Green Line Extension Lechmere to Medford

I tried to ride the first train and got on the second because it was so packed. There were far more college kids at a station opening than you'd expect. I'm guessing it was finals week at Tufts and anyone who didn't have a final on Monday was up late partying and decided to join in on the history. When I was walking up from Davis Square and through the campus, there were quite a few students milling about even away from the train station. P.S. I thought the damn viaduct was finally fixed. Guess not, based on travel speeds.

Despite being less than a year old, the GLX already has significant speed restrictions due to track defects.

How can they have track defects on such a recently built railroad?

Gleaned from several different low-fact articles in the Globe, I'm guessing defective ties or defective components attaching the rail to the ties. It's said that the gauge was tight from the beginning (but no measurement given). It's also said that somehow over time the gauge crept tighter.

My FRA Track Safety Standards book allows 56" to 57.5" for Class 4 and 5 track. I'd be astonished if someone made ties and clips which came out tighter than 56". I wondered if the builders used "straight track" ties (and thus gauge) on curves sharper than 250' radius, but that doesn't line up with the Globe's description of long stretches of 3 MPH.

I expect I'll eventually find out from someone on the inside.

There will be some one with a tape measure

Hello Everyone,

My question is what does the MBTA need to do in order to eliminate the speed restriction at the Lechmere Viaduct after closing the area for a month last year and replacing the tracks over time?

Thank You

As of today, the following restrictions are active on GLX, all at 3 mph:

• Lechmere to Union Sq, 250 ft

• Union Sq to Lechmere, 500 ft and 200 ft

• Lechmere to E Somerville, 300 ft

• Gilman Sq to Magoun Sq, 400 ft

• Ball Sq to College Ave, 300 ft, 200 ft, and 300 ft

• College Ave to Ball Sq, 800 ft and 400 ft

• Ball Sq to Magoun Sq, 500 ft

• Gilman Sq to E Somerville, 400 ft x2

The Lechmere Viaduct is still under a 10 mph speed restriction in both directions.

Just based on the station pairs provided, it's possible that the all or most of the restrictions above are on curves, but I haven't ridden the extension myself to verify that.

After talking to some people at Seashore today (who in turn know T employees), my understanding is that the problem is not the track gauge but the track centers. Basically, the tracks are closer together than they should be, so they're worried that if the trolleys are rocking side to side they could sideswipe each other.

And how the hell was that allowed to happen? Wasn't this designed by professional engineers who presumably would have taken that into account?

And if the spec's were right, but the installation was done out of spec, then who was supervising and inspecting the work? Shouldn't the deviation from spec have been discovered and corrected before construction was completed?

MBTA3247 wrote: ↑Sat Sep 30, 2023 5:24 pm After talking to some people at Seashore today (who in turn know T employees), my understanding is that the problem is not the track gauge but the track centers. Basically, the tracks are closer together than they should be, so they're worried that if the trolleys are rocking side to side they could sideswipe each other.

This seems like an extremely easy problem to fix. Like one weekend of downtime and they can drag the tracks apart as needed. Adding a little bit of spacer in at key spots if needed. *shrug*

Not the track centers. The effing gauge. I'm somewhat impressed with Mr. Eng, he is quite a contrast with everyone else at the T. Interesting how they are protecting the identities of the responsible officials. Why has this not been reported here at Railroad.net?
https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/19/ ... on-update/

“It’s the whole length of the project that I believe needs to be re-gauged to be back within the contract requirement,”

the MBTA knew as early as April 2021 that the plates made the track gauge too narrow and didn’t meet the agency’s own construction requirements, Eng said. He cited an April 2021 inspection report from Terracon, the firm hired by the project’s construction companies to do quality control.

Questions about the too narrow track quage.
1. How much is the difference measurement?
2. Were the tie plates used ones that have a slight inward cant such as Class 1s use? What type plate is used on other green line installations?
3. If slight cant tie plates used was the installed new rail the same height or maybe higher which would decrease the gauge measurement?
4. Does the new rail have a wider head than present rail?
5. Wrong measurement of center of tie plate specified incorrectly.
6. Was 4' 8-1/2" used instead of 4' 8-3/4" used? Which gauge does MBTA use on the green line cars?

Any or a combination of the above may have caused these problems!

Article from Trains News Wire...

Fair Use:

Tracks were built out of gauge on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Green Line extension, meaning the 4.7-mile, $2.3 billion project faces significant rebuilding less than a year after it opened

https://www.trains.com/trn/news-reviews ... t-repairs/

Two senior GLX team members have been fired because of their involvement with this hilariously awful dumpster fire. https://www.wcvb.com/article/mbta-senio ... /45589163#

I appreciate that GM Eng is demonstrating that there's no tolerance for fraud, but it's time the FRA comes in takes over the job until all the folks who are complicit in the total breakdown of the T are out and their reliable replacements are secured and vetted.

Were the trolleys damaged or derailed? I assume these are all wooden ties, and plugging with wooden dowels or epoxy and redrilling? will reduce their life. Was the problem with the ties or the tie plates? From the report I assume these have screws instead of railroad spikes?