[PRCo] Re: New Railway Properties

[Ken & Tracie]

Before Jim answers, I, as a public sector employee, may share my opinions of 
what I suspect are the usual culprits:

Cronyism, nepotism, hiring quotas, middle management fiefdoms, uneven 
workloads (due to the four previous items I listed), poor employee morale 
(due to the five previous items I listed), no incentive to balance fiscal 
year spending with long-term investments which would promote safe and 
reliable service, politicians micromanaging aspects of which they have 
little or no practical knowledge, no organization-wide concept of a mass 
transit operation's prime mission (transporting masses, right?), etc., etc.

K.


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Schneider" <fwschneider at comcast.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:43 AM
Subject: [PRCo] Re: New Railway Properties


> Unfortunately, what you are saying is nothing new but you have never
> attempted to lift mallet, take aim, and let it fly.
>
> When you were still running PCCs, you wrote in Trolley Fare of
> constant breakdowns.   If it were a private company, I would have
> expected that because the object would have been the preservation of
> stockholders equity.   One doesn't waste money on overhauls on
> equipment that is about to be scrapped.    The Boeing Vertol cars
> were on order at the time.   And we all know that the Boeing cars
> were poorly engineered.   I remember some simple very obvious things
> that should never have been done such as hard wiring components had
> short lives and would need to be replaced in the back of equipment
> trays; the articulation joints that squeeked on vertical curves (they
> were wearing away steel when they were brand new).   But that was
> more than three decades ago.
>
> More recently I read of Muni cable car conductors co-mingling fares
> and their own pocket money.    There was the famous wreck in Vernal
> Cut.   And before that the runaway.   And now you mention
> breakdowns.   It was pretty obvious to me that there is a very high
> spare ratio of cars for the F line because accident damage isn't
> getting repaired rapidly.
>
> What's the problem Jim?   Improper staffing in certain departments?
> Parts room doesn't order parts before they are all out?   Bad street
> supervision?   Bad supervision period?
>
> I just get the feeling that Muni is the SEPTA of the West.
>
> fws
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mar 27, 2006, at 11:02 PM, Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. --
> Import SPTC 1.48 Models // James B. Holland wrote:
>
>> Good Morning!
>>
>>
>> Took vacation day because of dental appt.  (Novocain necessary and
>> didn't want to be called in to Whiz In Bottle with that stuff in my
>> system!)
>>
>> Dentist appt. at 2.00-PM near Union Square which is downtown SF  --  I
>> live right on the Judah Rail Line near Sunset Blvd. within easy
>> site and
>> walking distance to Pacific Ocean at foot of Judah.       Left home @
>> 12.38-Noon and walk  --  NEVER  wait for rail car  --  Experience
>> Speaking.       Two trains head outbound  --  small gaggle of
>> people at
>> car stop which increases in numbers at each stop as I walk.
>> Within
>> 10-min I was at a crosstown line  (several blocks before was 71-
>> Noriega,
>> downtown line, but nothing visible there.)       Must have just missed
>> 28-19th Ave. as I waited 10-min  --  nada trolleycar visible when I
>> board the bus and I can see my cross street in the distance.
>> Twenty-Five  (25)  minute gap  At  A  Minimum & nothing in site
>> which is
>> a 5-min distance for lrv so actual gap is near 30-min  --  headway
>> should be 20-min.       I finally arrive at the dentist with 5 min to
>> spare so Total Travel Time 1-Hour__17-min for what should have been a
>> 25-min  MAX  trolleycar ride downtown  --  in addition to up to 10-min
>> waiting.
>>
>> Unfortunately, this Is Very Typical of my experience with rail here in
>> SF  --  NOT  reliable.       If I catch a train right away then we are
>> held up at Duboce // Church and possibly delayed getting into the
>> subway.       Or a train breaks down which creates more delay.
>> Walk to the crosstown line also brings me to heart of shopping
>> district
>> with my post office so I Often Walk this corridor  --  Very Rarely
>> Ride
>> it because I can walk it in the same time as the headway between cars
>> --  Unlike Many // Most others here, I am not the least bit averse to
>> walking!!!!!!!
>>
>> As I have said before  --  when I really want and need to get
>> downtown,
>> much faster to drive to north side of GG Park and take trolley coach
>> --  much more frequent, Much More Reliable.       Car was in shop for
>> oil change so I depended upon public transit.
>>
>> Did PRCo have delays?       YES!!!       But it was an exception with
>> PRCo whereas it is the rule here in SF.
>>
>>
>>
>> -------- Original Message --------
>> Subject: Re: New Railway Properties
>> Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2006 02:55:52 -0800
>> From: Holland Electric Rwy. Op. H.E.R.O. -- Import SPTC 1.48
>> Models //
>> James B. Holland <PRCoPCC at P-R-Co.com>
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> References: <20060314221918.56774.qmail at web54713.mail.yahoo.com>
>>
>>
>>
>> --- [Snipped] ---
>>
>>
>> I just Am Not Interested in Modern Rail  --  this  is  NOT  a judgment
>> of Good Nor Bad  --  modern rail transit just does not catch my
>> interest.       Can't deny that experience here at SF-Muni has
>> jaded me
>> as far as rail is concerned, but even recognizing this possibility, I
>> Just Am Not Interested in modern rail.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Jim__Holland
>>
>>
>> I__Like__Ike.......And__PCCs!!
>>
>> down with pantographs ---- UP___WITH___TROLLEYPOLES!!!!!!!
>>
>>
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