DENVER — Denver’s Regional Transportation District has been replacing a piece of the undercarriage of its commuter rail cars after finding a 2-inch crack in one car, Colorado Public Radio reports.
The problem in the equalizer beam of the cars built by Hyundai Rotem is similar to one that struck the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in 2016, forcing SEPTA to pull 120 cars out of service. [See “SEPTA’s Silverliner V fleet sidelined with defects,” Trains News Wire, July 5, 2016.] Aware of that problem, the RTD and that operates the commuter system, Denver Transit Partners, had been watching for similar issues and spotted the crack on one car last spring. Cars are being pulled from service in batches and having the offending part replaced, a process that is about one-third complete, according to John Thompson of Denver Transit Partners.
Colorado Public Radio learned of the situation through an open-records request on RTD’s oversight of Denver Transit Partners.
Unless you dust off the plans of all stainless cars, the P-S designs were some of the worst for rust. Even more so in their ones where they put stainless over regular steel. The Collision Posts on most Budd built equipment were in the very ends of the cars so even though the vestibule is a crumple area, it still is plenty strong.
This is the same problem that affected SEPTA’s earlier version of this car design. Denver’s cars are lighter with 60 Hz transformers, a single line voltage and all high-level platforms. Maybe they were hoping it wouldn’t happen to the lighter cars. The fix is a forged equalizer bar. Note that this not the underframe; it’s in the trucks.
Charles:
There are Budd cars running on the Sudbury-White River line in Ontario. Sometime this winter I’ll have to go take a look and see what the operator controls are like. Amongst other things, I understand it is quite the ride.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.
ANNA – Budd Cars (like all Budd cars) were solidly built. Here’s what I question: the engineer’s position was nothing more than a pathetic looking jump seat and a few controls in the vestibule.
It was said that the old Vee-Dub vans in the 1960’s, the driver’s legs were the front bumper. This has to apply to the Budd Cars as well. They tell you not to stand in the vestibule when the train is moving, because the vestibule is the crumple zone. Well, in a Budd Car, that’s where the engineer’s position was.
Ms Harding, the vehicles in question are heavy rail. Pullman-Standard supplied New York Central Railroad with Pullman green EMU commuter cars that had quiet smooth solid rides like their non-powered intercity cousins. This was before the MTA was formed.
The older models were clerestoried with grey painted wood panels, cloth upholstered rollover seats and window shades that made them look opulent like intercity day coaches. They had incandescent lights from a row of orb-shaped globe ceiling lamps. I really enjoyed and loved those cars when I was a 6-year-old from outside New York thinking they were running “engineless” without a locomotive.
+1 to Mike Friedman’s comment. PCC’s and light rail are not crashworthy, won’t cut it in FRA’s view.
RTD has shot itself in the foot around FRA on a regular basis. This episode is one of the few where RTD isn’t the source of the problem. RTD can’t hide behind FTA’s lax administration here.
These are not light rail cars. They are heavy rail commuter train electric multiple units.
And no. Dusting off blueprints from equipment built in the 1950s isn’t going to solve anyone’s problems.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverliner_V
Ms. Vinson:
Believe these are light rail vehicles but in essence I agree with you. Bring back the PCC car.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.
We should go back to the tried and proven designs of mid-20th century railway passenger car construction. Dust off and use the blueprints of Pullman-Standard.
Ms. Vinson:
I’ll accept your word for it. In that case how about a few Budd cars? I believe they would pass FRA crashworthiness requirements.
The above comments are general in nature and do not form the basis for an attorney/client relationship. They do not constitute legal advice. I am not your attorney. Find your own damn lawyer.