[PRCo] Re: Baltimore Light Rail Shuts North End

[Schneider Fred]

I think two engineers we both know from New Jersey would give well  
deserved cynical comments ---- from opposite ends of the state.
On Nov 20, 2008, at 2:28 PM, John Swindler wrote:

>
>
> 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> > serv!
>  ice 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 ma
> intenance 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 F!
>  red <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 t!
>  heir 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 i!
>  n 1992 under pressure from then-Gov.> >> William Donald Schaefer  
> to ge
> t 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 ca!
>  n 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 C!
>  ultural Center stop. Russell said> >> he learned about the shuttle  
> bus
> es 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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