Blizzard of 2010 Discussion / Delay Issues

The problem is falling snow getting sucked into the motor blowers and causing shorts when it melts, not accumulation on the tracks.

I scouted Oak Grove since I'll be going in a little later, parking lot looked GREAT! They did a good job plowing. And there were very few cars in there, I guess very few people went to/had work today!

Worcester service seemed to be going quite well today... on time to and from, very light ridership, and around CP33 I got to see something I'd never seen before... a jet snowblower at work clearing the switches.

jwhite07 wrote:Worcester service seemed to be going quite well today... on time to and from, very light ridership, and around CP33 I got to see something I'd never seen before... a jet snowblower at work clearing the switches.

I've heard about such a machine, which is/was pretty much just a jet engine pointing down at the ground to blast/melt snow and ice away. Does that sound like this machine you saw? If so, it's been kicking around the property for a while...but it seems to be a rare animal. Apparently it also tends to fling the ballast all over the place.

A mess on the Lowell Line this morning...
Lowell 302 05:35 AM IB experiencing 45-60 min delays due to 12/28/2010 6:00 AM
Lowell 305 06:45 AM experiencing 30-45 min delay and 310 07:46 AM experiencing 20-25 min delay 12/28/2010 7:10 AM
Lowell 351 06:25 AM, 352 06:55 AM cancelled 12/28/2010 7:26 AM
Lowell 306 06:51 AM IB experiencing 15-20 min delays due to weather related problem 12/28/2010 7:42 AM
Lowell 310 07:46 AM experiencing 45-60 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:49 AM

Diverging Route wrote:A mess on the Lowell Line this morning...
Lowell 302 05:35 AM IB experiencing 45-60 min delays due to 12/28/2010 6:00 AM
Lowell 305 06:45 AM experiencing 30-45 min delay and 310 07:46 AM experiencing 20-25 min delay 12/28/2010 7:10 AM
Lowell 351 06:25 AM, 352 06:55 AM cancelled 12/28/2010 7:26 AM
Lowell 306 06:51 AM IB experiencing 15-20 min delays due to weather related problem 12/28/2010 7:42 AM
Lowell 310 07:46 AM experiencing 45-60 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:49 AM

An inbound train came through Oak Grove this morning around 7:30. Did a Haverhill train not crossover at Wildcat because of these delays? Usually there is an outbound at 7:30. I've never seen an inbound come through at that time.

I've heard about such a machine, which is/was pretty much just a jet engine pointing down at the ground to blast/melt snow and ice away. Does that sound like this machine you saw? If so, it's been kicking around the property for a while...but it seems to be a rare animal. Apparently it also tends to fling the ballast all over the place.

Let me clarify a bit... I have seen, as in laid eyes on, jet snowblowers many times. But this was the first time I've ever seen one out and doing its thing.

Haven't been around those parts much lately, but there is/was a jet snowblower kept at Wellington Shop on the Orange Line, which they'd often park on a yard track in front of the building in clear view from the station platforms. I seem to recall another one at Cabot Shop that could be seen from Foundry Street in South Boston.

While we're on the Blizzard topic, ditto to F-Line about the Mattapan shutting down every time a flake of snow hits the ground. Should have sent that Type 3 plow that used to sit around down there through the same kind of extensive rebuild the PCCs got, or at the very least build another one of those Lead Sleds for the line. Right now, I believe they have zero snowfighting equipment assigned to Mattapan, except I think maybe they clear the yard with a bucketloader.

The following are weather related (or assumed to be, in the case of simply "switch problems") alerts currently active at time of posting:

Blue Line experiencing 10-15 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:40 AM

Newbury/Rock 61 07:10 AM OB experiencing 15-20 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:43 AM

Newbury/Rock 152 05:22 AM experiencing 15-20 min delays due to weather related problem 12/28/2010 6:33 AM

Haverhill 255 07:15 AM OB experiencing 30-45 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:34 AM

Haverhill 208 06:46 AM experiencing 30-45 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:33 AM

Haverhill 206 06:10 AM IB experiencing 15-20 min delay 12/28/2010 6:16 AM

All Lowell trains experiencing 15-30 min delays due to weather related switch problems 12/28/2010 7:53 AM

Lowell 310 07:46 AM experiencing 45-60 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:49 AM

Lowell 306 06:51 AM IB experiencing 15-20 min delays due to weather related problem 12/28/2010 7:42 AM

Lowell 351 06:25 AM, 352 06:55 AM cancelled 12/28/2010 7:26 AM

Lowell 305 06:45 AM experiencing 30-45 min delay and 310 07:46 AM experiencing 20-25 min delay 12/28/2010 7:10 AM

Prov/Stou 832 07:26 AM IB experiencing 25-30 min delays due to switch problem 12/28/2010 7:24 AM

Multiple bus route diversions.



As for my orange line trip yesterday evening, it was without incident. I found the snow piles on the platforms pretty amusing though. Also, when braking for Malden inbound, the wheels were squealing (and sliding along, I assume) alot.

Why did they have few problems while the storm was going on, but so many now that it is over and the sun is brightly shining?

Ron Newman wrote:Why did they have few problems while the storm was going on, but so many now that it is over and the sun is brightly shining?

During the storm, Sunday night after hours, they run snow trains to keep the lines as open as possible. Also when it snows it is usually warmer, closer to the freezing point. Yesterday afternoon and night the wind was a blowing and any loose snow will blow into any of the mechanical works, switches, motors, air lines and so on. Plus the temperature dropped into the teens or single digits in the outlying areas so the loose snow or any melting that may have occurred froze solid. If I am not mistaken rock salt or calcium chloride is ineffective in the teens for temperature. So the trouble is usually the day after.

JoeD

There were huge sparks coming from where the feet touch the third rail yesterday on the orange line. I thought for a second that the car had caught fire when we were leaving Malden Center towards Oak Grove.

SM89 wrote:There were huge sparks coming from where the feet touch the third rail yesterday on the orange line. I thought for a second that the car had caught fire when we were leaving Malden Center towards Oak Grove.

My guess would be the sleet scrapper.

Green Line E is being diverted at Brigham Circle due to a fallen tree at Heath Street. Rt. 39 buses making local stops between Brigham Circle and Heath Street. 12/27/2010 9:56 AM

This one I don't believe, anytime it snows the T shuts down street running operations for streetcars. They love not running street running trolleys. I was on the committee to save the Arborway.

I left Monday 6:30 am on the 501 and had no issue getting to Newton Corner, no issue on the Pike and no issue down around Franklin/Federal.

Looks like they are using a jet blower to clear the Mattapan Line.


From MassDOT's Flickr

SM89 wrote:There were huge sparks coming from where the feet touch the third rail yesterday on the orange line. I thought for a second that the car had caught fire when we were leaving Malden Center towards Oak Grove.

Forgot to mention that in my post, except it was between Wellington and Malden, outbound. It was very loud and very bright (it was late and pitch dark out).