Hesitating Train

[sw4400]

Here's a question for the "L" Train Buff/Expert out there...

I got to the Irving Park Brown Line Station last night heading south(last two cars were 3327-3328)... the train pulls in last night with signs that read "Kimball"(odd point one). I'm still coming up the stairs and see the train sitting with the doors closed at the station. Then, the train starts moving and stops before leaving the platform and the doors open, so I board. Well, the train sits for like two minutes with the doors open, I actually leave the car I'm in to see what's going on. About 20 seconds after this, I hear the "Ding-Dong Doors Closing" alert, so I board and take the train to Addison. When I disembark there, the train sits there with the doors open for two to three minutes, before the operator mumbles something on the intercom(interior only). I couldn't hear it, nor did I want to re-enter to catch it. But this isn't SOP for a train, is it??? I mean, suppose another "Loop" or "Belmont" bound train was coming up and this train was still sitting there. I mean, I'm sure there wouldn't be any collision, but who knows? The Securitas person downstairs I talked to said that was normal, but it leaves me scratching my head.

[Busjack]

An obvious question is whether you were in the front car, and thus could hear the cab signal beeping or see the aspect. Since you gave the numbers of the rear cars, probably not.

It may also depend on the time of the "meet" at Clark Jct. and whether the train was running ahead of schedule compared to that, as well as construction delays, as construction is still going on on the Brown Line.

Of course, if the cab signal is working, the next train shouldn't collide with this one, but this is the CTA, where that's happened.

Update: Also, Mr. CTA usually announces (assuming that the operator pushed the correct button) that we are delayed waiting for signals to clear, and will be underway shortly, or something like that.

[sw4400]

It may also depend on the time of the "meet" at Clark Jct. and whether the train was running ahead of schedule compared to that, as well as construction delays, as construction is still going on on the Brown Line.

Update: Also, Mr. CTA usually announces (assuming that the operator pushed the correct button) that we are delayed waiting for signals to clear, and will be underway shortly, or something like that.

I'm guessing you mean that the train is scheduled to be at the North Side Main Line(Brown, Purple, Red), or Clark Junction at a certain time, and is ahead of schedule if I understand the highlighted quote from you Busjack. If I'm incorrect, I'm not sure what you mean then, as the Brown Line train was sitting at the Irving Park station for 2-3 minutes and then the Addison Station for about 2-3 minutes, both times with doors open but no passengers boarding or disembarking(it was also after 12:00a, so I think any construction would've been put off until the next morning). As far as proceeding signals, there are two more stops(Paulina and Southport) before the junction, so signals to proceed shouldn've been in effect until after Paulina, as the junction is shortly after there.

I've never seen red, yellow or green procced signal lights or anything near the Addison or Irving Park stations, just signs that probably say XX M.P.H for the operator to heed.

[Busjack]

I'm guessing you mean that the train is scheduled to be at the North Side Main Line(Brown, Purple, Red), or Clark Junction at a certain time, and is ahead of schedule if I understand the highlighted quote from you Busjack.

That's what I implied.

I've never seen red, yellow or green procced signal lights or anything near the Addison or Irving Park stations, just signs that probably say XX M.P.H for the operator to heed.

The aspect lights I mentioned are in the cab, not along the tracks. Speed control is in the cab signal system (I'm assuming that the 1950s lights along the track on the Dearborn subway have been replaced by now as part of the Blue Line signal upgrade project). Based on the prior assumption, the only wayside lights should be at switches. That is basically explained at chicago-l.org, Wayside Signals. If there is a problem with chicago-l.org accepting a referred link, the path is Routes & Operations->Signals and Markers->Wayside Signals.

[artthouwill]

How about this for strange! I was on an inbound Green Line train approaching Tower 18. I was in the very front of the head car. We had a yellow over red signal to proceed. Upon entering the junction, the motorman's cab signal turned red, the beep came on and we stopped. The problem was we appeared to stop right where the Purple Line tracks and the Orange Line tracks join with the Green/Pink Line tracks, at a place where there is no third rail. Thus we could not proceed for there was no apparent power. He had to call the Tower and they had to do something on the outside of the train (what, I could not see) in order to get us going again. He said we hit a "dead spot"

[Busjack]

... Thus we could not proceed for there was no apparent power. He had to call the Tower and they had to do something on the outside of the train (what, I could not see) in order to get us going again. He said we hit a "dead spot"

What he had to do is pull the stinger, which is a cable, similar to a battery jumper, that is usually in a box at the side of the track near a junction. However, I certainly wouldn't have the guts to clip on a 600 volt jumper.

