Interior "Next stop" signs in trains

Other than the 7k cars and many of the 6K cars.. most of the interior next stop signs don't work in trains. Why is this?

For a while I thought it was because of the "bellying" of the 1k cars and mixing different series together in one train. But on several occasions I have been on a train that was entirely made up of one series (3K or 5K) and the interior next stop signs would only say the color of the line like "Red" or "Blue" but the next stops would not show. The 6k cars are the only exception.

What is the reason for this? These cars have been on the tracks for years and they still can't get the software to work?

"Chris Brown"

What is the reason for this? These cars have been on the tracks for years and they still can't get the software to work?

Me thinks WMATA has more pressing maintenance issues that need to dealt first then to be worrying about some system that has zero effect on the safe operation of trains.

Consider this, is the none function onboard next station displays important enough to keep cars out of service that are needed to fill a peak service time sheet.

Sand Box John wrote:"Chris Brown"

What is the reason for this? These cars have been on the tracks for years and they still can't get the software to work?

Me thinks WMATA has more pressing maintenance issues that need to dealt first then to be worrying about some system that has zero effect on the safe operation of trains.

Consider this, is the none function onboard next station displays important enough to keep cars out of service that are needed to fill a peak service time sheet.

I understand your point. But at the same time, I think this kind of thinking is what has been wrong with WMATA for a while. Always setting the bar low. I say it should be top priority for 100% of things related to Metro to work properly. No matter how big or small, everything should work and work properly.

I was never suggesting it should be WMATA's #1 priority. I just wanted to know the reason why this doesn't work after the cars have been on the tracks well over 10 years. The 5K cars started arriving back in 2001. The updated 2k and 3K cars returned to service around 2002-2004. Even if this is not a top priority.. its been over 10 years. To me that is kind of ridiculous. They take cars out of service to replace carpet, but they can't fix the destination signs? Come on. There is really no good excuse.

I think setting the bar low is bad policy in all situations.

"@ Chris Brown"

I totally understand where you are coming from. The fact is WMATA is a bloated bureaucracy where there is no incentive at the lower levels of the food chain to take the initiative to address various issues before a committee higher up the food chain decides what path need to followed to address said issues. It should also be noted that WMATA has been functioning in cope mode for most of the last 25 years.

Sand Box John wrote:"@ Chris Brown"

I totally understand where you are coming from. The fact is WMATA is a bloated bureaucracy where there is no incentive at the lower levels of the food chain to take the initiative to address various issues before a committee higher up the food chain decides what path need to followed to address said issues. It should also be noted that WMATA has been functioning in cope mode for most of the last 25 years.

But they still manage to find a way to replace carpet. I would prefer they fix the destinations signs. Those signs are much more useful to passengers than stupid carpet.

Could it be a matter of skill levels? Lots of people can lay a carpet who couldn't cope with anything electronic without training. I remember that a good many years ago SEPTA had a rule that you couldn't be an electrician unless you started as a car cleaner and waited for openings; when they realized that trained electricians weren't going to start as car cleaners they managed to change the policy.

Frankly, as a weekly rider, I am much happier when I get into a car with new carpet (which has happened several times lately!) than when I am in a car with working next stop signs. The gross carpet is...well....disgusting.

This is a good reason why they should not be mixing the series together. I don't like seeing a 6 car train with 3 different series: 6000-3000-1000.
They're aren't compatible - the signs and speakers in each series are different versions.
1000 series should not be connected to 5000/6000 series. All 6/8 cars should be of the same series and newer cars (5000/6000) should not be mixed with old cars.
This is why VRE does not connect its new cars to the few old cars it has left.

I guess the train operator doesn't bother to check the signs when they go to put the train in service. This is important because in the dimly lit underground stations it can be hard to see the station sign and in older cars it can be heard to understand or hear what the train operator is saying

Also, should remove carpeting from all 6000 series just like the 7000 series are. Only a few 6000 series cars have floor with no carpet

davinp wrote:This is a good reason why they should not be mixing the series together. I don't like seeing a 6 car train with 3 different series: 6000-3000-1000.
They're aren't compatible - the signs and speakers in each series are different versions.
1000 series should not be connected to 5000/6000 series. All 6/8 cars should be of the same series and newer cars (5000/6000) should not be mixed with old cars.
This is why VRE does not connect its new cars to the few old cars it has left.

I guess the train operator doesn't bother to check the signs when they go to put the train in service. This is important because in the dimly lit underground stations it can be hard to see the station sign and in older cars it can be heard to understand or hear what the train operator is saying

Also, should remove carpeting from all 6000 series just like the 7000 series are. Only a few 6000 series cars have floor with no carpet

Don't they have to run the old cars with the new cabs, since they don't have any old cabs anymore?

The signs are not minimum required equipment for operation. Between lack of maintenance, lack of spare equipment, and equipment incompatibility, those things are just not going to be consistently reliable. The consists will always be mixed due to the 1000 series bellying PR stunt. The car maintenance is too far behind to every catch up to nice-to-haves like signage. And there is no spare equipment to take cars out of service for repair to little things like that. The signs haven't been reliable for nearly a decade and won't be changing anytime soon.

Well once the 1000 series cars are retired, it'll become easier.

jackintosh11 wrote:Well once the 1000 series cars are retired, it'll become easier.

I've been wondering if Metro will stop mixing the fleet once the 1k's are all gone. Prior to the 2009 crash I don't remember Metro ever mixing the fleet. I THINK trains were always made up only of one series. I could be wrong. It was a long time ago.

But I hope the mixing stops after the 1k's are gone.

Chris Brown wrote:

jackintosh11 wrote:Well once the 1000 series cars are retired, it'll become easier.

I've been wondering if Metro will stop mixing the fleet once the 1k's are all gone. Prior to the 2009 crash I don't remember Metro ever mixing the fleet. I THINK trains were always made up only of one series. I could be wrong. It was a long time ago.

But I hope the mixing stops after the 1k's are gone.

I think that, looking a bit further ahead to when the 1ks, 4ks, and 5ks are gone, I can see Metro mixing the 2 and 3k series and running the 6k separately. Then, when 2-3k series are replaced by 8k, which is supposed to be interchangeable with 7k, then mixing of those series may occur.

Ever since I saw this thread, I have been paying attention to the next stop signs during my commute. I'd have to say that I've seen the signs work on at least 70% of the cars I've been on, 2K through 6K, as long as there wasn't a 1K in the consist. I recall a post in another thread that mentioned the 1K being the limitation of the next destination equipment operating to its full extent.