Sunday Night Blizzard - 12/26

[IrideNHline]

I stayed home yesterday due to the roads not being well enough to travel on to get to the stations, but suspended service then the weekend schedules out later Monday and today kept me from taking the train. The highways were well cleared and very light traffic wise so I drove. Unfortunately the staggered schedules being run to not coincide with my work schedule so driving was the better option. Maybe Wednesday they will be back on a normal timetable.

As a commuter my biggest problem trying to figure out my commute was the shuttle service offered by NTD. They did not post ANYTHING on their site in regards to schedule changes or service. Quite disappointing since MN is running different schedules, you would think they would post some kind of change. I may be calling them up to inquire since their website is unchanged.

[Tommy Meehan]

other than Railfans no one really cares.

Guess that's why he posted it on a railroad forum?

Btw at Tarrytown this morning (Tues.) there were more people on the platform than normal for a Saturday but way less than a normal weekday.

[truck6018]

I think the week between Christmas and New Years there are traditionally less commuters with people spending time with families, vacations, etc. No, I don't have any statistics to back up that claim. I know Friday morning (Christmas Eve) had significantly less regulars traveling into the city. On the flip side the train going home in the afternoon was packed with travelers.

[Amtrak7]

Back to weekday service tommorow.

[RearOfSignal]

I think the week between Christmas and New Years there are traditionally less commuters with people spending time with families, vacations, etc.

Less commuters maybe, but while people are in town for the holidays and New Year's they will travel into the city for sightseeing and shows, etc. Even last night (12/27) there were a lot of people going into the city for a night on the town not just to get back home.

[truck6018]

I think the week between Christmas and New Years there are traditionally less commuters with people spending time with families, vacations, etc.

Less commuters maybe,.....

Yes, that's what I said, less commuters. The tourists/sightseers/general all around clueless don't start until mid morning.

[Tommy Meehan]

[The 9:20PM local out of GCT] was five minutes late at Yonkers and ten minutes late at Tarrytown. So the diesels can't quite match the MU time but they're close

Does anybody besides me think the perfomance here is something close to miraculous? The 9:51 PM local was 5 minutes late at Yonkers last night, not because of the reported nineteen inches of snow on the ground in Yonkers, but because it was running with diesel equipment instead of MU? Five minutes? Technically that train was on time.

If you're a moldy oldie like me and remember what it was like back in the 1950s and '60s. No offense to former NYC or NH employees (they in no way had the same resources) but the Metro-North people do one heckuva job. Take a bow folks!

To my fellow railfans, it wouldn't kill us to tell them so once in a while. Instead of looking for that one thing you can critique!

[Jeff Smith]

Some details of how the blizzard was handled and some consequences from this News-Times article:

http://www.newstimes.com/news/article/M ... 925137.php

Metro-North Railroad President Howard Permut said in the past day of service about 30 additional cars in the state's M-2 fleet, most of which are more than 30 years old, were forced out of service due to snow-related mechanical problems, Permut said.

The railroad hopes to offset any car shortage caused by faltering M-2's on the New Haven Line by using diesel-powered locomotives, Permut said.

"It's well known the negative effect that this type of dry snow can have on the New Haven Line cars and the challenge we have keeping them in service," Permut said. "The cars will be effected but we are working on it."

....

The heavy snows brought service on the railroad to a halt late Sunday night and again between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Monday, after several M-7 trains skidded to a stop when they were unable to connect with the snow-covered electric third rail near 125th Street, officials said.

Permut said the efforts to clear the tracks overnight Monday and all day Tuesday allowed the railroad to carry about 100,000 people into and out of New York City on Tuesday, including more than 30,676 passengers during the 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. rush hour.

Weekday ridership in the week after Christmas is typically about a third less than the normal 275,000 passengers carried on a normal weekday, Permut said.

....

During the winter of 2004, the New Haven Line fleet lost 126 of 347 cars to repairs due to severe winter weather.

Permut said the effort to maintain service prevented Metro-North Railroad and engineers from Kawasaki Rail Corp. from conducting required testing of Connecticut's new M-8 rail cars so far this week.

[Clean Cab]

The last thing the tired M2s needed was this blizzard. Sadly it may have been the final death blow for a good number of them as parts are getting harder to find.

[Patrick A.]

All the more reason to not waste time during the M8 testing. The clock is ticking on the M2's.

[DutchRailnut]

no one is wasting time, the testing is a requirement that can't be cut short.
currently there is two test trains one at night, one in day time.

[Patrick A.]

Never meant to suggest time was being wasted, just saying the testing operations should be done with the utmost efficiency

[Wayside Observer]

I heard that nearly 100 New Haven Line cars are shopped and there are a lot more Bomb trains running on the NH Line as well.

[Jeff Smith]

I heard that nearly 100 New Haven Line cars are shopped and there are a lot more Bomb trains running on the NH Line as well.

Where'd you hear that? Have you seen the shop orders? Sounds like educated guess without facts on your side. Hmmm....

And they should not accept these cars till ALL abillities like ACES and 25Kv have been tested and approved.
or people of NY/CT could end up paying for repair/modifications which are in specifications.
if you sign off before testing you could be buying a cat in the bag.

Do you know that for a fact? Have you seen the signed agreement between Kawasaki, CDOT and the MTA? I think you're making an educated guess without the facts on your side.

[DutchRailnut]

correct as f this morning shop count for EMU's on New Haven was 97 out of 220 or so cars.