2016 Commuter Rail Delay Discussion Thread

[Diverging Route]

A new year! An old cancellation to start things off...

Anderson/Woburn inbound 352 cancelled due to mechanical problem.

[deathtopumpkins]

Major delays and overcrowding on the Fitchburg line this morning due to an earlier mechanical failure as well.

[BostonUrbEx]

352 was likely scrapped to send an extra set to Littleton which then turned there. Completely unannounced in the text alerts. 447, which usually runs to Littleton, ran to North Leominster and turned as 450 with extra stops. 408 was very late but right behind 450.

Just now: Haverhill Line suspended between Andover and Lawrence for a 'track issue'. I bet there's a broken rail from the extreme cold this morning.

[johnpbarlow]

352 was likely scrapped to send an extra set to Littleton which then turned there. Completely unannounced in the text alerts. 447, which usually runs to Littleton, ran to North Leominster and turned as 450 with extra stops. 408 was very late but right behind 450.

Just now: Haverhill Line suspended between Andover and Lawrence for a 'track issue'. I bet there's a broken rail from the extreme cold this morning.

WCRB radio says there has been a derailment on the Haverhill line? And WCVB says, at a little after 0600:
http://www.wcvb.com/news/derailed-commuter-train-affecting-morning-commute/37269738

[Type 7 3684]

10 alerts just for the Haverhill line. Wow.

[Diverging Route]

As part of the Western Route mess this morning, inbound 352 was again cancelled. Its outbound run 351 was originally told to run as scheduled to Anderson, then continue to Lowell light to back-fill. But 351's power had HEP problems and it never got out of the starting gate. Meanwhile, the new early outbound Fitchburg set/crew was sent instead to cover the Lowell trip.

[deathtopumpkins]

Well that's a new alert I've never seen...

Haverhill Line passengers may consider taking the Lowell Line from Anderson/Woburn. There is a large parking lot to accommodate passengers.

..unless you don't have access to a car, which is why you're taking the train, in which case we don't care about you.

[EdSchweppe]

Keolis has a video up with Rich Murphy (Keolis Director of Train Operations) explaining what happened:

https://vimeo.com/150791773

Summary: non-revenue extra ("draft") derailed just north of Andover going through an interlocking, where "the track structure failed" (don't know why yet), trapping 5 of 25 north side trainsets. Thus they cancelled 447/450 and 051/052 - but "we expect the track to be back early this afternoon".

[Diverging Route]

Keolis has a video up with Rich Murphy (Keolis Director of Train Operations) explaining what happened:

https://vimeo.com/150791773

Summary: non-revenue extra ("draft") derailed just north of Andover going through an interlocking, where "the track structure failed" (don't know why yet), trapping 5 of 25 north side trainsets. Thus they cancelled 447/450 and 051/052 - but "we expect the track to be back early this afternoon".

Not mentioned is that 352 was cancelled as well as part of the recovery plan

[RRCOMM]

Just to clarify a statement that was made in the 2015 delay thread regarding no spare cables on board:

"Re: 2015 Commuter Rail Delay Discussion Thread"
"New postby nomis » Wed Dec 23, 2015 8:20 pm"
"If push came to shove (no pun intended), you could of always used a COMM cable to make the MU connection."

Both the MU and the COMM connector use the 27 pin plug. However to prevent potentially dangerous cross connections the blue colored COMM cable is keyed at an offset that is different than the MU cable, hence it will not plug in to the MU receptacle.

[dbperry]

Both the MU and the COMM connector use the 27 pin plug. However to prevent potentially dangerous cross connections the blue colored COMM cable is keyed at an offset that is different than the MU cable, hence it will not plug in to the MU receptacle.

OK, color me curious. What's the difference between the comm cable and the MU cable? Do you need both (plus an air hose) to tie two trains together?

[BandA]

I would imagine a communications cable would have smaller wires than a power cable, and would burn out if somehow used.

[Diverging Route]

Today's 359/360 (4:20pm Anderson short-turn) and 333 (5:30pm Lowell express) cancelled due to mechanical problems.

[chefsef]

I heard something about CP 24 as the (assistant) conductor walked by. This is what "they" are reporting:

Worcester Line Train 537 (7:20 pm from South Station) is operating 15-20 minutes late between Framingham and Worcester Station due to a track problem.

Been sitting here at Framingham station for about fifteen minutes, so we'll see. Oh. And to top it all off, the "Welcome aboard..." greeting (?) has been going off (3 times so far) in 5 minute intervals.

We are waiting for the late inbound 536 which is nearly here (< 5 minutes) according to announcement.

Conductor got off train twice, once at crossing where Stone's Inn is, and then again at next crossing a few hundred (?) yards away. Does he have to do "something" to CP 24? I suspect so. Now, entering Ashland Station at 856PM.

[nomis]

I forgot that the MU cable has two wires reversed in it (as well as the configuration from end-to-end of the cars, so this may not work anyway. The COMM cable has 3 pairs of wires reversed in it, and nothing would line up electrically ... So forget I even mentioned it as an idea.

An MU cable sends various engine commands both to and from the leading control stand (read: cab car) & the engine(s) providing motive power. The locomotive will send 74v DC through the MU cable to provide power for the Cab Car controls. Tractive effort of 'generator field', 'reverser' (direction of travel), and notch position are all controlled by the MU cable. Some indicators are sent from the locomotive(s) such as fault buzzer, sander, and load meter.

The COMM cable controls the: door controls, PA announcements & intercom, 'conductor' buzzer, as well as send 74V DC from the locomotive to charge batteries for cab cars and trailer cars.