Commuter Rail Delay Discussion

Newburyport/Rockport Line, Haverhill Line, Lowell Line and Fitchburg/South Acton Line delayed due to mechanical problem with No. Station Drawbridge.




Last Updated: 6/28/2013 10:17:13 AM

Hi Folks- Bad Morning on the Fitchburg Line this morning (Friday 6/28). Shortly after Train 408, powered by F40 1000 came into the Fitchburg Station from the layover yard, the crankcase button blew. Of course, this rendered the train inoperable.

MBCR dispatch directed Train 410 to pick up 408's passengers. There was a delay as they were unsure whether they would couple onto to the disabled 408's set and run double draft to Boston or just proceed as a stand alone consist. It was decided to leave 408 at the Fitchburg station without coupling on and head East. There was also a delay as 410's consist had trouble contacted Pan Am's District 3 Dispatcher to obtain a Rule 241 and proceed into the Fitchburg Station Area. They eventually contacted them on the Pan Am "Yard Channel 86/86" as opposed to the "Road Channel." Passengers boarded 410 at the easternmost end of the Fitchburg Train Station platform, near Gallagher Interlocking.

At the same time, an extra was dispatched from Boston to South Acton to pick up people closer to Boston.

By the time we were moving, 410 was almost on Train 412's schedule (7:20 departure from Fitchburg). When we arrived at West Concord at 7:58, dispatch instructed the crew that they were to wait until 8:03 AM and then assume 412's schedule and make every local stop into Boston. We did, and arrived at North Station at 8:54.

I wonder what caused #1000 F40's "crankcase button" to pop. The engineer and conductor were talking and saying that it is a big "no-no" to reset it as the crankshaft could have seized thereby causing the button to "pop". I wonder if the #1000 is going to be sidelined for good if the crankshaft did break.

Like most delays, the MBCR crew did a good job of keeping everyone informed and most people took the delay in stride. Most of the North Side crews are very friendly- distinctly different of what I used to encounter when I commuted on NJ Transit.

-Mike

Let me shine a little light by saying it is a "crankcase" button not crankshaft. There is a device within the crankcase that monitors pressure and any rise in the pressure will cause it to trip which can be potentially dangerous. One of the first things you learn as an engineer is leave the engine room immediately and NEVER reset a popped crankcase button! I can't tell you what caused it exactly but normally they pop when there is a buildup of dangerous gasses within the crankcase, google pictures of locomotives with crankcase failures and you will see the damage that can actually happen when there is a crankcase issue. The 1007 has the same failure a few weeks ago and is already running so may not be significant. I'm sure someone has it handy, I know a CN loco had a crankcase explosion a while back that sent a rod and piston throgh the side of the Diesel engine into the roof of someone's house.

AEM7AC920 wrote:Let me shine a little light by saying it is a "crankcase" button not crankshaft. There is a device within the crankcase that monitors pressure and any rise in the pressure will cause it to trip which can be potentially dangerous. One of the first things you learn as an engineer is leave the engine room immediately and NEVER reset a popped crankcase button! I can't tell you what caused it exactly but normally they pop when there is a buildup of dangerous gasses within the crankcase, google pictures of locomotives with crankcase failures and you will see the damage that can actually happen when there is a crankcase issue. The 1007 has the same failure a few weeks ago and is already running so may not be significant. I'm sure someone has it handy, I know a CN loco had a crankcase explosion a while back that sent a rod and piston throgh the side of the Diesel engine into the roof of someone's house.

AEM7- thanks- made the change in my original post. And, I just did google a picture of a loco which suffered a crankcase explosion and it was not a pleasant sight- the engine block was blown apart and it looked totaled.. You do not want to be anywhere inside an F40 if that happens!!

-Mike

Dunno the reasons or the timeline, but at 1115 on 06-28-2013, the 419/420 set was at the Fitchburg platform with 1123(w) and 1120.

1123/1120 were put together last night, and are both operational.

