MTA: Trains are running better, so let's maintain them less often

[Union Tpke]

Screen Shot 2019-07-24 at 7.16.23 PM by Union Turnpike, on Flickr

[Jsunflyguy]

To be fair the current inspection pattern are below the Federally mandated and/or Manufacturer recommended interval. So things aren't being altered to an unsafe level it is even 10 years on some of these systems is well within the life-cycle of the system and the inspection consist of opening them up to make sure 'nothing weird is going on' in there.

[trainfan22]

Wish they would clean those dirty ass windows on the LIRR M7's. There are windows you can barely see out of on most of the LIRR M7 fleet, very annoying. 

 

 

Anyway, nice to hear that the M7s are doing good mechanically.

[Jsunflyguy]

28 minutes ago, trainfan22 said:

Wish they would clean those dirty ass windows on the LIRR M7's. There are windows you can barely see out of on most of the LIRR M7 fleet, very annoying. 

 

 

Anyway, nice to hear that the M7s are doing good mechanically.

It isn't dirt, it's the plastic breaking down in the windshield itself. It's common on the southside due to sunlighting. 

I wish they'd find a way to fix the squealing suspension. 8hrs of that will drive you mad...20years of it will drive you deaf.

[brakethrow]

On 9/25/2019 at 7:43 PM, Jsunflyguy said:

It isn't dirt, it's the plastic breaking down in the windshield itself. It's common on the southside due to sunlighting. 

I wish they'd find a way to fix the squealing suspension. 8hrs of that will drive you mad...20years of it will drive you deaf.

You get the worst of it when bypassing ENY. That slight curve along with the rapid change in grade and the trucks start hollering like a pig. There has been a handful of times in which I've witnessed a reaction out of some passengers because of it.

First time riding the M9s last week and was a little disappointed to hear some slight squealing. I'm guessing they'll be sounding just as bad as the M7s some years from now.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Still beats me how engineers can remember every one of those signal indications. I remember talking with an engineer over the summer and he said he'd be lying if there wasn't a time he'd forgotten an indication for a quick sec as he was on the road. One of the things that really separates American railroads from railways outside the country - the complexity of our signals. In the UK it's literally pretty much the same as traffic lights with the exception of a double yellow.

Also are you guys trained to brake with the lightest air just before coming to a complete stop or does the train do that itself?

 

*Edit* I thought this was the LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread. Sorry for the bump lol.

Edited November 23, 2019 by brakethrow

[Jsunflyguy]

On 11/23/2019 at 1:51 AM, brakethrow said:

You get the worst of it when bypassing ENY. That slight curve along with the rapid change in grade and the trucks start hollering like a pig. There has been a handful of times in which I've witnessed a reaction out of some passengers because of it.

First time riding the M9s last week and was a little disappointed to hear some slight squealing. I'm guessing they'll be sounding just as bad as the M7s some years from now.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Still beats me how engineers can remember every one of those signal indications. I remember talking with an engineer over the summer and he said he'd be lying if there wasn't a time he'd forgotten an indication for a quick sec as he was on the road. One of the things that really separates American railroads from railways outside the country - the complexity of our signals. In the UK it's literally pretty much the same as traffic lights with the exception of a double yellow.

Also are you guys trained to brake with the lightest air just before coming to a complete stop or does the train do that itself?

 

*Edit* I thought this was the LIRR And MNRR Random Thoughts Thread. Sorry for the bump lol.

In terms of truck squeaking ENY is pretty bad, in terms of flange squeal, it's the curve west of Valley Stream (by Rosedale) on the Montauk branch. That curve is 60mph and you're in a turn for well over 30 seconds and the circumference changes to meet the right of way along Springfield Boulevard so there's a lot of lateral motion, easy to hear with the windows open. 

As for signals, it isn't that the system is so complicated, it's that there's an amalgamation of several systems, however there are only about 25 indications that follow a very logical system. When compared to the UK that only have 4-7 signal indications, supplemented by a number of wayside signs and indicators, and preliminary route indicators etc. They just don't try to put so much information into the signal itself (because they use route Signalling). If you look at other countries such as Germany they have a similar number of Indications including auxiliary signals, then there's France...

It is considered good technique to stop the train with the brakes releasing, if the train stops with brakes strongly applied the weight of the train will shift forward and that forward Center of Gravity will pull the train forward causing an uncomfortable lurch and if the lurch is strong enough it will slide the wheels which, over time, can cause flat spots. This is part of normal wear and tear but good technique can minimize the effect.

[DanTheTransitMan]

On 9/25/2019 at 7:13 PM, trainfan22 said:

Wish they would clean those dirty ass windows on the LIRR M7's. There are windows you can barely see out of on most of the LIRR M7 fleet, very annoying. 

 

 

Anyway, nice to hear that the M7s are doing good mechanically.

I say yes to that and add that there's a good amount of graffiti on the windows of M7's (the Long Island Railroad on not MNR) and the C3 double decker cars. They should replace the plastic more often. The maintenance of the M7's is going down also. A lot of M7's I've seen have flat wheels, so when they pass by all you hear are the wheels thudding against the rails. There's that and the fact that the train that I was on going to Babylon had a bad skweeking problem in the gangway area.

[trainfan22]

1 hour ago, DanTheTransitMan said:

I say yes to that and add that there's a good amount of graffiti on the windows of M7's (the Long Island Railroad on not MNR) and the C3 double decker cars. They should replace the plastic more often. The maintenance of the M7's is going down also. A lot of M7's I've seen have flat wheels, so when they pass by all you hear are the wheels thudding against the rails. There's that and the fact that the train that I was on going to Babylon had a bad skweeking problem in the gangway area.

The flat wheels is due to wet leaf season, happens every fall.

[DanTheTransitMan]

16 hours ago, trainfan22 said:

The flat wheels is due to wet leaf season, happens every fall.

It might be a bigger issue then that. I've heard that noise even in the summer months. It's been happening for a few years.