Silverliner Vs Out of Service - Technical Topics

I'm a hack welder. Lately I'm learning tig so I may not have to send molds out the laser $$$ shop. As an engineer who grew up machining solids, good welders are respected. Honestly, although we need them, we looked down on sheet metal guys. My bad.

Could you consider an equalizer sheet metal with a couple weldments on the ends? I still think cast and forge.

Before everyone pats SEPTIC on the back for looking out for public safety, it's not like they had a choice. Had they kept the cars in service and an accident happened, those in charge would be facing jail time.

It's obvious that diversity of modal options, as identified in this post by Michael Noda, is - to some degree - keeping regional mobility afloat in the midst of a potential quagmire.

In a (tongue in cheek) extrapolation of that fact, I'd like to offer the following for consideration (by all of the members out there who love fantasy) of how much easier the current situation might have been:

Subway Surface system expansion

I wouldn't be opposed. The 48 and 33 are great candidates for that kind of service. As it is they run every <5 mins during peak times with 60ft artic buses and they're always packed to the gills esp downtown. Putting them underground on rails would somewhat ease congestion downtown and they'd be able to better make their schedules.

Been told that the Comet cars in storage at Overbrook Shop are or at Frazier Shop to give up their trucks so they can be used as shop trucks for the SL V's. They want a bunch of bad SL V trucks off the Rotem cars so they can replace the bad parts and not tie up the lifts in the shop while the trucks are repaired. This way when the parts arrive they can just do a truck change out, quicker out of the shop.

SEPTA runs more trains per hour through a two-track light rail subway than anywhere else in the US and quite possibly anywhere in the world. 40 TPH is the usual limit for two-track light rail subways (particularly those like Muni Metro with some variety of PTC). The MBTA schedules 45 TPH (actual operation is more like 40-42) with unenforced signals. By double-stacking trains on platforms and other tricks, SEPTA gets an astounding 59 TPH.

That's a far upper limit as to what is possible. There is no possible way to add additional frequency to the tunnel.

Any word yet on the "fix-it" plan, if it exists yet ? (beyond the truck-swapping just posted). Who will do the work and what work?
This all assumes they really know the root cause and how to avoid it next time around - not sure we have heard the answer on that yet. Or when they even plan to have a plan.
Friday will be 3 weeks since the discovery.
Jim S

Looks like they're going to do equalizer beam replacements and not attempt repairs, which is probably the best route forward:
http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2016/0 ... rail-cars/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A few thoughts from a SEPTA retiree. In thirty years I never once saw an equalizer beam fail; not on a SL-III or SL-IV. I saw broken springs and spring seats, cracked frames on SL-II trucks, but not one equalizer beam. SEPTA knew from the start that the cars were grossly overweight. It can't be helped they said because the "government" commandeered all the steel they were supposed to use for the military. Could that be a factor? Yes,I know the trucks were built by a sub-contractor, but was the extra 20,000 pounds factored into the truck design? That works out to an extra 2500 lbs. per wheel.
The news was filled with stories about poor fit and finish from the very first cars. The overall build quality is atrocious and Rotem is very reluctant to address the issues. The folks from Kawasaki are probably saying "We told you so". But don't just take my word for it, ask someone who runs them or maintains them.

With their primary source, Columbus Casting, in Bankruptcy proceedings, and as earlier noted in the discussion, only a skeleton force remains on the payroll, that means somebody will have to contract with another fabricator for the 130 x 4 = 520 frames.

Since the parts installed with the cars failed, to say the least, prematurely, there will have to be a redesign, unless of course SEPTA wants an encore in another five years.

Finally there is the matter of who pays for what; the Columbus Estate? Oh but wait they're bust; and I'll place bets any warranty is unenforceable against them. SEPTA? Aren't they perpetually broke? Enquiring mind wants to know on this one.

All told, Labor Day as noted by the TV station, sounds mighty optimistic.

Side note: has any company been able to produce a Pioneer III lately? BBD should hold the rights and the Pioneer could be another option alongside the GSI-St. Louis Car inboard trucks.

Gilbert B Norman wrote:Since the parts installed with the cars failed, to say the least, prematurely, there will have to be a redesign, unless of course SEPTA wants an encore in another five years.

As was mentioned several times, it might just be a welding problem (between the equalizers to the end pieces that actually sit on the trucks), not a design problem. However, to get some new equalizers of the existing design, do the welding right, and then do the right kind of tests to CONCLUSIVELY prove that they aren't failing doesn't sound like a few-week process. . TO me this sounds like 6 months, And that is even before they can order and start producing new equalizers in volume. Not to mention the chicken and egg question of how they get a few new (before welding) bars in the first place to do welding & tests on. I don't suppose there are any of before-welding bars laying around anywhere from the original manufacturing run. You sure don't want to commit to making 100+ new bars, and then find out they fail too - you have to be sure. I'm betting on springtime before they get the full fleet back in service. I hope I'm proved wrong.
JS
It might be a faster (but more expensive) route to go with a different but proven truck design (the whole truck, not just the equalizers) especially if there is up and running manufacturing capacity - so you could put the orders out and start building trucks right away. Does such an appropriate truck (with possible fast manufacturing) even exist that can take the weight of the heavy SLV cars, and match the carmount/bolsters etc of the SLV's? I would bet SEPTA already knows the answer to this.
EDIT: I missed R36's post just above -- are you implying these trucks are compatible?

if it were just welding it would take grinder and good certified welder to correct a equalizer or 4 on each 8 hour shift. the cracks are in bars themselves

Seems the only "fix" is to outright replace the equalizer bars on the entire fleet of SL-V's,
as they are castings that cannot be fixed by welding.
Lets hope the new bars are rated for the SL-V's weight this time around.

The idea of using the Comet trucks as SHOP trucks is to keep the Drop Pit clear for other work

Is there a reason for the ends welded onto the equalizer bar as opposed to one-piece forged?