sw4400 Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I was taking the Red Line back from the suburbs last night and got off at Sheridan and noticed the two outer sets of tracks there. I know that the Purple Line runs through Express on weekdays, but do they use these tracks? If they do, the CTA might have a serious problem that could lead to a derailment someday here as evidenced in this photo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 The track itself is not bad. What looks bad is the "rail next to the rail" which is supposed to snag the wheels if the train tries to derail. On the other hand, the CTA Tattler reports that the 2 to 3 year old wood on the Brown Line platforms is in worse shape. They do sometimes use the outer track for Red Line trains; SB ones then switch back at the crossover north of Addison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 It looks like that all over the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sw4400 Posted August 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 It looks like that all over the system. Shouldn't rails like this be repaired, though? As Busjack says "What looks bad is the "rail next to the rail" which is supposed to snag the wheels if the train tries to derail." If these rails are fail/safe rails, then they should be repaired, not broken/warped as this one is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Well. if some operator wants to reenact the 1977 falling off the L at Wabash and Lake, that incident proves that nothing is going to stop him or her (certainly the new cab signal system didn't). Maybe girder walls placed on the outside of the structure,but isn't this all supposed to be removed for the subway ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Well. if some operator wants to reenact the 1977 falling off the L at Wabash and Lake, that incident proves that nothing is going to stop him or her (certainly the new cab signal system didn't). Maybe girder walls placed on the outside of the structure,but isn't this all supposed to be removed for the subway ? Usually it has to come to the point of a catastrophe and lives affected before something is done about it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mkohut Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 I think there is a point everybody is missing.This is part of the CTA rebuilding the Red Line north of Belmont.I'm sure everyone is a wear another project that has no money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 22, 2011 Report Share Posted August 22, 2011 Usually it has to come to the point of a catastrophe and lives affected before something is done about it! Which I indicated with regard to the reference to 1977. And then the something wasn't cab signals, or changing the rules regarding what to do on a red, but building the girder wall. My point was whatever the theoretical purpose of that piece of steel, it isn't going to stop that type of wreck, whether pristine or rusted at a joint On the other hand, if it were part of the running rail, it would have been fixed or slow zoned. CTA doesn't show much reticence about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jajuan Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 One also has to keep in mind that that portion of rail where the Sheridan station is currently located in the midst of a sharp S curve similar to how that near Wabash and Balbo used to be before the CTA smoothed it out a few years ago. So the trains that move through there be they Red Line or Purple Line Express do not move through that section all that fast to begin with. I would guess in this instance the situation looks worse than it actually is, but it does still show that Chicago, Cook County and Illinois have to start getting serious about coming up with the governmental portion of CTA funding the right way without the political gimmicks and tricks (i.e Blago's free senior riding idea with no account for financial need for one) along with reforms to how Board members and the President are appointed so we actually get folks in who actually know how transit systems operate as opposed to political flunkies to make CTA the exceptional system it has the potential to be. I mean seriously Chicago's annual $3 million* it currently contributes is a joke considering that's been the amount it's been putting forward for decades now. *That figure is what I've seen given in different local news sources and I haven't seen anything that said that figure has changed. That was the figure given when I was in my early teens reading up on how CTA gets funded during money woes over two decades ago and fare increases and service cuts got instituted at the time. It was the same when reading up on some of the current financial struggles just last year and in 2009. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MetroShadow Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 Having lived in that area (and used that station) since my birth, trains have survived that curve for years. I think Purple Expresses go a little slower than most of the Reds, and it's been like that. However, I would think that Sheridan and Wilson both needed to go over some form of rehab (even though they look better than Jarvis), and that includes the track/wood replacements. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 23, 2011 Report Share Posted August 23, 2011 ....I mean seriously Chicago's annual $3 million* it currently contributes is a joke considering that's been the amount it's been putting forward for decades now. *That figure is what I've seen given in different local news sources and I haven't seen anything that said that figure has changed. That was the figure given when I was in my early teens reading up on how CTA gets funded during money woes over two decades ago and fare increases and service cuts got instituted at the time. It was the same when reading up on some of the current financial struggles just last year and in 2009. Since it is probably better to turn to the policy issues rather than the photo, the $3 million from the city seems correct. Section 4.10 of the RTA Act says: Sec. 4.10. Agreements with the Chicago Transit Authority. The [Regional Transportation] Authority shall not for any fiscal year of the Authority release to the Chicago Transit Authority any funds except for the proceeds of taxes imposed by the Authority under Sections 4.03 and 4.03.1 which are allocated to the Chicago Transit Authority under Section 4.01(d) unless a unit or units of local government in Cook County (other than the Chicago Transit Authority) enters or enter into an agreement with the Chicago Transit Authority to make a monetary contribution for such year of at least $5,000,000 for public transportation. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, the Authority shall not for any fiscal year of the Authority release to the Chicago Transit Authority any funds except for the proceeds of taxes imposed by the Authority under Sections 4.03 and 4.03.1 which are allocated to the Chicago Transit Authority under Section 4.01(d) unless the County of Cook and City of Chicago continue to provide services to the Chicago Transit Authority at the same level and on the same basis as are being provided by such units as of the effective date of this Act. The Authority may from time to time approve reductions in the level and basis of services to be provided pursuant to this Section. I take it that it is $3 million from the city and $2 million from Cook County. However, in a sense, it doesn't make much difference, as the City, County and CTA are all broke, and seem to be commingling money and functions, anyway. For instance, TIF money is supposedly paying for the Morgan Green Line stop, and it is a CDOT project. Unless both the City and the RTA do something effective about retailers setting up sales tax collection offices in Kankakee, even though they are selling in Cook County, it is just cutting up the limited pie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artthouwill Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Since it is probably better to turn to the policy issues rather than the photo, the $3 million from the city seems correct. Section 4.10 of the RTA Act says: I take it that it is $3 million from the city and $2 million from Cook County. However, in a sense, it doesn't make much difference, as the City, County and CTA are all broke, and seem to be commingling money and functions, anyway. For instance, TIF money is supposedly paying for the Morgan Green Line stop, and it is a CDOT project. Unless both the City and the RTA do something effective about retailers setting up sales tax collection offices in Kankakee, even though they are selling in Cook County, it is just cutting up the limited pie. Apparently the CTA and RTA heard you loud and clear: http://abclocal.go.com/wls/story?section=news/local&id=8322900 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busjack Posted August 24, 2011 Report Share Posted August 24, 2011 Apparently the CTA and RTA heard you loud and clear: http://abclocal.go.c...ocal&id=8322900 No, they didn't hear me, as I had heard the story on the radio a couple of days before. BTW, it was the city and RTA, as CTA doesn't have taxing power. There was also the story about 4 months ago about some not very bright legislator from Olympia Fields who wanted to institutionalize the status quo. However, that's why I boldfaced effective, as I am not sure that it would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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