[PRCo] Re: PCC Question

[Fred Schneider]

Russ Jackson, when he was working on the Kawasaki project for SEPTA, gained great appreciation for the car builder.   He showed me some pictures of a discolored gear that they had trouble with during the heat treating process.   He told me that when he visited the plant, Kawasaki turned the bad spot on the gear up for him to see, wiped it clean, and explained what they were doing to prevent it from happening again.

Russ asked me what I believed would happen under similar circumstances in a US factory.

I said, the bad spot would have been turned down and hidden under oil and they manufacturer would hope you don't find it.

Russ just smiled.   

So much for your comment on extreme reliability.

Except for Mr. Toyota's unusual probably last year, as rule, did not the Toyota, Nissan, Suburu and other Japanese auto makers also show the American automobile builders how to build an automobile?   What was the longevity of a Ford until the Japanese started competing?   I can tell you that there was a reason why in the 1960s Hertz used to advertise that they had no cars in their rental fleets older than 24,000 miles ... because at 24,000 they started nickel and diming the owners to death.  I owned Fords in that period.   Once the American car builders got a good dose of Japan, they learned and learned well.   Ask Swindler how long a Ford would last after Henry learned.  For a while there John was buying used a used Taurus every few years ... I think his line to the dealer was, "Can you get me another one of these with about 175,000 fewer miles?"   



On Oct 20, 2010, at 1:55 PM, Bill Robb wrote:

> Japanese rail cars are generally extremely reliable.  Most EMUs on JR East 
> lines will run 18-20 hours per day.  Shinkansens run similar hours. 
> 
> Their are three peak hours in places like Tokyo: morning, evening and last 
> trains. Unlike North America where cars and trains are pulling in the evening, 
> the peak number of trains are running 1900-2100 hours.
> 
> Bill
> 
> 
> On Wed, Oct 20, 2010 at 1:14 PM, Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net> wrote:
>> 
>> What is the proven need for more of them?
> 
> Other people have bought railcars. If the Kawasakis have that kind of
> reliability, why not those?
> The need is not proven but the demand is...
> 
> If the answer is "they only did/proven on 4 axle", sure, ok.
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> Derrick
> 
> 
> 
> 
>