Status of Danbury Branch Signalization Project

FL9AC wrote:
[[ I'm sure the signal system works fine on freight railroads where crossings are spread far apart but with passenger trains constantly making stops within crossing operating limits and with crossings activations overlapping each other (the problem area Bethel-Danbury) it doesn't work. Still at 5 stop and warns and a few speed changes have been made. ]]

Yet, the "old technology" crossing circuits worked for years (no, decades) -- reliably in all kinds of weather.

I'm wondering just how long this will continue before someone in a position of authority on MN finally says what must be said: that the current installation is unusable (for whatever reasons) and must be replaced with something else that at least has a chance of being reliable.

What happened to the American signal engineering companies, like US&S ??

Aside:
If "the new modern technology" can't even get crossing circuits to work properly, how's it gonna do when they cut in "positive train control" using satellites, etc. ?? I sense there could be some nasty and unforeseen surprises comin' down the pike...

The PTC system on MN will not use satellite, only non ACSES systems work with satellite.

DutchRailnut wrote:The PTC system on MN will not use satellite, only non ACSES systems work with satellite.

...and thus, the reason--and ultimate gain--behind the pain of installing the wired cab signals here, Port Jervis, and eventually on Waterbury. No need for the radio spectrum acquisition that's hampering the wireless PTC rollout nationwide and bloating its cost to stupifying levels when you can just glom ACSES onto pre-existing trackside infrastructure.

I said it does not use satellite, it still needs several radio frequencies but that's another subject.

FL9AC wrote:Can't compare the two they make very good locomotives and so far I haven't heard too many negatives. As for signal system I'm sure the signal system works fine on freight railroads where crossings are spread far apart but with passenger trains constantly making stops within crossing operating limits and with crossings activations overlapping each other (the problem area Bethel-Danbury) it doesn't work. Still at 5 stop and warns and a few speed changes have been made.

The crossings on the lower branch between Katherine and Perry all over lap and work correctly right? What's the real reason the crossing between Bethel and Danbury are garbage? Replacing ties and pads just looks like a cover story/ shot in the dark. Will trains run next Saturday morning, I guess time will tell.

Railroader wrote:

FL9AC wrote:Can't compare the two they make very good locomotives and so far I haven't heard too many negatives. As for signal system I'm sure the signal system works fine on freight railroads where crossings are spread far apart but with passenger trains constantly making stops within crossing operating limits and with crossings activations overlapping each other (the problem area Bethel-Danbury) it doesn't work. Still at 5 stop and warns and a few speed changes have been made.

The crossings on the lower branch between Katherine and Perry all over lap and work correctly right? What's the real reason the crossing between Bethel and Danbury are garbage? Replacing ties and pads just looks like a cover story/ shot in the dark. Will trains run next Saturday morning, I guess time will tell.

Couldn't tell you but why don't we leave that to the professionals. Everyone wants to speculate and throw their two cents in but without knowing facts its just useless banter. As for stop and warns all were lifted yesterday early morning so everyone can sleep easier. That is all.

Busses coming back for more crossing rehabilitation on the Danbury branch check MTA.info for more info...

-Weekend bussing starting 9PM Friday through the last train Sunday for the next three weekends

-Weekdays reverse/off peak bussing 8/8-8/28

One of my great fears is that the Danbury line will lose a great deal of its business by the time all this is over. Ridership on this line is subject to competition from people driving over to the Harlem (from the Danbury end) or down to the NH main (from the southerly end) and could dry up. I know I've posted this on this forum before but it deserves to be said again: I hope heads will roll due to the obviously very, very poor engineering that has been done on this project. Some person or persons are responsible and must be held accountable.

"Bustitutions" on this line are equivalent to one of Dante's tiers of hell --- unquestionably a horror to endure. Perhaps a suitable punishment for those responsible for the poor engineering is to have to take a daily RT on a bus up and down route 7 (in heavy traffic hours, of course) for the rest of their naural lives.

TCurtin wrote:One of my great fears is that the Danbury line will lose a great deal of its business by the time all this is over. Ridership on this line is subject to competition from people driving over to the Harlem......

I know plenty of people that do that regardless because the Harlem Line's more frequent service.

the parking at mainline stations makes people that live near branch return to branch, its been proven over and over again.

TCurtin wrote:"Bustitutions" on this line are equivalent to one of Dante's tiers of hell --- unquestionably a horror to endure. Perhaps a suitable punishment for those responsible for the poor engineering is to have to take a daily RT on a bus up and down route 7 (in heavy traffic hours, of course) for the rest of their naural lives.

Actually, I took a bustituted Saturday train to Wilton from South Norwalk the other weekend and was pleasantly surprised. The buses waiting at South Norwalk were long-distance style motorcoaches, complete with reclining seats and luggage compartments down below. There were three buses: one stopped at Wilton, Cannondale and Danbury; one stopped at Branchville, Redding and Bethel; and the third went to Merritt 7 (nb- not sure how they handled intra-branch trips-- maybe the Merritt 7 bus followed the other two to handle anyone going from say Cannondale to Bethel?). It's a far cry from what would happen back in the '70's when the Budd car broke down!

Remember, even with weekend bustitution the service on the branch is the best it's been, at least in terms of frequency, in living memory. I wouldn't be surprised if you had to go back to the 1890's to find more than 13 round trips a day between Danbury and South Norwalk.

What's the current state of things up there?

as of Labor day all trains are back to being trains , but still with few crossing issues.

Ridgefielder wrote:

TCurtin wrote:"Bustitutions" on this line are equivalent to one of Dante's tiers of hell --- unquestionably a horror to endure. Perhaps a suitable punishment for those responsible for the poor engineering is to have to take a daily RT on a bus up and down route 7 (in heavy traffic hours, of course) for the rest of their naural lives.

Actually, I took a bustituted Saturday train to Wilton from South Norwalk the other weekend and was pleasantly surprised.

A suprisingly pleasant bus ride is a much, much bigger threat to MN than is a temporary loss of ridership while the signal project is revamped. Many people have never taken a bus to New York, and they may begin to like it.

As of now no regular stop and warns and once in a while a circuit will go down just like the mainline. So far things haven't been too bad but we'll see first major rain and/or snow melt