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  • Cable fire near McPherson Sq. - 3/14/16

  • Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.
Discussion related to DC area passenger rail services from Northern Virginia to Baltimore, MD. Includes Light Rail and Baltimore Subway.

Moderators: mtuandrew, therock, Robert Paniagua

 #1375164  by JDC
 
Today's commute was a mess following a cable fire near McPherson Sq. that had shut down all service between Foggy Bottom and Federal Center SW for almost 2 hours. Single tracking resumed after 7 AM, with trains heading to VA skipping McPherson Sq and Faragut W. to avoid crowding. Silver service stopped at Ballston, and continued to do so during single tracking. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/dr- ... s-morning/
 #1375172  by Sand Box John
 
The reason why Silver line trains are being turned back at Ballston instead of East Falls Church is because the Ballston interlocking has #10 turnouts, East Falls Church has #8 turnouts.
 #1375178  by srepetsk
 
It's not over 'till it's over. We're in hour 5 of this mess. The fire marshal and the General Manager are/were down in the tunnel at McPherson to take a look at the incident area, and there's now a red tag outage for repairs.
 #1375202  by MCL1981
 
And as per usual, the WMATA PR department blames the fire department for the delays. Every time Metro's equipment catches on fire and causes delays, their notifications say the delays are "...due to fire department activity." No, it's because Metro is once again on fire.
Sand Box John wrote:The reason why Silver line trains are being turned back at Ballston instead of East Falls Church is because the Ballston interlocking has #10 turnouts, East Falls Church has #8 turnouts.
Can you explain what the difference is and why that matters? I'm not familiar.
 #1375208  by JDC
 
Metro has issued a press release about this incident, and its plans for the next several hours. http://www.wmata.com/rider_tools/metro_ ... m?AID=5491. Summary: this was significant and damaged other cables. Metro will continue to single track throughout today, the 14th, and starting at 9 PM it will once again suspend service on BOTH tracks between Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle. There will be a bus bridge. Normal service supposed to resume tomorrow.
 #1375211  by Sand Box John
 
I would be curious as to where the fire took place and on which track. I have a set of drawing of the area that show the locations of the third rail conduits.

"MCL1981"
And as per usual, the WMATA PR department blames the fire department for the delays. Every time Metro's equipment catches on fire and causes delays, their notifications say the delays are "...due to fire department activity." No, it's because Metro is once again on fire.


When the Fire Department arrives on a job they take control of everything. WMATA can not restore any level of service until the Fire Department officer in charge says it is OK to do so.

Can you explain what the difference is and why that matters? I'm not familiar.

#10 turnouts have broader radius curves in them compared to #8 turnouts. Movements through #10 turnouts can be made at a higher speed. The Ballston interlocking use to be a terminal interlocking, its original configuration was designed to crossover trains all day ever day.
 #1375217  by MCL1981
 
Sand Box John wrote:When the Fire Department arrives on a job they take control of everything. WMATA can not restore any level of service until the Fire Department officer in charge says it is OK to do so.
I know. Which doesn't change my point. The delays are not at in any which way shape or form due to "fire department activity". They're because WMATA's stuff caught on fire, causing extensive damage, preventing anything from moving.
 #1375222  by JDC
 
MCL1981 wrote:
Sand Box John wrote:When the Fire Department arrives on a job they take control of everything. WMATA can not restore any level of service until the Fire Department officer in charge says it is OK to do so.
I know. Which doesn't change my point. The delays are not at in any which way shape or form due to "fire department activity". They're because WMATA's stuff caught on fire, causing extensive damage, preventing anything from moving.
Really, the 'proper' language should be something like "due to X (which in this case would be track fire) and fire department response," with whatever comes next. It places the blame on Metro for the original issue, but does acknowledge that fire department activity can endure long after the incident is over.
 #1375225  by MCL1981
 
As a Firefighter for 13 years, I disagree, vehemently. The latter part of that is unnecessary, irrelevant, and misleading. The FD doesn't just camp out after the incident is over blockading the tracks. If the fire department is still in the tunnel, or otherwise not allowing train movement, the incident isn't over, or the situation is beyond immediate repair and unsafe. In either case, the delays are not because of the Fire Department's presence. They're because of the underlying fire or malfunction.

I can't believe the Fire Department in DC hasn't insisted WMATA knock that crap off. It's like people blaming the fire department for causing a traffic jam because they have the road closed. No, the traffic jam and road closure is because a drunk driver plowed into a tractor trailer and caused a huge crash blocking all the lanes. The Fire Department didn't just decide "Lets have a camping trip in the middle of the beltway this afternoon".
 #1375241  by smallfire85
 
MCL1981 wrote:As a Firefighter for 13 years, I disagree, vehemently. The latter part of that is unnecessary, irrelevant, and misleading. The FD doesn't just camp out after the incident is over blockading the tracks. If the fire department is still in the tunnel, or otherwise not allowing train movement, the incident isn't over, or the situation is beyond immediate repair and unsafe. In either case, the delays are not because of the Fire Department's presence. They're because of the underlying fire or malfunction.

I can't believe the Fire Department in DC hasn't insisted WMATA knock that crap off. It's like people blaming the fire department for causing a traffic jam because they have the road closed. No, the traffic jam and road closure is because a drunk driver plowed into a tractor trailer and caused a huge crash blocking all the lanes. The Fire Department didn't just decide "Lets have a camping trip in the middle of the beltway this afternoon".
When I hear that announcement or report, I view it as an incident serious enough that requires the response of the local fire department, not placing the blame on the FD for the delay. I think people understand that when the FD is involved it is serious enough to explain the congested conditions.

By the time I got on the system this morning, my train operator identified the issue as an electrical fire incident, not FD activity. Pretty sure FD was gone by then.
 #1375258  by DiscoveryAnalysis
 
Sand Box John wrote:I would be curious as to where the fire took place and on which track. I have a set of drawing of the area that show the locations of the third rail conduits.

CM C2 31+20


"MCL1981"
And as per usual, the WMATA PR department blames the fire department for the delays. Every time Metro's equipment catches on fire and causes delays, their notifications say the delays are "...due to fire department activity." No, it's because Metro is once again on fire.


When the Fire Department arrives on a job they take control of everything. WMATA can not restore any level of service until the Fire Department officer in charge says it is OK to do so.

Can you explain what the difference is and why that matters? I'm not familiar.

#10 turnouts have broader radius curves in them compared to #8 turnouts. Movements through #10 turnouts can be made at a higher speed. The Ballston interlocking use to be a terminal interlocking, its original configuration was designed to crossover trains all day ever day.
 #1375301  by Sand Box John
 
"DiscoveryAnalysis"
CM C2 31+20


That would be the conduits that connect third rail west of the connector track turnout points to the third rail east of the connector track turnout points. At that location the third rail on track 2 is on the left side in the normal direction of travel. there are also is set conduits west of the connector track turnout points that connect to the connector track third rail. The third rail is on the connector track is on the right side heading in the direction to the A Route.