[PRCo] Re: Baltimore Light Rail Shuts North End

[John Swindler]

Hasn't there been about 40 years of 'continuous engineering expertise' since the feds started funding mass transit capital projects?
 
Of course a certain engineer we both know from New Jersey would have a well deserved cynical comment about this. (:>)
 
Cheers
John
 
> From: fwschneider at comcast.net> Subject: [PRCo] Re: Baltimore Light Rail Shuts North End> Date: Thu, 20 Nov 2008 12:22:58 -0500> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org> > Part of the problem lies in the fact that we had 60 years of > continuous engineering expertise in 1950. Today we are reinventing > the wheel because there were no sales to sustain that knowledge after > 1960.> > On Nov 19, 2008, at 6:46 PM, Peter Folger wrote:> > > Hello all,> >> > I know we are all "rail" transportation fans, however the general > > theme> > would seem to be current outlook and technology. While I am > > involved in> > rail preservation, I drive a bus to make ends meet.> >> > When all things are going well things are fine, in fact at times they> > operate and handle quite well. We own 13 Orion VII - CNG buses > > with John> > Deere engines (no longer made as John Deere had too many problems > > with them)> > and a Voith transmission. Two years ago when they were first > > placed in> > service they would neither accelerate nor brake smoothly (as part > > of the> > braking system they use transmission retarders). All the technical > > folks> > were invited in: John Deere blamed Voith and visa versa. Well > > there were> > some minor problems on both sides that were apparently easily > > corrected yet> > it went on. Turned out the piston rings in the CNG compressor station> > leaked oil through and it got into the fuel and fouled the plugs > > (gas buses)> > due also in part to faulty filters in the buses as well.> >> > Being CNG we have fire suppression, at times, for no known real > > reason, they> > go off and shut the bus down. Their dash board warnings also ring > > off from> > time to time for no real or apparent reason - we've all gotten to > > the point> > (management, maintenance and operators that we ignore the more > > insignificant> > ones).> >> > Then there are the engine alarms which occasionally go off on > > various units.> > Originally we were told to shut them down and re-boot the bus. Seems> > management and maintenance are only concerned if we loose power > > (i.e. the> > turbine seized up), otherwise document but ignore. Oh yes all have > > had> > their turbines replaced at least twice.> >> > I could go on but why bother when most of us realize that a good > > deal of> > today's stuff is created by those who neither know, understand nor > > truly> > care about the product they produce - it's just a business and no > > more!> >> > Our 18 year old, and almost dead Flexibles generally run better.> >> > Ah - high tech - its wonderful??> >> > Peter Folger> > P. O. Box 1741> > Biddeford, ME 04005-1741> > (207) 590-8340> > transitman at maine.rr.com> > CongressStreet at hotmail.com> >> > ----- Original Message -----> > From: "Phillip Clark Campbell" <pcc_sr at yahoo.com>> > To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>; "Bente Bruce"> > <bbente at bellsouth.net>; "Peter Folger" <transitman at maine.rr.com>; > > "Murphy> > Rick" <rpmurphy at charter.net>; "Ken Spengler" <kenspeng at mac.com>; > > "Lybarger> > Ed" <trams2 at comcast.net>> > Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 3:27 PM> > Subject: Re: Baltimore Light Rail Shuts North End> >> >> > Mr.Schneider;> >> >> > According to the article it 'isn't' oil in leaves but "gelatinous > > substance"> > isn't it. That is a tongue in cheek comment.> >> > I guess we can say that we didn't have this problem in the good 'ol > > days of> > (fill in the blank) but with the advent of modern tech slip/slide > > features> > it just needs to be tweaked to work properly doesn't it. Do these > > cars have> > sanders and do the sanders activate with slip/slide? (They are quite> > concerned about wheel damage but not fall on board accidents from > > the bone> > chilling stops.) It would then seem something is lacking in wheel > > design> > wouldn't it. This shouldn't be that much a problem on open T rail > > since it> > would be difficult for leaves to accumulate; the problem would be most> > pronounced on streets or at stations if the track is paved.> >> > Pittsburgh obviously suffered from this in the good 'ol days but I > > only> > remember a couple incidents - all wheels spinning when leaving a > > stop and> > sanding did little or nothing. The problem lies with using the > > sanders> > effectively - for sanding to be effective on starting the sand must > > be under> > all wheels. Thus the problem needs to be anticipated and sanding > > done when> > braking for at least one car length. Don't remember any sliding when> > stopping but that is also possible even probable isn't it.