Rotem Cars Discussion (new bi-level cars)

Headlights, radio, and PA operate off the low voltage circuit carried through the MU cable on control cars. Batteries operate everything else. I believe everything operates off the batteries in the Rotem cars. Including the window wipers! Not looking forward to the day I have to pipe in a snow storm with one of these cars!

sery2831 wrote:Headlights, radio, and PA operate off the low voltage circuit carried through the MU cable on control cars. Batteries operate everything else. I believe everything operates off the batteries in the Rotem cars. Including the window wipers! Not looking forward to the day I have to pipe in a snow storm with one of these cars!

This makes sense. I have definitely been on non-Rotem control car trainsets where the HEP died but the set was able to operate 'normally' (not piped) for the duration of the trip. Typically the crew would make a few attempts at restarting the HEP (or re-closing a breaker or whatever) and if that failed, we would proceed with darkened coaches. Except for the battery powered overhead lights that would get dimmer as time went on. I always keep a flashlight in my bag - has come in handy for unloading at Back Bay in pitch black coaches.

According to NETransit, 826 has been accepted and assigned North Side.

Friday the 13th I used the restroom on an 800-series Rotem. I noticed the sink wasn't draining and reported it to the conductor. It contained clear water with no obvious paper etc., so I wonder if the drain had frozen. Do Rotem sinks drain into the toilet waste tank, or onto the RoW?

Dumping waste onto the ROW is not an acceptable practice anymore. All MBTA restroom cars use holding tanks.

On the Rotem cars the fresh water tank is heated and has a freeze dump valve, but I don't know about the gray water side of things.

Sinks drain directly to the tracks. I have encountered several frozen sinks lately.

According to NETransit, 835 has been accepted and is assigned to the North Side.

I think a couple cars got accepted since it says there are only 5 cars left unaccepted. If I had to guess I'd say another recent addition is the 832, not 100% sure though.

Whittling down the 'unaccepteds' list is always going to be a hollow victory so long as the entire fleet has to get rotated out to Seaview for warranty mods. I know new glitches are showing up even now on the control cars, but is there a running tally of how many BTC's have been through the warranty program and have 'for real' permanent availability?

According to NETransit, 1823 has been accepted and assigned South. Four to go (816, 825, 1821, 1824). Of course there are still a boatload of accepted coachew at Seaview and/or yet to rotate through Seaview.

1807 is OOS...tis the control control involved in 3/10's mishap @ SHSY. There is a good size hole in her firemans side from striking the Catenary pole

I thought the 1807 was out of service for the last three weeks? The 1812 is also listed as OOS, was it that one instead?

1812 is the one from SHSY incident.

Rotem Extra on tap for Saturday, five coaches for five...

D

In the crash in CA a few weeks ago (Metrolink?), the Rotem cars apparently had crumple zones, credited for saving some lives / injuries (although the engineer died). Does the "T" new Rotems have this feature?