Usually, one would think that a train would be long enough that at least some car would have contact with the third rail, but apparently not this time.

Googling this, another reference to chicago-l.org. Again, if the referral doesn't work, the path is Frequently Asked Questions->3.3

[BusHunter]

How about this for strange! I was on an inbound Green Line train approaching Tower 18. I was in the very front of the head car. We had a yellow over red signal to proceed. Upon entering the junction, the motorman's cab signal turned red, the beep came on and we stopped. The problem was we appeared to stop right where the Purple Line tracks and the Orange Line tracks join with the Green/Pink Line tracks, at a place where there is no third rail. Thus we could not proceed for there was no apparent power. He had to call the Tower and they had to do something on the outside of the train (what, I could not see) in order to get us going again. He said we hit a "dead spot"

On one of the David Harrison videos they show a train dead spotting there, but this was at the turn purple line trains make there SB. They also show the guy jumpering it. The train kind of archs off. Kind of hair raising if your the one doing it. I'm pretty sure it was a two car train. There once was an instance where a blue line line train stopped at the second switch off the mainline NB (about halfway down) at Rosemont yard and stood there. The train was dead. The follower hooked up to the two car blue and pushed it into O'Hare with the passengers on board.

[sw4400]

It happened again(sort of) last night...

I grabbed a Brown Line train signed "Loop" and took it from Irving Park to Addison. Anyhow, after leaving the train at Addison(BTW, the Operator just opened and closed the doors, no Mr. CTA announcement about doors closing. They almost got a guy entering the last car). Anyhow, the train started moving, then I heard a "Click" from the rails(probably a 3rd rail arc to shoe), anyhow the train stopped before leaving the platform, and all the middle dot lights(Amber I think they are) except on the last car came on(doors remained closed) and the train sat for 25-30 seconds before those lights went off and the train pulled away. Never saw stuff like this happen 2x in a row...

[Busjack]

It happened again(sort of) last night...

I grabbed a Brown Line train signed "Loop" and took it from Irving Park to Addison. Anyhow, after leaving the train at Addison(BTW, the Operator just opened and closed the doors, no Mr. CTA announcement about doors closing. They almost got a guy entering the last car). Anyhow, the train started moving, then I heard a "Click" from the rails(probably a 3rd rail arc to shoe), anyhow the train stopped before leaving the platform, and all the middle dot lights(Amber I think they are) except on the last car came on(doors remained closed) and the train sat for 25-30 seconds before those lights went off and the train pulled away. Never saw stuff like this happen 2x in a row...

That sounds like an electrical fault, rather than the type of enforced stop implied by your first message. If that's the case, while there was a delay two times, it appears not from the same cause.

[sw4400]

This was a suprise to me...

Last night, a wheelchair-bound man boarded the Brown Line Train I was on, and got off at the same station as me. I saw the rail operator getting a large yellow ramp out for the wheelchair. I always thought that the railcars were even with the station, so wheelchairs can easily board and disembark.

[Busjack]

No. Generally a "gap filler" has to be deployed, since the platforms are not flush with the cars. See the Accessibility Guide.

I have been on trains where the operator used the walkie-talkie to contact the customer assistant at the destination station (such as Davis) to be ready to assist a wheelchair passenger.

BTW, even though the "railfan seat" (the aisle facing seat immediately under the front window) is no longer there, I still prefer to ride in the first car to get a feel for the action (as indicated by my prior comments about the cab signals).

[artthouwill]

This was a suprise to me...

Last night, a wheelchair-bound man boarded the Brown Line Train I was on, and got off at the same station as me. I saw the rail operator getting a large yellow ramp out for the wheelchair. I always thought that the railcars were even with the station, so wheelchairs can easily board and disembark.

Those ramps are known as gap fillers. If you have ever noticed, there is a small gap between the train andd the platform. The gap filler is to ensure a smooth entry/exit from the train so that no wheels (especially the front) from the wheelchair get stuck in that gap. This is the primary purpose for it. There are some stations where the train is higher than the platform, which makes those gap fillers even more important, but again, the primary purpose is for the wheelchairs to go over the gap without getting stuck.