[PRCo] Fwd: METRORAIL DISASTER

[Schneider Fred]

Saw Herb Brannon on some of the lists.   Here is a comment Herb that  
I added to another list this morning.   The rest of you on the PRC  
list can read what the Grizzly Bear thinks; you can decided whether  
I'm right or wrong.   Apparently there is some information floating  
around that the accident was caused my malfunctioning computer control.
Fred Schneider

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Schneider Fred <fwschneider at comcast.net>
> Date: June 23, 2009 11:19:25 AM EDT
> To: "alschneider2 at juno.com" <alschneider2 at juno.com>
> Cc: Swindler1 John <j_swindler at hotmail.com>, Vigrass Bill  
> <billvigrass at verizon.net>, Bob Dietrich  
> <bob.dietrich1 at verizon.net>, Bente Bruce <bbente at bellsouth.net>,  
> Lybarger Ed <trams2 at comcast.net>, Craig Phil  
> <philgcraig204 at yahoo.com>, Allman Rich <allmanr at verizon.net>,  
> Jackson Russ <rejmhj at netzero.net>, Brashear Derrick  
> <shadow at dementia.org>, Fitzherbert Tony <akftrain at aol.com>,  
> Tennyson Ed <etennyson at cox.net>, Miklos Frank  
> <miklosfrank at comcast.net>, May Jack <jack.may at americomm.net>, JOHN  
> AURELIUS <jaurelius at centurytel.net>, "Russell Jackson E."  
> <russell.jackson at stvinc.com>, Kotulak Dick <CRVLKOTULA at aol.com>
> Subject: Re: METRORAIL DISASTER
>
> I was a little disturbed today to hear to NTSB spokesman give her  
> preliminiary belief that the wreck was caused by old cars.   I  
> cannot help but remember all those wooden elevated cars from the  
> turn of the century that CTA was still running after World War  
> II.   Or all the 1912 Nearsides that PTC still had on the streets  
> in 1955.   Or how about the 1906 Market Street Elevated cars that  
> were finally replaced in 1960 by the Budd Almond Joy cars.
>
> I guess even if the "motorperson" was not guilty, I would want to  
> blame the industry standard today that defers maintenance until the  
> car is so beat that we can go to the federal government and get  
> capital money to restore it to safe operating condition.   It think  
> John Swindler's line supporting that was, "The only real money is  
> local money."   We'll do anything to avoid spending local money.
>
> I am trying to remember back to some discussions I heard during the  
> construction of the original Rohr cars ... such as here are the  
> tunnel dimensions ... can you build a car to fit.   It related to  
> cost of tunneling is proportional to cross sectional area times  
> distance and if we can make the cars more compact in cross section,  
> we can make the tunnel costs cheaper.  Does that compromise the  
> structure of the car?  That is for some one else to answer.
>
> The real question is why did it happen and I cannot accept simply  
> that the cars are older.   If that is so, then how is it that the  
> Strasburg can run steam engines built over 80 years ago pulling  
> wooden coaches that were built 100 years ago?   And how was the  
> Pennsylvania Railroad able to run L1s and K4s in 1957 that were 43  
> years old?   I think someone from the NTSB needs a muzzle.
>
>
> On Jun 23, 2009, at 2:06 AM, alschneider2 at juno.com wrote:
>
>> Six are known dead, there are reports of a seventh trapped in the  
>> wreckage.  70 were taken to various hospitals, with a few being in  
>> critical condition; according to the press, some may not make it.
>>
>> I have read that the NTSB wanted the Rohrs retired or at least  
>> strengthened; the Bredas were strengthened but not the Rohrs.  Mr.  
>> Catoe has not proposed doing anything, at least publicly.  The  
>> 1000's are also suffering fatigue, with early stages of cracking.   
>> They must be replaced according to press reports by 2020 or so.   
>> There next equipment order, the 7000's, are for the Dulles  
>> extension - Metro informally calls them the Virginia cars.  Only  
>> after that car order will Metro order cars for general fleet  
>> expansion and/or replacement of the 1000's.
>>
>> This is reportedly the third collision with Rohrs overriding other  
>> cars.
>>
>> There are three levels of automation:
>>
>> 1.  Automatic train protection - this is always in operation and  
>> appears to have not functioned properly.
>>
>> 2.  Automatic train control -  the computer drives the train, not  
>> the operator.  Normally Metro operates in this mode, but not  
>> always.  The Shady Grove collision and fatality was due to poor  
>> braking during a snow storm; the operator requested permission to  
>> operate manually, was not permitted to do so, and died as a  
>> result.  The rail operating manager had ordered 100% automatic  
>> operation to save money on break pads.  He left the authority not  
>> long after the fatality.
>>
>> 3.  Computer train scheduling (I've forgotten the technical term  
>> for this) - the computer increases or decreases speed to keep  
>> trains on schedule.  This has never been implemented.
>>
>> I do not consider myself an expert on either Metro or transit, but  
>> I think the above is true.
>>
>>
>>
>>                            Alan
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> ____________________________________________________________
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>