Snowmageddon

Does no one else have power/connectivity to start a thread on this??
This has to be the longest shutdown in WMATA history, true?

I see no word re: rail service on Tuesday, and by Tuesday PM, they'll be back hiding underground...

Well, it's only the second time they've gone into a snow service like this. But yes, at three days, this is the longest so far, and you're right - even if they do get dug out to have a rush hour on Tuesday, they'll probably be back underground by the end of the day.

Limited Metrorail, Metrobus, MetroAccess service expected Tuesday
New snow storm likely to limit afternoon, evening service

WMATA plans to run full service on Green, Yellow, and Orange lines Tuesday, Red and Blue will remains truncated because of snow drifts on the tracks.

Never lost power over here in my part of the sand box, light flickered a couple of times though.

Likewise here - the lights flickered a few times, but nothing major.

It would be cool if you folks down in DC area could keep us folks elsewhere updated of any interesting info/developments due to this winter wonderland on steroids.

- A

TREnecNYP wrote:It would be cool if you folks down in DC area could keep us folks elsewhere updated of any interesting info/developments due to this winter wonderland on steroids.

- A

Interesting??

• It snowed a lot
• Then it snowed some more
• Now it is snowing again
• Tomorrow, a change of pace -- high winds to help desnow all the trees.

Frankly, I'm hoping for a plague of locusts, just for variety...


More mundane -- what's involved in recovering cars now in the yards? Is it just thawing switches, and using a diesel to pull them out? Or do they need a visit over the pit & the motors blown out with air, etc? I'd think the AC motors would be far less vulnerable than the remaining DC ones....

And here's a question I'm looking up: how long a space would be needed to store all of the rolling stock under cover?

farecard wrote:And here's a question I'm looking up: how long a space would be needed to store all of the rolling stock under cover?

Good question. If the all the nearest tunnel sections to each yard were used for train storage, how much of the line would it take?
Per Wikipedia they have 1126 75ft cars. (WMATA press release 6-23-09.) 84450 ft of cars if they are touching or 16 miles worth of track.

farecard wrote:

TREnecNYP wrote:It would be cool if you folks down in DC area could keep us folks elsewhere updated of any interesting info/developments due to this winter wonderland on steroids.

- A

Interesting??

• It snowed a lot
• Then it snowed some more
• Now it is snowing again
• Tomorrow, a change of pace -- high winds to help desnow all the trees.

Frankly, I'm hoping for a plague of locusts, just for variety...

I think that comes next week, actually...

TREnecNYP, here's a time lapse shot of what the Friday/Saturday storm did at my house:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/rstavely/4335701981/

justalurker66 wrote:Good question. If the all the nearest tunnel sections to each yard were used for train storage, how much of the line would it take?
Per Wikipedia they have 1126 75ft cars. (WMATA press release 6-23-09.) 84450 ft of cars if they are touching or 16 miles worth of track.

Take six more out of that for the November collision, and I think you've got it.

Then meanwhile, Metro ran service to all the stations for about six hours Tuesday before going back to underground-only. They took a long time to clear the above-ground sections of the Red and Blue Lines (finishing that brought all the stations back online). Orange, Green, and Yellow had full service for a couple of days, I believe.

Yesterday was the only day since the start of the blizzards that any lines had end-to-end service. From Friday night through Monday, it was underground service only. On Tuesday, the Orange, Yellow, and Green Lines opened, and apparently the Red and Blue Lines opened back up with weak 20-minute frequency...and everything went to hell again with last night's snowfall. What tomorrow holds, I have no clue.

...except that as I was writing this, WMATA put out a press release that Metrorail will be again underground service only and Metrobus is out of commission. Oh, goody.

Yep... no above-ground service and no buses. I think the Feds are probably going to end up writing off the entire week, and it will be because of Metro. I've come to the conclusion that with no Metro, the Feds will close.

Red line between Glenmont and Medical Center as well as the entire Green Line has resumed normal operation, albeit on 24-30 minute headways.

According to WMATA's twitter, there will be "expanded" bus, rail, and paratransit Monday, but the WMATA site is down.

"Amtrak7"
Red line between Glenmont and Medical Center as well as the entire Green Line has resumed normal operation, albeit on 24-30 minute headways.

According to WMATA's twitter, there will be "expanded" bus, rail, and paratransit Monday, but the WMATA site is down.

Metrorail, Metrobus, MetroAccess service expand for Friday

The Metrorail system will open at 5 a.m. tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 12, with limited service and will close at midnight instead of 3 a.m. . .
. . .Nine of Metro’s 86 stations will remain closed to start the day on Friday as work crews continue to dig out the tracks, many of which have snow drifts of up to six feet. . .
. . .Metrorail trains will operate at 20- to 25-minute intervals above ground and 10- to 15-minute intervals below ground. The longer than usual intervals are a result of 35 mph speed restrictions and the snow-covered switches. . .

"Summary of Metrorail service expected for Friday, Feb. 12

• Red Line limited service: Medical Center to Glenmont
  Orange Line limited service: Ballston to New Carrollton
  Blue Line all stations open: Franconia-Springfield to Largo Town Center
  Green Line all stations open: Greenbelt to Branch Avenue
  Yellow Line all stations open: Huntington to Fort Totten "

Snow picture by staff photographer Larry Levine and others can be had under the Snow February 2010 thumbnail at Metro Photo Gallery.