Unusual Experiences

[BusHunter]

Kind of reminds me of a woman I saw last summer on the #209. There was an brand new eldo sitting at Harlem blue line with it's AC on. The woman kept telling the driver it was too cold on the bus. (It was 90 degrees outside) She finally starting talking about reporting the operator. The operator told her that they couldn't turn off the AC. I was thinking if she's that cold why don't she stand outside for a minute or two. Kind of weird with the temperature so high.

[Guest]

Kind of reminds me of a woman I saw last summer on the #209. There was an brand new eldo sitting at Harlem blue line with it's AC on. The woman kept telling the driver it was too cold on the bus. (It was 90 degrees outside) She finally starting talking about reporting the operator. The operator told her that they couldn't turn off the AC. I was thinking if she's that cold why don't she stand outside for a minute or two. Kind of weird with the temperature so high.

It just kills me how some people complain when the bus interior is too cold, when its 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE, HELLOOOO!!!! Or when its too hot in the bus and its 10 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! Then I look in the rear interior mirror and I see passengers opening the hopper windows! My reaction, "Are you kidding me???" They tend to complain more in the summer of the bus interior being too cold. I dealt with it at CTA and I deal with it even more at Pace.

[Busjack]

It just kills me how some people complain when the bus interior is too cold, when its 90 DEGREES OUTSIDE, HELLOOOO!!!! Or when its too hot in the bus and its 10 DEGREES OUTSIDE!!! Then I look in the rear interior mirror and I see passengers opening the hopper windows! My reaction, "Are you kidding me???" They tend to complain more in the summer of the bus interior being too cold. I dealt with it at CTA and I deal with it even more at Pace.

I guess it was a lot easier when the air conditioning on the 5307As was broken.

I think I remember a dissertation by Andre one time on how automatic A/C worked on buses, something like when buses of that generation had the heat on during Summer.

[Guest DevalDragon]

If I recall correctly, the seat behind the driver is NOT one designated for the disabled...

[Guest]

If I recall correctly, the seat behind the driver is NOT one designated for the disabled...

Probably not but it dosent hurt to show a little courtesy. If Im sitting there and I see a someone elderly or disabled getting on the bus, I will get up and offer them the seat. But for someone whos throwing their weight around such as the senior cit. in SWs story goes, thats just plain wrong.

[chitowndude84]

lol in San Francisco on the MUNI system,It's a BIG no no not to give your seat to an elderly or disabled person.I learned the hard way when i went on one of my first rides on the system and sat in very front BEST seat and the bus driver yelled at me for not getting up for some old man and then I had a bus full of dirty looks.

[artthouwill]

lol in San Francisco on the MUNI system,It's a BIG no no not to give your seat to an elderly or disabled person.I learned the hard way when i went on one of my first rides on the system and sat in very front BEST seat and the bus driver yelled at me for not getting up for some old man and then I had a bus full of dirty looks.

Funny. Just yesterday I was on the 307 and a bunch of foreign students got on at Dominican University (Division and Harlem). There were so many of them, they filled almost the entire bus. An elderly lady got on around Augusta, and no less, NO LESS than 3 of the male students immediately got up from the priority seats to let this woman sit down. When she chose one seat, the other two sat back down, only for another senior citizen to board around Chicago. This scenario played out again.

That got me to thinking if decency and common courtesy has disappeared from "American" culture. I have seen WOMEN give up their seat for pregnant women when a man sitting nearby could've easily done the same.

[Guest]

Funny. Just yesterday I was on the 307 and a bunch of foreign students got on at Dominican University (Division and Harlem). There were so many of them, they filled almost the entire bus. An elderly lady got on around Augusta, and no less, NO LESS than 3 of the male students immediately got up from the priority seats to let this woman sit down. When she chose one seat, the other two sat back down, only for another senior citizen to board around Chicago. This scenario played out again.

That got me to thinking if decency and common courtesy has disappeared from "American" culture. I have seen WOMEN give up their seat for pregnant women when a man sitting nearby could've easily done the same.

Occasionally you do see the good in society! Unfortunately its not always the case! After every workday I come home from the firehouse on the west side, I take Roosevelt Rd. from Pulaski all the way to Harlem so I could see so Pace action along Roosevelt and Harlem av. Ill get to see NABIs on the #305 route along Roosevelt and on Harlem routes #307/318. Lots of Pace bus activity at Harlem/Madison and at the Green Line. I love watching the NABI action all along Harlem ave. up to Grand Ave.

[sw4400]

I know the CTA is in a bad shape, but the NYC Subway takes the cake with this story...(Link)

[Sam92]

I know the CTA is in a bad shape, but the NYC Subway takes the cake with this story...(Link)

Reminds me of Jackson Park hospital. They had a REAL bad rodent problem in the wating area with them running all over the place.