> >> > The so-called 'sweating' rails is also a problem isn't it - > > infamous pat> > 1726 incident. Was on a Charleroi car inbound that had alot of > > trouble one> > winter - good amount of snow on the ground almost up to rail > > height. We> > were near Latimer leaving the stop which produced endless spinning > > of the> > wheels on very many separate applications of power. Operator > > finally used a> > little sand to get going.> >> >> > Phil> >> >> >> >> >> >> > ----- Original Message ----> >> From: Schneider Fred <fwschneider at comcast.net>> >> To: Bente Bruce <bbente at bellsouth.net>; Peter Folger> >> <transitman at maine.rr.com>; pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org; > >> Murphy Rick> >> <rpmurphy at charter.net>; Ken Spengler <kenspeng at mac.com>; Lybarger Ed> >> <trams2 at comcast.net>> >> Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 11:32:11 AM> >> Subject: [PRCo] Baltimore Light Rail Shuts North End> >>> >> You guys will love this one ... modern technology forced the closure> >> of the north end of the Baltimore Light Rail line indefinitely on> >> Monday because of falling leaves. I guess we never had sap on the> >> rails before. Something new and different like my cynical sarcasm.> >> Today's news is that they are also running short of buses. (Some of> >> you -- Jack, Phil, Dave H. are getting blind carbons to not disclose> >> addresses.) Comments back to me will be appreciated.> >>> >>> >> www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-te.md.rail18nov18,0,3518289.story> >>> >> baltimoresun.com> >>> >> Half of light rail halted indefinitely> >>> >> Leaves trigger braking glitch, causing trains to slide, wheels to > >> bend> >>> >> By Michael Dresser and Brent Jones> >>> >> November 18, 2008> >>> >>> >>> >> Thousands of Baltimore-area commuters were forced to abandon trains> >> and board buses yesterday, the first workday disrupted by a light> >> rail shutdown that closed the northern half of the system. State> >> officials were unable to say how long service would be curtailed by a> >> problem caused in part by the fall of autumn leaves.> >>> >>> >>> >> Commuters attempting to take light rail between North Avenue and Hunt> >> Valley were diverted to shuttle buses, which passengers said added as> >> much as 90 minutes to the trip.> >>> >>> >>> >> Light rail typically serves 30,000 riders a day - about half of whom> >> use the northern stations.> >>> >>> >>> >> MTA officials were scrambling to find a way to fix a computerized> >> safety system that regularly over-reacts to slippery conditions and> >> brings trains to a hard stop, frequently damaging their wheels and> >> making them vulnerable to catastrophic cracking.> >>> >>> >>> >> "I understand there has to be train maintenance, but there seems to> >> be lots of train maintenance recently," said Lori Biddle, 30, who was> >> among several dozen commuters waiting for a shuttle to arrive at the> >> North Avenue station about 4:45 p.m. yesterday.> >>> >>> >>> >> Biddle said it took her an extra half-hour yesterday morning to go> >> from Lutherville to Camden Yards, where she works: "It is a bit> >> frustrating."> >>> >>> >>> >> Maryland Transportation Secretary John D. Porcari defended the MTA's> >> decision over the weekend to suspend service on the northern section.> >> "They take customer service interruptions very, very personally, as> >> do I," Porcari said. But, he said, "if we ignored it, it could be a> >> safety issue, and safety trumps everything."> >>> >>> >>> >> Problems with light rail go back to the original design and route of> >> the system, which opened in 1992 under pressure from then-Gov.> >> William Donald Schaefer to get it running in time for the debut of> >> Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The northern section of the line follows> >> a narrow, old railroad right of way along the Jones Falls Expressway> >> through forested parkland before emerging from the woods north of> >> Ruxton.> >>> >>> >>> >> The problem, Porcari said yesterday, is that trains run over fallen> >> leaves and can grind the wet plant matter into what he described as a> >> "gelatinous substance."> >>> >>> >>> >> When another train comes along, the wheels of its cars can slip and> >> slide on that substance, triggering an emergency response from a> >> computerized "train protection" system installed after two light rail> >> crashes at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall> >> Airport, in which 35 people were injured.> >>> >>> >>> >> The computerized system, in use since 2004, has succeeded in> >> preventing trains from crashing into each other or into barriers at> >> the end of the line. But according to MTA administrator Paul J.> >> Wiedefeld, its hair-trigger response to slippage on the tracks has> >> resulted in hard, sudden stops that can flatten the metal surface of> >> the wheels - putting them in added danger of cracking.