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Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for now

Discussion related to commuter rail and transit operators in California past and present including Los Angeles Metrolink and Metro Subway and Light Rail, San Diego Coaster, Sprinter and MTS Trolley, Altamont Commuter Express (Stockton), Caltrain and MUNI (San Francisco), Sacramento RTD Light Rail, and others...

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Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1360598  by WelshPete
 
Any more updates on this?

Was in LA a couple of weeks ago and noted 25 BNSF locos in the station taking up space on tracks 14 & 15, although track 14 was later cleared. Also noted a handful more locos in the compound not far out of the station plus another at the Metrolink maintenance facility. What exactly is Metrolinks plan? The October/Novemeber newsletter on the official website said it would be a matter of weeks, the December/January newsletter doesn't mention a thing.

If this doesn't happen then I guess BNSF will be after a payment for making available a number of locos and moving them all to LA. Metrolink will then be in for some heavy critisism for wasting money hirng in all these locos for nothing. It appears they really don't know what they are doing. As stated before, just how "dangerous" is it operating these cab cars on trains? It all seems very strange.

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1360965  by lensovet
 
From the latest meeting notes:
PTC system performance and reliability are key factors to achieving FRA certification. Overall system reliability is steadily improving, with 80-90% of trips successfully completing their run with PTC. Any locomotives that are running without PTC equipped will diminish these performance measures. In that regard, staff is working with contractors on efforts to begin modifications to the 40 leased BNSF locomotives so they can operate with PTC in- service. Although the units are delivered with PTC hardware installed, they need to be uniquely configured for the Authority’s commuter rail operations, which differ from the PTC configurations for freight rail operations. The first prototype unit is anticipated to be fully- equipped and tested with PTC and Automatic Train Stop (ATS) by mid to late December. It is estimated that the remaining units will be similarly outfitted by March 2016.
http://metrolink.granicus.com/DocumentV ... pdf&view=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1361997  by kaitoku
 
latest news:
Second locomotives will likely start being added to all Metrolink commuter trains this week or next as a safety precaution in the wake of February's deadly crash in Oxnard, Metrolink officials said Wednesday.
[...]
Before they could be put into service in Ventura and five other Southern California counties, the locomotives had to be made compatible with Metrolink's positive train control system, which uses global positioning technology to override manual control of the trains to prevent collisions with other trains.

That has now been completed and the locomotives are set to start being added to the trains as soon as one more test, which was scheduled for Wednesday night, is successfully completed, Metrolink spokeswoman Sherita Coffelt said.
http://www.vcstar.com/news/local/oxnard ... 24611.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

also this:
The new Metrolink passenger cars that derailed in a crash near Oxnard this year were equipped with flawed parts that were supposed to help keep trains on the track in an accident, according to a confidential report by the commuter railroad.

The report, however, does not make any conclusions about the role of the defects in the Feb. 24 accident — an aspect of the crash that is now under federal investigation.


According to Metrolink, two couplers on passenger cars and the cow-catcher of a cab car at the front of the train broke in the collision with a heavy-duty pickup truck and trailer that strayed onto the tracks at a grade crossing. Thirty-one passengers and two crew members were hurt. The engineer, Glenn Steele, later died of his injuries.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1370544  by mark777
 
This is a very unusual decision that MetroLink made to use BNSF locomotives instead of the ROTEM cab cars. I'm from the east coast, and in the NY area, both the LIRR, MNR, and NJ Transit use Electric MUs and cab cars over several grade crossings in some very densely populated areas. Accidents have happened, such as the MNR collision in Vallhalla, NY involving the MUs, but I don't see any of these RRs even contemplating putting Locomotives on the front end of these trains. Go Transit and Tri Rail all opted for new collision enforced cab cars, but none of them have gone the route that MetroLink has gone. It sounds a little bit overkill at the moment. Makes a nice sight to see a BNSF loco at the point of a commuter train, but is it really necessary?

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1370577  by electricron
 
mark777 wrote: Makes a nice sight to see a BNSF loco at the point of a commuter train, but is it really necessary?
Probably not really necessary, but this is what the Board decided to do to appease critics.
Apparently the Board was not happy with the performance of the new cab cars in their first accident.

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1370599  by Fan Railer
 
It's a reasonable reaction, considering the ScRotems were TOUTED to the moon and back again for having the most up to date, revolutionary crash energy management tech, but then basically fared no better than a regular cab car in their first accident. Its performance thus far in that type of situation has called into question the huge capital investment that was expended to procure them.
Last edited by Fan Railer on Wed Feb 10, 2016 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Re: Metrolink to place locos in front of Rotem cab cars for

 #1370629  by bdawe
 
Fan Railer wrote:It's a reasonable reaction, considering the ScRotems were TOUTED to the moon and back again for having the most up to date, revolutionary crash energy management tech, but then basically fared no better than a regular cab car in their first accident. Its performance thus far in that type of situation has called into question the huge capital investment that was expended to procure them.
Understandable, but I would argue not reasonable. It's a panic reaction, and it's not like commuter rail is unsafe by any measure taking into account what the typical Angelino regards as safe (the freeway)
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