Bilevel Cars Restricted to Off-Peak Runs

http://www.wndu.com/indiana/headlines/83769542.html

I thought these issues were supposed to be resolved during the testing period, or did someone drop the ball?

Sometimes real life is harsher than testing. I'm sure the pros will work it out.

JB, can you tell us what runs remain gallery?

justalurker66 wrote:Sometimes real life is harsher than testing. I'm sure the pros will work it out.

JB, can you tell us what runs remain gallery?

I haven't spoken to my ex-colleagues about the gallery cars lately, so I'm not sure which runs they're now covering. Both sets included some peak period trains, so I'm not sure how they've re-engineered the equipment plan to take the peak trains out of the mix. I'll ask around.

The off peaks covered last year (before the May schedule change that put gallery cars on peak trains) were 116 and 109.
My assumption would be that run would get the working gallery set.

(Although this year there is one more round trip to cover than there was last year. With ridership down I suppose NICTD will manage.)

I noticed quite a few strings of gallery cars in the yards this evening on a related note. Also, the crews made a few cracks about them as well when I asked what happened to 106 this morning.

jb9152 wrote:

justalurker66 wrote:Sometimes real life is harsher than testing. I'm sure the pros will work it out.

JB, can you tell us what runs remain gallery?

I haven't spoken to my ex-colleagues about the gallery cars lately, so I'm not sure which runs they're now covering. Both sets included some peak period trains, so I'm not sure how they've re-engineered the equipment plan to take the peak trains out of the mix. I'll ask around.

ex-colleagues?

my first thought was I know the cars are more powerful, why some trailer cars would be useful for more capacity, possibly restricting the runs on the IC/Metra, but, not sure if thats really the case, multiple trains on a circuit might drag power affecting the alternate power systems on the cars. Which sounds reasonable to restrict to off peak times.

more glitches to iron out.

dinwitty wrote:multiple trains on a circuit might drag power affecting the alternate power systems on the cars. Which sounds reasonable to restrict to off peak times.

I have not done a precise study, but two trains moving on one circuit should be pretty rare. Multiple trains on the same substation I'd expect (especially in double track territory) but I believe the substations are close enough together that one train should be handed off to the next circuit before the next train comes along. (Although in Metra territory there would be the volume to have multiple moving trains on one circuit.)

Someday I'll have to plot the trains against the circuit breaks.

dinwitty wrote:ex-colleagues?

Yes - I used to be a senior manager at NICTD.

dinwitty wrote:my first thought was I know the cars are more powerful, why some trailer cars would be useful for more capacity, possibly restricting the runs on the IC/Metra, but, not sure if thats really the case, multiple trains on a circuit might drag power affecting the alternate power systems on the cars. Which sounds reasonable to restrict to off peak times.

more glitches to iron out.

Well, not exactly. It's not a problem with the electrical distribution system, it's a problem with the cars' auxiliary power supplies.

jb9152 wrote:

dinwitty wrote:ex-colleagues?

Yes - I used to be a senior manager at NICTD.

dinwitty wrote:my first thought was I know the cars are more powerful, why some trailer cars would be useful for more capacity, possibly restricting the runs on the IC/Metra, but, not sure if thats really the case, multiple trains on a circuit might drag power affecting the alternate power systems on the cars. Which sounds reasonable to restrict to off peak times.

more glitches to iron out.

Well, not exactly. It's not a problem with the electrical distribution system, it's a problem with the cars' auxiliary power supplies.

ah whats the job relationship now?

I presume to keep them off peak is in case of trouble they won't affect so many trains and cause backups.

dinwitty wrote:ah whats the job relationship now?

None, really, although I remain very good friends with many of the folks there. Very good people, and some of the best railroaders in the business.

dinwitty wrote:I presume to keep them off peak is in case of trouble they won't affect so many trains and cause backups.

Yep, that's probably the strategery there.

jb9152 wrote:Yes - I used to be a senior manager at NICTD.

Sorry to hear the "used to be" ... there is too much of that going on in our region.
(I'm scheduled to be a former employee within a few weeks. No where near that level job and I'm not at NICTD, of course.)

justalurker66 wrote:

jb9152 wrote:Yes - I used to be a senior manager at NICTD.

Sorry to hear the "used to be" ... there is too much of that going on in our region.
(I'm scheduled to be a former employee within a few weeks. No where near that level job and I'm not at NICTD, of course.)

I'm really sorry to hear that! I left of my own accord - relocation did not work out (my family is from Philadelphia). I hope to return one day when circumstances are a bit different.

Relocating doesn't always work out. My dad was military so I got used to moving every few years, but now I've lived in this area for 30 years and the same town for 15 I'm not sure I'd want to go too far away. Glad to hear that it wasn't a work issue for you. (I was downsized.)

BTW: I spent some time on the Google tonight and found an old article from last March that included an inside the cab photo of the new Bilevels (engineer side). ( http://hydeparkprogress.blogspot.com/20 ... chive.html ... scan down to the picture.) One can see the image from the track camera (showing the inspection pit). I wouldn't mind having that desk as a workplace.

Any further word on the bilevel problems? I'm curious why this was such a big problem if Metra has run similar cars for 3-4 years now. Aren't the bugs known by now? I saw a train of 300's cruise through Ogden Dunes earlier this week, sparking my curiosity.

Tadman wrote:I noticed quite a few strings of gallery cars in the yards this evening on a related note. Also, the crews made a few cracks about them as well when I asked what happened to 106 this morning.

Very odd that the new cars are seeing so much down time and off peak only running on the CSS while the Metra versions are in full swing. With sitings like that it makes me throw in my wise crack joke... "So when's CSS going to give up on there new bi-levels and sell ( or lease) them to Metra"... LOL