Metro Connection tunnel

[Acton Town S5]

Just wondering the connection between the Red and Blue and Orange (Farragut N and McPherson Sq) how often is this link used and is it normal train operators or is there a special link.

[Sand Box John]

"Acton Town S5"
Just wondering the connection between the Red and Blue and Orange (Farragut N and McPherson Sq) how often is this link used and is it normal train operators or is there a special link.

C&A connector under Farragut Square and B&E connector at Fort Totten are used multiple times a day, mostly during non revenue hours to make deadhead, maintenance of way moves between yards, the revenue collection trains also makes use of the connector tracks.

Greenbelt Yard is WMATA's major rolling stock service and repair facility and lay down staging area for rail replacement. Alexandria Yard also is major rolling stock service and repair facility and is home of the revenue collection facility.

[Acton Town S5]

"Acton Town S5"
Just wondering the connection between the Red and Blue and Orange (Farragut N and McPherson Sq) how often is this link used and is it normal train operators or is there a special link.

C&A connector under Farragut Square and B&E connector at Fort Totten are used multiple times a day, mostly during non revenue hours to make deadhead, maintenance of way moves between yards, the revenue collection trains also makes use of the connector tracks.

Greenbelt Yard is WMATA's major rolling stock service and repair facility and lay down staging area for rail replacement. Alexandria Yard also is major rolling stock service and repair facility and is home of the revenue collection facility.

SBJ,

Again thanks, over in London on the tube there are Test Train Operators who are trained for the complete system and carry out any special movements but if a special move is only on one line then a local Train Operator would be used.

[Sand Box John]

"Acton Town S5"

Again thanks, over in London on the tube there are Test Train Operators who are trained for the complete system and carry out any special movements but if a special move is only on one line then a local Train Operator would be used.

In WMATA land everybody trained as train operator is qualified to operate on the entire railroad. I think those moves go to the operators that chose those work assignments. Work assignments are based on seniority.

[Acton Town S5]

"Acton Town S5"

Again thanks, over in London on the tube there are Test Train Operators who are trained for the complete system and carry out any special movements but if a special move is only on one line then a local Train Operator would be used.

In WMATA land everybody trained as train operator is qualified to operate on the entire railroad. I think those moves go to the operators that chose those work assignments. Work assignments are based on seniority.

That is a lot of railway to train on or like you say due to seniority they tend to stick to certain routes. As they get more senior they can then pick a different position, over here there is a fixed roster and they rotate duties although they can do a duty change and at a lot of depots there is a mafia where those that like early shift get what they want and so on.

[Sand Box John]

"Acton Town S5"
That is a lot of railway to train on or like you say due to seniority they tend to stick to certain routes. As they get more senior they can then pick a different position, over here there is a fixed roster and they rotate duties although they can do a duty change and at a lot of depots there is a mafia where those that like early shift get what they want and so on.

Actually it's not, WMATA was built over a period of 45 years. The basic design standards put in place 45 years ago were use system wide. WMATA only uses 4 turnout types on the mainline #6 equilateral in pocket tracks, #8 and #10 turnouts in crossovers and #15 at junctions. So basically what one would see on one segment of the railroad will very similar to what one would on any other segments of the railroad.

[Acton Town S5]

"Acton Town S5"
That is a lot of railway to train on or like you say due to seniority they tend to stick to certain routes. As they get more senior they can then pick a different position, over here there is a fixed roster and they rotate duties although they can do a duty change and at a lot of depots there is a mafia where those that like early shift get what they want and so on.

Actually it's not, WMATA was built over a period of 45 years. The basic design standards put in place 45 years ago were use system wide. WMATA only uses 4 turnout types on the mainline #6 equilateral in pocket tracks, #8 and #10 turnouts in crossovers and #15 at junctions. So basically what one would see on one segment of the railroad will very similar to what one would on any other segments of the railroad.

SBJ I understand that the system has been built up over the year but someone starting today would get the whole system but then would be allocated a line perhaps for some time so if they had to go over any other lines they would need re-training.

[Sand Box John]

"Acton Town S5"
SBJ I understand that the system has been built up over the year but someone starting today would get the whole system but then would be allocated a line perhaps for some time so if they had to go over any other lines they would need re-training.

You are making the assumption that things are more complicated then they actually are. Those basic design standards cover multiple aspects of the way the railroad was built and operated. Examples include standardized signal placement and aspects, vertical and horizontal curvature and grade profiles to name a few, more specifically station platform grade profiles. All WMATA station platforms are 600' long and all but a couple are on a .035% grade to allow proper drainage. those the are not are level. All station platforms are straight with the exception of 2. The stations with curved platforms are under 1°. An operator might need to make a few familiarization runs over a route he or she has never operated on but nothing as extensive as a route specific qualifying program.

[srepetsk]

All station platforms are straight with the exception of 2. The stations with curved platforms are under 1°.

Which two?

[The EGE]

Brookland and Silver Spring, if memory serves.

[Sand Box John]

"srepetsk"
Which two?

As The EGE said above Brookland and Silver Spring, the curve in the Brookland platform is the sharper of the two.