Late update from Monday night (7/1/13): 279/282 were canceled account mechanical failures. 231 ran local through the Melrose/Wakefield stretch, taking a 10-15 min delay in the process.

036 leaving Kingston in the morning has been 10 minutes, or more, late two of the past three mornings. It's in turn holding up 008 from Middleborough, because 008 has to wait at Braintree for 036 to get by. (008 stops at Quincy Center, would make no sense to delay an already late 036, I guess the reasoning goes.)

It seems every time I take 233, it is short staffed. This train must need four conductors, it seems it only gets two. And the other day, train 281 only had one conductor.

I don't think any of the Haverhill rush hour jobs get 4 (cndr and 3 AC's) - I think they'd have to be over 6 cars for that to happen. From my observations over time it seems to be:

227 - 5 cars - 3 crew on train (cndr & 2 ACs)
231 - 6 cars - 3 crew
233 - 6 cars (sometimes cut to 5) - 3 crew
235 - 5 cars (occasionally gets 6) - 2 crew

Over the last year, I've seen 231 (my usual PM train) operate with just one AC pretty regularly. Those get to be some LONG dwell times at Wakefield and Reading with only two exiting locations open.

Also late last night there were numerous delays (I believe to mostly Fitchburg and the Eastern Route) "due to technical problems." Perhaps tech support wasn't picking up. One Fitchburg T'lert came in to my email at 2:31 am. Go figure.

Worcester line has been having signal problems every couple of days for the past week or two, almost always in the morning. Happens one day and then everything is fine for a day or two and then there are problems again.

Komarovsky wrote:Worcester line has been having signal problems every couple of days for the past week or two, almost always in the morning. Happens one day and then everything is fine for a day or two and then there are problems again.

They share the line with CSX almost all the way, anything could happen(especially when it comes to delays)

Got this email from MBCR: the TLM machine is on Trk 2. I wonder if they will start replacing ties in MA next summer?? When were those concrete ties laid? Was it around the same time that Amtrak did the MA tie replacement? 1970's IIRC?

AMTRAK Tie Replacement Project Resumes - Friday July 12th

Effective Friday, July 12, 2013 Amtrak will resume their tie replacement work. This portion of the project will be performed between Providence and Wickford Junction. Track 2 will be taken out of service from 7am on Fridays through 4pm on Mondays for 4 consecutive 'weekends' beginning with Friday, July 12th and continuing through Monday, August 12th at 4pm. The following trains will be affected for the duration of this work:

Fridays: 7/12 - 7/19 - 7/26 - 8/2 and 8/09. Each of the following "outbound" trains will terminate at TF Green and passengers will be bussed to Wickford Junction.
813 (4:08pm)
817 (5:00PM)
819 (5:40PM)

The following "inbound" trains will be bussed for the entire route; Wickford Junction to Providence.
8802 (6:55AM)
8804 (7:45AM)

Monday mornings: 7/15, 7/22, 7/29, 8/5 and 8/12, train 8803 (5:45am outbound) will NOT stop at TF Green.

Tuesdays through Thursdays during this time period all trains will operate on their normal schedules.

We do apologize for any inconvenience to our passengers while this necessary track work is being performed and as always we thank you for riding the commuter rail.

octr202 wrote:I don't think any of the Haverhill rush hour jobs get 4 (cndr and 3 AC's) - I think they'd have to be over 6 cars for that to happen. From my observations over time it seems to be:

227 - 5 cars - 3 crew on train (cndr & 2 ACs)
231 - 6 cars - 3 crew
233 - 6 cars (sometimes cut to 5) - 3 crew
235 - 5 cars (occasionally gets 6) - 2 crew

Over the last year, I've seen 231 (my usual PM train) operate with just one AC pretty regularly. Those get to be some LONG dwell times at Wakefield and Reading with only two exiting locations open.

You are correct. There are no trains on the North Side with more than a scheduled 3 man crew. The 7 car sets are even operated with a Conductor and two Asst. Conductors.