Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

Moderator: lensovet

  by farmerjohn
 
I beleive its trainset #300. The skunk train?. Somebody correct me if im wrong. I got to ride on this beauty this morning. What a wonderful way to start the day!. That smell will wake you right up and putt hair on your chest!!. :-D This gos for that coaster set as well!, send it back to san diego!. We already got one skunk we dont need 2 sets!. :-D

  by pennsy
 
Hi Farmboy,

Don't get it. A Metrolink train with the number 300 would be an eastbound San Bernardino line train leaving from LAUS heading for San Bernardino. With a number as low as 300 that would be an early train. So how do you get on it if you are in Pomona ?

I usually catch the # 317 Metrolink at 8:45 at Montclair, heading towards LAUS, and that is still early morning, but not rush hour any longer.

Having said that, what is with that train ? Did one of the cars, probably the car right behind the EMD F-59 PH or PHI get nailed by a skunk's exhaust ? The engine leads leaving LAUS. Is the smell localized to one car ? Would that be the Cabbage car ? Seems to me that if you report that to the conductor the car would be cut off at the end of the run and fumigated to get rid of the odor. I would also imagine that he would be alerted to the problem all by himself.

  by farmerjohn
 
pennsy wrote:Hi Farmboy,

Don't get it. A Metrolink train with the number 300 would be an eastbound San Bernardino line train leaving from LAUS heading for San Bernardino. With a number as low as 300 that would be an early train. So how do you get on it if you are in Pomona ?

I usually catch the # 317 Metrolink at 8:45 at Montclair, heading towards LAUS, and that is still early morning, but not rush hour any longer.

Having said that, what is with that train ? Did one of the cars, probably the car right behind the EMD F-59 PH or PHI get nailed by a skunk's exhaust ? The engine leads leaving LAUS. Is the smell localized to one car ? Would that be the Cabbage car ? Seems to me that if you report that to the conductor the car would be cut off at the end of the run and fumigated to get rid of the odor. I would also imagine that he would be alerted to the problem all by himself.
ahaha, my mistake with the number!. Ive often taken that train from here to la and have had the chance to catch it going back home. Got my numbers mixd up. I found out why. One of the tanks is bad. They have tried cleaning it out several times and theirs no chance of the smell going away. Stinks up the whole train. Not just the one car.
That smell travels!. ahahaha. Next time if im on that set, ill get the exact number. All I remember is this morning getting on and the smell right as the doors opend. ahaha. Its horrible!. ahaha. Complaints beleive it or not have been filed and they have tried their best but its something with the tank?.

  by pennsy
 
Hi,

Okay, we are talking about the toilet on board the Metrolink trains backing up and/ or not being serviced properly. Unusual since I have never seen that happen. Sounds like a passenger was quite ill that day. The commode on board is a chemical type with a holding tank. This is probably dumped once a day, and fresh chemicals added etc. etc. Okay so someone was asleep at the switch and that car did not get serviced, or you had the misfortune to get on board shortly after our ill passenger did his or her thing. Hopefully it will not reoccur.

By the way, as with airlines, Metrolink trains have odd numbers going west and even numbers going east. So if you were leaving Pomona heading for LAUS, your Metrolink train had an odd number. To quote an old joke from someone that didn't like Californians, Oddballs go West.

  by farmerjohn
 
pennsy wrote:Hi,

Okay, we are talking about the toilet on board the Metrolink trains backing up and/ or not being serviced properly. Unusual since I have never seen that happen. Sounds like a passenger was quite ill that day. The commode on board is a chemical type with a holding tank. This is probably dumped once a day, and fresh chemicals added etc. etc. Okay so someone was asleep at the switch and that car did not get serviced, or you had the misfortune to get on board shortly after our ill passenger did his or her thing. Hopefully it will not reoccur.

By the way, as with airlines, Metrolink trains have odd numbers going west and even numbers going east. So if you were leaving Pomona heading for LAUS, your Metrolink train had an odd number. To quote an old joke from someone that didn't like Californians, Oddballs go West.
ahaha, so thats why Amtrak hasnt calld me back?..... ahaha.
This is something thats regular. Its always the coaster sets. Ill get the car #'s cause even my pops knows what cars im talking about.
You ever have the chance of meeting conductor Jim? ahaha.
Guys a crack up.

  by pennsy
 
Hi,

As I said, I am usually on train # 317, and the conductor there is Mr. Walker. He also has to have a good sense of humor. I was on his train one day when EMD F-59PHI # 887 crapped out. The engineman had to get into the engine, and run her in reverse with the instructions of Mr. Walker who was in the cab car, to get the train to LAUS. We arrived over one hour late. Mr. Walker was kind enough to validate my ticket to be used another time, which I did. They just about had to push 887 back to LAUS.

  by farmerjohn
 
pennsy wrote:Hi,

As I said, I am usually on train # 317, and the conductor there is Mr. Walker. He also has to have a good sense of humor. I was on his train one day when EMD F-59PHI # 887 crapped out. The engineman had to get into the engine, and run her in reverse with the instructions of Mr. Walker who was in the cab car, to get the train to LAUS. We arrived over one hour late. Mr. Walker was kind enough to validate my ticket to be used another time, which I did. They just about had to push 887 back to LAUS.
I heard about that one. Most the times ive ever seen the equipment fail or heard of its been something to do with the generators and power loss?.
Ive heard stories of people actually getting stuck on that stretch on the freeway.