MBTA HSP46 & MP36 Front Dirt Problem

Are there even wash tracks or washings performed on the North or South sides? What are the rules / policies and procedures in place to wash and clean the exterior of the trains? If any, as they clearly are not being done on a regular basis! Every engine and train I ever see just look filthy, especially the engines. Maybe there is only money to freshly paint them ( the only time they ever look clean!) and otherwise they are just left to the occasional rain shower.

I believe they have the capability to wash them at BET 3 months out of the year. However, I don't think it's done regularly, only when the train set is pulled out of service for maintenance / cleaning.

Well thats a shame as I would think they could be washed at least once a week somehow to where they dont get so dirty and grimy looking. At least as the original poster suggests... an occasional wash with a spray hose and a mop or brush with a bucket of soap would be better than nothing! But I suppose there is probably a whole contingent of people that dont even care or notice for that matter....

Regular washing would cut into Keolis’s revenue.

I can't believe how many posts on this topic... I'm going to assume a lot of things that I don't actually know.... I assume MBTA doesn't have it's own wash track on south side, probably doesn't use the wash track on north side frequently. Engineer or conductor probably doesn't see it as their job & doesn't have a wash bucket, detergent, water & long-handled extension brush handy. Interior cleaners are probably not "qualified" to mess with the exterior of the train, probably just have a squirt bottle & some paper towels. Mechanics & inspectors probably consider cleaning headlights not to be a good use of their time.

It's an image thing! If you see a clean engine and cars, you feel better about the service. If you see a dirty train, you think to yourself "they don't care about their equipment, why would they care about the riders?"

BandA wrote:I can't believe how many posts on this topic...

It's no worse than an automobile forum.

bmvguye39 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 15, 2020 9:46 am Are there even wash tracks or washings performed on the North or South sides? What are the rules / policies and procedures in place to wash and clean the exterior of the trains? If any, as they clearly are not being done on a regular basis! Every engine and train I ever see just look filthy, especially the engines. Maybe there is only money to freshly paint them ( the only time they ever look clean!) and otherwise they are just left to the occasional rain shower.

Both sides have wash equipment located inside the S&I building, whether or not they are operational is the question.

The windshield wipers, and the windshield especially where the wipers rest, should be cleaned at least shortly before the wipers may need to be used. This will reduce scratching of the windshield.

The more often the train goes through a car wash with rotating brushes, the more quickly the windows (if plastic) will get hazy from the accumulation of sub-hairline scratches.

A deflector above the windshield containing a rigid ladder like frame can better protect the engineer from dropped rocks. It would stick out in front far enough that a falling rock would either be deflected by the "ladder" rungs or would have fallen below windshield level before being hit by the train end.

Metra's MP36s have the same problem:



However, their F40PHMs, even before the Tier 2 rebuild and repaint, did not seem to have this issue:



Whether this is a question of train design or different train washing schedules across different lines/operators, I don't know.

Both sides have wash equipment located inside the S&I building, whether or not they are operational is the question.
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Then it shouldn't be an issue. Regarding the rotating brushes, they make touchless car washes for automobiles, so I dont see why that cant be employed for trains and just run the set through on that track once a week. Or maybe hire a college kid during the summer to go from track to track at the station when the train pulls in and wash off the front of the engine and clean the windshields for the engineer. Its a different issue in the winter but seems like it could be doable in the summer.

T/W: Good observation and pictures showing Metra MP36s with scorch marks.
The F40PHM has an exhaust setup that does not cause upper front end scorch marks
to any large extent - the original F40PH units did not have significant scorch mark problems.

Cleaning the upper front ends of MBTA diesel locomotives on a regular basis is a good idea
provided that it is not done anywhere with 25 KV overhead catenary in close proximity.
That automatically precludes Boston South Station and Providence for starters.

MACTRAXX

TurningOfTheWheel wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2020 11:41 am Metra's MP36s have the same problem:



However, their F40PHMs, even before the Tier 2 rebuild and repaint, did not seem to have this issue:



Whether this is a question of train design or different train washing schedules across different lines/operators, I don't know.

I wonder if the difference here is that ridge down the middle of the F40PHM? The MP36s and HSP46s seem to be fairly flat actually. Yes, they round off, but right there in the center line of the locomotive, it's flat. I don't see the same problems on pictures of Genesis locomotives. I wonder if the cab angle on those is so steep the exhaust isn't held to the surface of the locomotive.

On those Metra F40s, I bet the ac units above the cab collect most of the dirt

I did a tour of the Commuter Rail Maintenance Facility some years ago. The service & inspection tracks (the 3 going through the south end of the building), where they clean and refuel the trains, all have wash racks where the train exits. So theoretically every train gets washed once or twice a day.