by roadmaster
Yes I am aware septa has run mfl and bsl trains during extended outages. I honestly do not know 100% why they do this let alone perform this operation meticulously -very odd behavior for an organization known for its "sloppiness"- and I can't imagine the underground sections experiencing severe rusting. Even so, my guess would be that it has not much to do with actual rust. I can only think of two reasons justifying this meticulous operation.
One would be during a winter storm event - it is obvious why they do this and rust is not it. Two, if an event shuts down service like a labor strike, I would assume non-union managers will run trains once or twice a day because of the mechanical nature of the signal system and that prolonged inactivity can cause issues with a three rail traction system.
For a railroad line like the cynwyd, there is no reason for concern. I do agree it is prudent to send a train down once in a while, but the world will not end if it is ignored. Lines that have been out of service for years can be activated with little effort, I've done it multiple times - it's no big deal. Lines that contain signals and protected crossings do not require much effort either. In either case, rust is not a major concern for a line that has not seen service for a long time especially less then two months. I'm also willing to bet that the western section of the media line has not become rust in the wind either.
The top items on the "Do Before Running a Train Down a Rusty Road Check List" is ensuring nothing washed away, check the integrity of the structures if any, points are clear, and confirm that the neighbors did not use the ROW as a dump and that some trees didn't use the tracks as their final resting place. When the line is confirmed to be clear, and in good standing, the next step does not entail a large labor force with brite boys and sandpaper polishing the system ala Lionel Lines- one train running restricted is all that is usually needed, if that. I'm sure even sloppy septa could figure it out and have the line running when needed with minimal effort compared to running subway trains multiple times daily for those systems. I am fortunate that the lines I work do not have PTC so I do not have a clue if this system is affected by prolonged outages. My assumption would be no unless the ROW has any mechanical components. I'll let you know the protocol for the PTC systems after I take the class.
One would be during a winter storm event - it is obvious why they do this and rust is not it. Two, if an event shuts down service like a labor strike, I would assume non-union managers will run trains once or twice a day because of the mechanical nature of the signal system and that prolonged inactivity can cause issues with a three rail traction system.
For a railroad line like the cynwyd, there is no reason for concern. I do agree it is prudent to send a train down once in a while, but the world will not end if it is ignored. Lines that have been out of service for years can be activated with little effort, I've done it multiple times - it's no big deal. Lines that contain signals and protected crossings do not require much effort either. In either case, rust is not a major concern for a line that has not seen service for a long time especially less then two months. I'm also willing to bet that the western section of the media line has not become rust in the wind either.
The top items on the "Do Before Running a Train Down a Rusty Road Check List" is ensuring nothing washed away, check the integrity of the structures if any, points are clear, and confirm that the neighbors did not use the ROW as a dump and that some trees didn't use the tracks as their final resting place. When the line is confirmed to be clear, and in good standing, the next step does not entail a large labor force with brite boys and sandpaper polishing the system ala Lionel Lines- one train running restricted is all that is usually needed, if that. I'm sure even sloppy septa could figure it out and have the line running when needed with minimal effort compared to running subway trains multiple times daily for those systems. I am fortunate that the lines I work do not have PTC so I do not have a clue if this system is affected by prolonged outages. My assumption would be no unless the ROW has any mechanical components. I'll let you know the protocol for the PTC systems after I take the class.
A true Athearn was straight out of Compton.