[sw4400]

I guess this lady decided "Since I don't get to ride this bus, nobody gets to ride it!!!

[artthouwill]

I guess this lady decided "Since I don't get to ride this bus, nobody gets to ride it!!!

Looks like the area around Broadway and Sheridan (near Grace). Uptown baby, uptown

[artthouwill]

I guess this lady decided "Since I don't get to ride this bus, nobody gets to ride it!!!

They also have a video of a 79th street bus where one wheelchair position was filled, and a second wheelchair passenger boarded the bus. Problem was there was a senior citizen in the priority seating area (which converts to a wheelchair position), but he did not want to move.

Parts 1 and 2

[BusHunter]

There was sort of an unusual occurance yesterday with a #5000. As most railfans or employees know around rush hour at Clark/Lake things can get backed up with four different train lines using the same track. A train was sitting at Clark/Lake. The #5000's west of Tower 18. So the #5000 train creeps through tower 18 and guess what? It gets stuck in the dead spot there. (no electricity) So the train is blocking the whole junction at rush hour. So the onboard supervisor and another supervisor from the shack south of there had to get the stinger to jump the train from another rail. At first the train was unresponsive. I was thinking Uh Oh! I hope this stinger is able to work with alternating current. It not like you can get help from the follower with a push not being AC. Finally the train would move but only in short slow bursts, finally it was able to be freed and move under it's own power. The whole junction was blocked for 5-10 minutes. Boy did that screw up traffic. From Clinton/Lake there were 3 or 4 trains waiting to proceed through tower 18, with another approaching Clinton from the west. I'm sure all lines affected yesterday had a sudden crush of trains after a small absence of them. I see now why they are running two person crews on these #5000 trains.

[Busjack]

AC/DC should make any difference with the stinger, since the third rail is DC. However, what hits me as freaky is that the gap couldn't have been so long as that none of the cars got electric contact (especially since the Pink Line trains have to traverse grade crossings, such as at Cicero Ave.). Or could it?

[BusHunter]

AC/DC should make any difference with the stinger, since the third rail is DC. However, what hits me as freaky is that the gap couldn't have been so long as that none of the cars got electric contact (especially since the Pink Line trains have to traverse grade crossings, such as at Cicero Ave.). Or could it?

There was another incident involving I believe a fan train here, I think a 5-50, that I have on video. So it's something they know about. As far as why the whole train couldn't draw power I don't know. I know the first 2 cars had no car body lights until the stinger was attached. There seem to be a little confusion. When the train was unresponsive, and the stinger was attached, the supervisor was asking the operator if they had a full board. (I guess the train shows if it's drawing power or not) They said yes. Probably they were just confused because it is a new train. The operators still make abrupt stops, like there not totally in sync with the controls yet. (kind of like driving a new car) At least everyone was in a good mood on the car. When they called in initially saying the train was "dead" everyone laughed because it is a new car, let's hope it's not dead yet.

[Busjack]

When the train was unresponsive, and the stinger was attached, the supervisor was asking the operator if they had a full board. (I guess the train shows if it's drawing power or not)

One of the presentations about the new cars showed that there was a monitor for diagnostic conditions, so it might have referred to that.

Sounds like they need an electrician, as theoretically all cars should be electrically connected and if the power were out to a car, battery power should have kicked in for the lights, one would suppose.

[artthouwill]

AC/DC should make any difference with the stinger, since the third rail is DC. However, what hits me as freaky is that the gap couldn't have been so long as that none of the cars got electric contact (especially since the Pink Line trains have to traverse grade crossings, such as at Cicero Ave.). Or could it?

I agree, especially since the same incident (getting stuck at Tower 18 in a dead spot) happened to me on a 2400 series Green Line train. Fortunately this occurred on a Sunday afternoon, so delays were minimal to other trains. Even with stinger applied, it still took a minute or two for it to catch. Since I was in the lead car, I don't know for sure if the other cars had electrical contact (I would assume so), but I would guess that all goes forward as the lead car goes. No power to the lead car, no power to go.

[Railwaymodeler]

There was sort of an unusual occurance yesterday with a #5000. As most railfans or employees know around rush hour at Clark/Lake things can get backed up with four different train lines using the same track. A train was sitting at Clark/Lake. The #5000's west of Tower 18. So the #5000 train creeps through tower 18 and guess what? It gets stuck in the dead spot there. (no electricity) So the train is blocking the whole junction at rush hour. So the onboard supervisor and another supervisor from the shack south of there had to get the stinger to jump the train from another rail. At first the train was unresponsive. I was thinking Uh Oh! I hope this stinger is able to work with alternating current. It not like you can get help from the follower with a push not being AC. Finally the train would move but only in short slow bursts, finally it was able to be freed and move under it's own power. The whole junction was blocked for 5-10 minutes. Boy did that screw up traffic. From Clinton/Lake there were 3 or 4 trains waiting to proceed through tower 18, with another approaching Clinton from the west. I'm sure all lines affected yesterday had a sudden crush of trains after a small absence of them. I see now why they are running two person crews on these #5000 trains.

