Pictures Taken 03-27-2006

John:

I have a question about the Farragut North Station photo. I understand the low ceiling on the south end of the station was meant to accomodate the planned K Street Expressway.

In this photo:

http://mysite.verizon.net/cambronj/wmat ... C_0138.JPG

it appears that there are escalators at the south end of the Farragut North station under the low ceiling area. Is this a new addition? Or am I just seeing things?

I don't see these reflected in the station plans

http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wmata/m80-52.jpg

or this WMATA diagram

http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wma ... nector.jpg

What am I missing?

Thanks

K


P.S. First time poster . . . long time lurker . . . glad to see there are others who appreciate Metro as much as I do.

"Kryptic"

John:

I have a question about the Farragut North Station photo. I understand the low ceiling on the south end of the station was meant to accomodate the planned K Street Expressway.

In this photo:

http://mysite.verizon.net/cambronj/wmat ... C_0138.JPG

it appears that there are escalators at the south end of the Farragut North station under the low ceiling area. Is this a new addition? Or am I just seeing things?

I don't see these reflected in the station plans

http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wmata/m80-52.jpg

or this WMATA diagram

http://www.chesapeake.net/~cambronj/wma ... nector.jpg

What am I missing?

You have your compass headings off by 180 degrees. The low ceiling you see in the photograph are on the north end of the station under the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and L Street NW, and the escalators ascend up to the mezzanine beyond the north end of the station platform to the surface entrance on the northeast corner of Connecticut Avenue and L Street NW. The low ceiling is there to accommodate large diameter sewer and water lines that runs under L Street NW. Here is drawing m80-50 that shows the longitudinal section of 150’ (45.72m) of the north end of the station platform with the low ceiling to accommodate the large diameter sewer and water lines and the 110’ 9” (33.756m) north of the end wall of the station train hall where the escalators ascend to the mezzanine and the mechanical areas at platform level.

Take a second look at the longitudinal section in the m80-52.jpg you will notice that the out line of the K Street Freeway is marked on the drawing. That drawing is of the south 191' 8” (58.42m) of the station and 71' (21.64m) of the mechanical and vent shaft area south of the station platform. That drawing was prepared before WMATA made the final decision on putting elevators in the system, that is why there is no elevator shown on the drawing instead of the future escalator provision on the south end of the mezzanine.

The only difference between that drawing and what was actually built is the elevator is located where the future escalator provision is on the drawing. I have a later set of drawing that show it as built.

Note the 38+33.00 STA on the right side of the end wall of the station train hall in drawing m80-52.jpg, you will find the same 38+33.00 STA on drawing m80-114.jpg of the upper level of the south vent shaft plenum. The south outline of the K Street freeway is shown on the north edge of Farragut Square. Also notice how the corner of the vent shaft plenum is cut off to accommodate the K Street Freeway.

P.S. First time poster . . . long time lurker . . . glad to see there are others who appreciate Metro as much as I do.

The difference between me and most other rail and transit fans is I am more fascinated by the design, engineering and construction of WMATA metrorail then being a transit advocate like some rail and transit fans are.

Nice pictures of the on going track work...Can you believe I am the one in charge of the project?

If you get up there now you will see most of the track work completed and clean up and finishing touches being applied.

"PRR Trackman"

Nice pictures of the on going track work…

If you like you can have copies of the uncompressed full size raw images. They were take with a Nikon D70s at a resolution of 3008 X 2000 the files are 2.64 MB each.

Can you believe I am the one in charge of the project?

Nice work, when I took those pictures it looked like the grout pads on the south end had been poured within the last 24 hours (03 27 2006 at 1718 and 1720).

If you get up there now you will see most of the track work completed and clean up and finishing touches being applied.

I am assuming that the new work was built quite a bit more rugged then what was there previously.

John:

OK . . . I see what my problem is . . . the low ceiling is NOT for the K Street Expressway.

If I understand you, the south end of the station was built with a full vault even though the vault interfered with the future K St Expy

My mis-conception came from the book "Metro at 25" which indicated the low ceiling at Farragut North was the outline of the planned K Street Expressway. Good example of "dont believe everything you read!"

Thanks for the clarification and response, and also for providing a great deal of info to the community. Your track schematics are great, as are your many insights into the system

Thanks again!

K

"Kryptic"

OK . . . I see what my problem is . . . the low ceiling is NOT for the K Street Expressway.

If I understand you, the south end of the station was built with a full vault even though the vault interfered with the future K St Expy

Actually vault is built to accommodate the K Street Freeway. Virtually no modifications would need to be made to lower sides of the vault to support the roadway of the freeway tunnel. The top 18 coffers of the vault would be sheared off. The ceiling would be 1 coffer lower then the existing ceiling on the north end station.

My mis-conception came from the book "Metro at 25" which indicated the low ceiling at Farragut North was the outline of the planned K Street Expressway. Good example of "dont believe everything you read!"

Don’t recall that passage.

Thanks for the clarification and response, and also for providing a great deal of info to the community. Your track schematics are great, . .

The only reason that track schematic exists is because the track map that use to be at nycsubway.org was so full of arrows I could not let it slide. Michael Adler never responded to the correction that I suggested he make, though some did show up on the last version. My 106 mile track schematic is laid out in basically in the same format as the model board display in the OCC (Operation Control Center).

. . . as are your many insights into the system.

It goes far beyond 'insight'. I spent a lot of time back in the 1970s and 80s visiting and touring the construction sites. I saw how it was built, I know how all the parts were put together. I walked roughly 2/3 of the system that's in subway. The engineering of the various parts of system is a hell of a lot more diverse then what one might notice on casual observation.

My mis-conception came from the book "Metro at 25" which indicated the low ceiling at Farragut North was the outline of the planned K Street Expressway. Good example of "dont believe everything you read!"

Don’t recall that passage.

Page 21 there is a text box at right. On reading it now it references "an element of the K street Expressway" I guess I just got turned around thinking it was at the K street end. Although you seem to indicate that it accomodates sewer and water lines. I am inclined to believe you!

. . . as are your many insights into the system.

It goes far beyond 'insight'. I spent a lot of time back in the 1970s and 80s visiting and touring the construction sites. I saw how it was built, I know how all the parts were put together. I walked roughly 2/3 of the system that's in subway. The engineering of the various parts of system is a hell of a lot more diverse then what one might notice on casual observation.

Yes, I understand. I am an engineer by training (despite the fact I couldn't figure out which end of Farragut North had the low ceiling) and the engineering aspects are a good part of my interest. I also have interests in transit and architecture. Metro is really one of the finest example of how all three of these disciplines can come together and produce a public service that is functional, enjoyable and efficient. I envy your experiences with the Metro and thank you for sharing them.

K

Kryptic"
Page 21 there is a text box at right. On reading it now it references "an element of the K street Expressway" I guess I just got turned around thinking it was at the K street end. Although you seem to indicate that it accomodates sewer and water lines. I am inclined to believe you!

I have read from a number of second hand sources that say one or both of those lines was put under L street to accommodate the K Street freeway. So one could say said passage is correct. I don't know if they were upgraded and enlarged or moved accommodate the K Street freeway.

I envy your experiences with the Metro and thank you for sharing them.

I am assuming you read this post.