> >>> >>> >>> >> Wiedefeld said the MTA has paid more attention to the issue of wheel> >> damage since the discovery last spring of a crack in one of the> >> wheels of a car in a rail yard.> >>> >>> >>> >> That discovery prompted the agency to inspect wheels much more> >> frequently than the 45-day schedule recommended by the manufacturer.> >> That led to service disruptions, including severe crowding and long> >> waits at platforms.> >>> >>> >>> >> Last week, as train slippage caused by leaves sent a growing number> >> of cars to the shop, the MTA announced that it would terminate its> >> northern service at Timonium, using buses to serve stations between> >> there and Hunt Valley. But by the weekend, the MTA had so many cars> >> out of service that it decided to call an emergency halt to service> >> north of North Avenue - the most leafy section.> >>> >>> >>> >> Wiedefeld said the agency is attempting to find an interim solution> >> to the problems by recalibrating the train protection system so that> >> it acts more like the anti-lock brake systems found on cars. The> >> "ultimate fix," he said, will not come until the MTA completes its> >> planned midlife overhaul of its train cars - a project expected to be> >> finished about 2011-2012.> >>> >>> >>> >> Until then, Wiedefeld said, the MTA has its maintenance shop working> >> around the clock to repair or replace wheels. He said the flattened> >> wheels can be fixed three times before they require replacement - a> >> procedure that can put an entire car out of commission for 15 days.> >>> >>> >>> >> Wiedefeld said he does not have an estimate now of how long it will> >> take to fix the computer problem. He said any proposed solution would> >> have to be tested on the main line and then verified by an> >> independent contractor before it can be implemented. He added,> >> however, that he doesn't think the disruptions will persist for > >> months.> >>> >>> >>> >> Porcari echoed Wiedefeld's reluctance to be pinned down to a target> >> date for the return of full service, noting that the weather could be> >> a factor in how long the disruptions continue.> >>> >>> >>> >> "The natural tendency is to be conservative in your estimates and> >> then over-deliver if at all possible," he said. He noted that when> >> transportation officials discovered weaknesses in the Bay Bridge's> >> side barriers after a fatal tractor-trailer crash last summer, they> >> originally estimated 10 weeks of severe lane closings but ended up> >> wrapping up the work in about two.> >>> >>> >>> >> For riders of light rail, relief can't come soon enough.> >>> >>> >>> >> Lee Russell, 60, said it took him an extra 90 minutes yesterday> >> morning to get from Timonium to his job at the state Department of> >> Health and Mental Hygiene near the Cultural Center stop. Russell said> >> he learned about the shuttle buses when he arrived at the Timonium> >> station, and traffic and the frequent stops stretched out his trip.> >>> >> Russell, a longtime rider, will continue to use the transit system> >> because he doesn't have a downtown parking pass, but he added that he> >> expects delays to be reduced substantially.> >>> >> "I've put up with a lot over the years, including when they were> >> laying double tracks," he said.> >>> >>> >>> >> Jim Dutt, 65, who commutes from Mount Washington to the Mount Royal> >> Station, said he learned only yesterday morning that he would have to> >> board a shuttle bus. He said he was 30 minutes late to his job at the> >> University of Baltimore.> >>> >> "I think [MTA] needs to explain a little bit more as to why this is> >> taking place at this point and why it's taking so long," Dutt said.> >> "Last week, they were running single cars. And now it's gotten > >> worse."> >>> >> Dutt said he will continue to ride the train but will adjust his> >> start time.> >>> >>> >>> >> "It's one of the hazards, I suppose, of using the light rail," he> >> said. "But I'm not going to switch. I enjoy coming to work by rail> >> and not having to worry about a place to park."> >>> >> Autumn leaves are not a problem unique to Maryland's light rail> >> system, said Martin Schroeder, program manager for rail at the> >> American Public Transit Association. He noted that when the trade> >> group held its 2006 rail conference, it put together a panel of> >> experts to deal with that issue alone.> >>> >> "It's a problem of physics," Schroeder said, adding that leaves can> >> reduce friction on the rails to about one-sixth of normal: "It's like> >> your car on ice."> >>> >>> >>> >> Porcari said the problems with leaves reach their peak in late> >> October and November but subside soon after that.> >>> >>> >>> >> "The leaves will all be done very soon," he said. "A couple of good> >> winds, and we'll be off to the races."> >>> >> Copyright © 2008, The Baltimore Sun> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > > 
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