Y'know, much of that story sounds like running vintage 1940s model trains with brass wheels on brass rail!

Hits a dead spot, then goes only in spurts!

Now the CTA needs a gigantic hand to push the train along till it runs on its own!:o

[Busjack]

Y'know, much of that story sounds like running vintage 1940s model trains with brass wheels on brass rail!

As far as real trains, you would have figured that they would have figured it out 113 years ago when MU was invented. Maybe we are regressing.

[Railwaymodeler]

I was always under the impression that each car on the train picked up power from the 3rd rail, and all cars could share the others' power feed. E.G. if car 1 goes out or hits a dead spot, it is still fed power from the rest of the train?

I assume that there is a power pickup on each truck, so at least two pickups per car, and assuming that, that a four car train (Smallest CTA runs I believe), will have eight pickups? Now with the 5000s so far running as six car trains, that would be 12 pickups?

Seems hard to believe they hit a dead spot, unless it was a very long dead spot.

Of course most of my guesses on the mechanics of how electric pickup works, is just guesses that would make sense. The El cars could work very different from how I understand them.

[Busjack]

As far as each car having two pickups on each side, that's correct, and usually where there is a crossover, the third rail switches from the left to the right. The unknown is if how or if the cars are interconnected electrically, but that junction has been there for about 110 years, so most trains must have a way to get over it without always using the stinger. I also mentioned the Cicero and similar grade crossings, in that the cars supposedly have stopped short of the station, and at Cicero, that would leave some of the cars in the street.

Do we have an electrician here, or anyone with an electrical diagram newer than Krambles's of a 4000 or even older car?;)

[sw4400]

I doubt any average joe would have an interest in CTA "L" trains except a chicagobus.org member(I could be wrong, however). Read this story and see what you think...

[BusHunter]

There was sort of an unusual occurance yesterday with a #5000. As most railfans or employees know around rush hour at Clark/Lake things can get backed up with four different train lines using the same track. A train was sitting at Clark/Lake. The #5000's west of Tower 18. So the #5000 train creeps through tower 18 and guess what? It gets stuck in the dead spot there. (no electricity) So the train is blocking the whole junction at rush hour. So the onboard supervisor and another supervisor from the shack south of there had to get the stinger to jump the train from another rail. At first the train was unresponsive. I was thinking Uh Oh! I hope this stinger is able to work with alternating current. It not like you can get help from the follower with a push not being AC. Finally the train would move but only in short slow bursts, finally it was able to be freed and move under it's own power. The whole junction was blocked for 5-10 minutes. Boy did that screw up traffic. From Clinton/Lake there were 3 or 4 trains waiting to proceed through tower 18, with another approaching Clinton from the west. I'm sure all lines affected yesterday had a sudden crush of trains after a small absence of them. I see now why they are running two person crews on these #5000 trains.

Well last night, they had a sequel to this. (it happened again) This time at 4:45 PM the #5000 train dead spotted at tower 18. As you may notice now, they are running one person crews, which puts more on the operator to troubleshoot. This time the train was unresponsive longer, about 20-25 minutes. It appeared that they had an even more difficult time getting this train going. I don't know exactly what happened but the train was taken out of service after it reached Clark/Lake and I was told it would be laying up on a middle track. (maybe south of Roosevelt) The consist was #5041-42 #5053-54 with #5041 being the head car. Things got really backed up this time. (about twice as bad) There were standing trains on the Lake branch at Tower 18, (stuck train) Wacker (green line) Clinton station (pink) just west of Clinton station (green), at Morgan (pink), at Ashland station (green), and at Paulina junction (pink) On the branch lines there was a 35 minute gap in service at rush hour on the pink line. I can only assume it was as bad everywhere else. The train tracker displays went from showing time arrivals to delayed. I guess they don't want to show you how late the trains are. Even an hour later Clark/Lake was still showing delayed for the Southbound Green line that was delayed an hour earlier going west. Maybe the Pink Line would be better off getting 6 cars, just to stop this from happening. They could actually start that now. They have 38 #2600's and 40 #5000's.

[Busjack]

Of course, they had over a year of testing to find this sort of thing out. With regard to taking the train out of service, it sounds more like a problem on the train rather than just hitting a gap in the third rail.