8 car Red line trains returning to ATO

[YOLO]

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/P ... aseID=5909" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[JDC]

http://www.wmata.com/about_metro/news/P ... aseID=5909

Is this the consolation prize for the Blue Line getting the first 7000-series train the following day? I'd love to ride a 7000-series on the Red Line. I wonder if that will happen soon, or if they will hold-off putting the 7000-series on the Red line until after a few months of testing ATO...

[YOLO]

blue line riders have it worse with their 12 minute headways, red line riders should wait.

[Sand Box John]

"JDC"

Is this the consolation prize for the Blue Line getting the first 7000-series train the following day? I'd love to ride a 7000-series on the Red Line. I wonder if that will happen soon, or if they will hold-off putting the 7000-series on the Red line until after a few months of testing ATO...

I am assuming sarcasm here, that being said.

WMATA planned to go automatic on the Red line long before the first 7k car arrived on the property and long before it was decided to reduce the Blue line one seat ride to I Street.

[srepetsk]

Operations issued a memo in February instructing operators not to make adjustments if they stop within two platform edge lights' distance from the end of the platform, even in eight car trains.

Can anybody here confirm this? It was in a comment on today's (my) Greater Greater Washington piece about ATO (http://greatergreaterwashington.org/pos ... ent-300296" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;), and would seem to contradict a few of the manual berthing adjustments that various people have noticed.

[Head-end View]

JDC, be careful what you wish for re: 7000-series cars appearing on the Red-Line. Have we determined yet whether we can see out the front of the 7000-series cars? Without the all-glass cab wall like on the older trains, can you see thru the cab-door windows?

[JDC]

JDC, be careful what you wish for re: 7000-series cars appearing on the Red-Line. Have we determined yet whether we can see out the front of the 7000-series cars? Without the all-glass cab wall like on the older trains, can you see thru the cab-door windows?

I believe it was determined that you can see out of them, for now. I think Metro was considering darkening the windows/putting a covering over them.

[Head-end View]

Well screw WMATA and their dark tinted cab windows. They had no problem for all these years with light from the passenger area entering the cab thru the glass partition wall on all the previous trains, but now they have a problem with light coming thru one little window and they're gonna cut us off over that?

[JDC]

Well screw WMATA and their dark tinted cab windows. They had no problem for all these years with light from the passenger area entering the cab thru the glass partition wall on all the previous trains, but now they have a problem with light coming thru one little window and they're gonna cut us off over that?

I don't think it's a light issue, it's a security issue.

[Head-end View]

Security issue? I don't follow you. Are you saying they're afraid we might see some classified top-secret railroad signal indications?

[JDC]

Security issue? I don't follow you. Are you saying they're afraid we might see some classified top-secret railroad signal indications?

I think it has to do with securing the cabin, both physically (the new bulkhead doors are much stronger than the old ones) and visually. I don't think there are secret signal indications, but I think they want to prevent people from monitoring the operators and the equipment in the cabin, which will now include dozens of camera feeds.

[Head-end View]

Well hell! If that's the issue, why didn't they just go with a solid door with no window like those fanatics at PATH did.

[MCL1981]

And you think the union wouldn't demand tinting regardless? They don't want people reporting their employees for breaking the rules. And WMATA management doesn't want anyone reporting anything either, lest they have to actually do something about it. Face it, the tinting is there to stay for a number of reasons. Some good, some not. But it's not changing.

A few railfans wanting to watch out the front window is the last thing WMATA or any railroad actually gives a crap about.

[Head-end View]

MCL1981, everything you've said is probably true, but once again..........we are not required to like it!

[Sand Box John]

Let me set the record straight.

The presents of the tinted glass has nothing to do with hiding the actions to the operator from passengers. The tinted glass is there to block the light from the passenger area of the car from reflecting off the windshield into the face of the operator. The darkness of the tinting has increased over the years.

The reduction and eventual elimination of the glass as seen in the 7k cars was done to move various pieces of hardware from under the back to back seats into cabinets in the partition behind the cab. It was also done to relocate the circuit breakers from under the side cab window into the cabinet behind the operators seat to allow the increasing of the crash worthiness of the cars.