What is it about the Riverside line?

By adamg on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 6:55am

Dead trolley at Chestnut Hill this morning.

7:35 update: One could ask the same thing about commuter rail: As I type, there are 17 alerts about delays at the MBTA Web site.

9:00 update: Probably should have written "What is it about the T?" since switch problems at Oak Grove AND a dead train are causing agita on the Orange Line. Or as Boon Sheridan tweets: "Orange line from inbound from Oak Grove dead in the water. Seek alternate routes and aspirin."

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Comments

What is "disabled" anyway?

By Eric Herot on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 8:22am.

Can we get a little more detailed information than "disabled trains?" How is it that they can have so many non-movable trains almost 24 hours after the snow stopped falling? This problem sounds more systemic than mere equipment failures due to lack of maintenance and I want to know what it is

There was at least one

By anon on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 9:30am.

There was at least one disabled train each morning of the week this week--and on Monday, each subway line, including the 4 separate branches of the Green, had at least one disabled train during the morning rush hour. Begs the question: If there are this many trains dying on the tracks now, how many will be doing that in 3, 5, 10 years unless something is actually DONE about it??

The MBTA does have this one

By anon on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 9:44am.

The MBTA does have this one the procurement section of their web site:

RFP No. CAP 77-09: Selective Systems Overhaul of 86 Kinki Sharyo Light Rail Vehicles with Options in accordance with Technical Specification No. VE-09-028.

You have until March 15 to put in a bid, if your firm is interested in overhauling these cars for the T.

On the Green Line, its

By anon on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 9:39am.

On the Green Line, its usually either a "propulsion system logic fault" which often means a blown circuit board that's part of the solid state motor control system, or its a loss of brake pressure, meaning either an air-compressor problem on the older Type 7 high-floor cars or a hydraulic pump issue on the newer Type 8 low-floor cars. Low pressure will cause the brakes to lock up, which then have to be manually unwound before the train can be moved. If both cars in a two-car train have a loss of pressure, another train has to be coupled on to push or pull. There are all sorts of other issues with brakes, motors, doors, resistors, couplers, etc that can cause a "disabled train" but these are the two that seems to happen the most often.

Good question

By Kaz on Fri, 01/28/2011 - 10:42am.

I think they actually prefer the term "differently abled" trains.