A quick update on the Light Rail rebuild

[STrRedWolf]

I had jury duty today... or maybe not. Events got me released early, and I was able to talk to some of the remaining MTA Light Rail crew at Cromwell (namely because dad's retired MTA Light Rail). Because of how light the staff is there now, MTA has put Alstom's on-site techs there to debug the rebuilt Light Rail vehicles. From what dad and I gathered:

• New LR vehicles are not compatible with the pre-rebuild vehicles. You can't even couple them together.
• Inside: Resin-based floor, instead of plas-steel.
• Inside: Operator panels have changed considerably.
• Inside: Electronics and computer systems on board are all new and incompatible.
• Outside: All destination signs are LEDs and have a different font.
• Outside: Any headlights or illumination are all LEDs now.
• Outside: The doors no longer use air pressure, and are now electric driven.

In other words, a much needed improvement.

[tommyboy6181]

I was wondering how that project was going. I'd love to see any pictures or videos of the rebuilt LRV's but haven't been able to find anything as of yet.

[STrRedWolf]

I was wondering how that project was going. I'd love to see any pictures or videos of the rebuilt LRV's but haven't been able to find anything as of yet.

I refrained from taking a photo but they were running the rebuilt train out on the tracks to test it out. As I said, they're debugging one car first.

[Tadman]

Its not uncommon for new fleets not to be compatible with old fleets of electric MU cars. Such is the case with the new CTA 5000 cars, South Shore 300 cars, Metro North M8 and M7 cars, and SEPTA SL5 cars. None can link with predecessors for anything more than an emergency tow with no power.

[ExCon90]

There isn't much choice--if new equipment has to be compatible with what's there already, any progress will be limited.

[STrRedWolf]

To be honest, being compatible with an old, obsolete system from a dead company is just... too much. Reverse engineering everything would highlight known flaws in the entire system.

Nah, just scrap the old system and rebuild it.