow, just wow!

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Thu Apr 28 15:03:03 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 11:32:42 2016.

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The irony is that those twenty minute headways are what you get in the fringes of London Underground and the various German S-Bahns. In other words, I'd kill for those headways on the LIRR or another regional railway service in North America.

In BART's case, it's not impossible to run more service in the core off peak. They're just unwilling to spend the capital and operating costs to do so.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by fdtutf on Thu Apr 28 17:19:26 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Wed Apr 27 00:34:24 2016.

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I'm with you. They're subways, and I've always found the assertion that they were anything else rather nonsensical.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Thu Apr 28 20:32:21 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Thu Apr 28 15:03:03 2016.

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Indeed, BART is just unwilling.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Thu Apr 28 20:50:21 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by fdtutf on Thu Apr 28 17:19:26 2016.

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Wellll, most of BART's mileage runs above ground, so to the public it isn't a subway.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Thu Apr 28 22:03:41 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Thu Apr 28 20:50:21 2016.

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so do you refer to the IRT in the Bronx as "the subway" or for that matter the Flushing, Astoria,Myrtle, B'way Bklyn, etc?


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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Steamdriven on Thu Apr 28 23:38:54 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Thu Apr 28 22:03:41 2016.

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Yeah, but all those spaghetti lines are going towards downtown, where they realize their true calling of being the subway.

You can see the evidence right in the ground: the most ambitious line, graded A, becomes a subway miles out from downtown because it is studying in advance. Conversely, the "Z" dips into the subway at the last possible moment, flips through a half-dozen stops of subway education, gets bored and quits. Thus it's a grade Z line, never rewarded with a day at the beach.

So those elevated lines want to be a subway, but there's a long wait.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Fri Apr 29 01:47:30 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Thu Apr 28 23:38:54 2016.

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you write "...all those spaghetti lines are going towards downtown, where they realize their true calling of being the subway. " apt description of BART funneling toward downtown Oakland with one more aerial in W Oakkland and then subway to nearly Balboa Park.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Henry R32 #3730 on Fri Apr 29 08:53:03 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Thu Apr 28 15:03:03 2016.

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The LIRR Main line between Jamaica and Hicksville does get 3TPH weekends (plus the every-other-hour Oyster Bay branch)... once the Ronkonkoma line double tracking completes, that may become 4TPH.

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Edwards! on Fri Apr 29 12:52:43 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Steamdriven on Wed Apr 27 20:33:41 2016.

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😮😄☕!

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Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings

Posted by Michael549 on Fri Apr 29 13:06:34 2016, in response to Re: WMATA sank into crisis despite decades of warnings, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Thu Apr 28 22:03:41 2016.

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Plenty of New Yorkers refer to the elevated sections of the subway as "The Subway" because the majority of the New York City Transit Authority underground & elevated rapid transit railroad lines also run underground in the higher density sections of Manhattan and New York City.

Since the 1950's there have been ZERO rapid transit railroad lines that operated on elevated railroad lines within the downtown and midtown Manhattan core of the city.

So yes - it is all the "Subway".

Mike


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