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I've got some news to relay: Dead train forcing Orange Line delay

I'm on an outbound Orange Line train that is just sitting at Community College, waiting for the T to remove the lifeless hulk of a dead train somewhere further up the line.

UPDATE: We sat at Community College for about eight minutes, then went into snail-emulation mode on the way towards Oak Grove.

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Comments

I read the news today oh boy

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This is anecdotal, I have no evidence to back this up, but it seems as if there are fewer trains running on this line than there used to. I wonder how many have been taken out of service.

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Its not anecdotal. The MBTA is running fewer trains. We are paying more and getting worse service than we used to.

http://www.universalhub.com/2016/yes-its-harder-get-orange-line-rush-hou...

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I commented on that thread, too. Tough to get old. Thanks, Kinopio.

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For the new trains on order.

Or do you think the train fairy brings them if we are being good?

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http://www.ctps.org/data/pdf/studies/transit/pmt/PMT_Ch5.pdf

"Beginning in 2013, the MBTA will start taking delivery of 146 new Orange Line cars to replace the current fleet of 120 No. 12 cars. Plans are currently underway to design the replacement Red and Orange Line cars in tandem. "

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Thankfully you save a few thousand a year by not owning a car. Of course, you're limited to the T, your shoes or your one friend for transportation.

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This roster is fairly up to date but may be a few weeks old. It may not include any trains out of service in the last few weeks.

Orange Line Fleet (120 cars)
Series: 01200-01319
Car type: #12 Main Line
Built By: Hawker-Siddeley
Electricals: General Electric
Year Built: 1979-81
Width: 111”
Length: 65’
Seats: 58
Cars Active: 120
Cars Out of Service: 0

Out of service usually means long-term repairs or scrapped FWIW. There are always some in the fleet that are shopped. Wellington's track configs are under rebuild and the 3rd "test" track between C-College and Wellington has been ripped up.

Active Orange Line Fleet: (120 cars operated in married pairs):

01200 / 01201 through 01318 / 01319

Odd numbers: Compressor & various items
Even numbers: Traction Motors (push-pull config)

Car 01263 is original car 01281 and car 01281 is original car 01263. Cars were renumbered and swapped mates 08/2014.

Car 01296 is original car 01258 and car 01258 is original car 01296. Cars were renumbered and swapped mates 03/2017.

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why am i not surprised. the mbta is a piece of crap and they always want to hike up the rates. where is my tax paying money going towards? im late to work every single day because of a disabled train. seriously get it together

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You're paying for new trains under construction. The current fleet is so old it cannot be fixed and what parts they do find are rare, and in some cases they have to fabricate them in the Everett Blacksmith shop where train parts are built.

These are not Fords that can be rolled into the local Mobil station for a flat tire.

There is no "getting it together" which is why they opted to build a whole new fleet.

Trains are not "off the shelf" available in old cities like Boston. When the subways were built there were more than one private company operating trains and types of trains and there were no standards like we have today so the trains have to be custom built to meet the restrictions of the tunnels, platform lengths, etc.

We're stuck with it. It will never change. It will get better when the new trains arrive and they also fix the aged signal system but this will take years (decades) and loads of cash.

Yes, they do spend money on other things. That is because the money they get has strings attached and they can only use the funds for that -- not always what they want. that's how government works. Don't like it? Fix government.

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If the lead control cab fails they can lock the controller and activate a control stand mid-train to run the train set to the next station. This would be car #3 and Car #5 in the train set facing forward. The problem of course is that the operator is blind and cannot see in front of them. In such a case they will need a spotter at the head of the train relaying info back to the operator by PA system or 2-way radio. Rules require that the train not exceed 10 mph when operated this way. It is usually a very rare occasion if passengers are allowed to remain ont eh train when operated this way. usually they have to detrain and the set is operated with just the crew to where the train can be sided off the main line. If passengers were on board but operated from the lead control cab it is likely a safety (cab signal) systems failure and the train cannot run on override beyond a few mph. If the wayside signals systems failed there would be a similar speed restriction. No choice there. Federal laws kick in.

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The sobering moment when you realize that, often as not, 2017 real-life Boston has slower and less-reliable public transportation than 2013, comic book, post-apocalyptic, Sentinel-dominated, X-Men: Days of Future Past, NYC...

...and in Days of Future Past they were using teams of horses to tow Grumman Flxibles!!!

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