Random Metra

[twyztdmynd]

Child dies when playing in a Metra Electric Yard

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/06/15/metra-juvenile-electrocuted-after-jumping-on-train/

[Busjack]

Child dies when playing in a Metra Electric Yard

http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/06/15/metra-juvenile-electrocuted-after-jumping-on-train/

Aside from University Park not being secure, from where were they able to jump on the top of the train?

Update: Tribune says he climbed up the train. However, the PD and FD aren't talking.

[strictures]

Aside from University Park not being secure, from where were they able to jump on the top of the train?

My guess would be they either just climbed up the train car using the diaphragm or they climbed a gantry or pole holding up the catenary.

In any case, Darwin has another award winner.

[trainman8119]

Aside from University Park not being secure, from where were they able to jump on the top of the train?

Update: Tribune says he climbed up the train. However, the PD and FD aren't talking.

You can get into the yard from the platform...no need to climb a fence. As for climbing, the new cars have ladders on the rear ends...opposite of the old cars. The best I could find to illustrate this is a South Shore Nippon car...same thing though...

Me thinks he climbed up the ladder and grabbed onto the pantograph to pull himself up. Whatever, he didn't have a chance.

My problem with this is real simple....the annoying GPS recording on every trip....

"Metra continues to be on a high state of security awareness..." BS...they CAN'T EVEN PROTECT THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT IN THEIR OWN YARD !!! First graffiti now electrocutions. Really !

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Happy 30 years of Metra!

Here is a release by Metra (On The Bilevel).

[artthouwill]

Happy 30 years of Metra!

Here is a release by Metra (On The Bilevel).

Someone needs to do some proofreading.

Jan. 23, 2006:

Metra opens an

extension of the UP West line

to La Fox and Geneva. A week

later, Metra opens four new

stations and expands service on

the North Central Service line.

Shouldn't the extension read from Geneva to La Fox and Elburn?

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

Someone needs to do some proofreading.

Jan. 23, 2006:

Metra opens an

extension of the UP West line

to La Fox and Geneva. A week

later, Metra opens four new

stations and expands service on

the North Central Service line.

Shouldn't the extension read from Geneva to La Fox and Elburn?

Oops.

[strictures]

Happy 30 years of Metra!

Here is a release by Metra (On The Bilevel).

There's a real dumb mistake a good copy editor or someone that knows railroads would have caught in this issue of On The Bilevel:

"April 12, 1990:

The board votes

to buy 30 new F40PHM-2

locomotives manufactured by the

Electro-Motive Division of GE

for $1.99 million each."

Everyone that knows railroading knows that EMD was a GM subsidiary.

[Busjack]

Oops.

...

Everyone that knows railroading knows that EMD was a GM subsidiary.

Nobody has been there long enough (as a result of the scandals) to know anything (other if they can find a new manner of ripping off). Also, knowing Metra, that's probably what they found in some box in a hoarder's show, next to the clout rolodex.

I wonder if the Pace 20 year wraps are still on.

[garmon757]

I wonder if the Pace 20 year wraps are still on.

If it is then it will be on #6660. That's the only remaining bus I know. It used to be #6218 but they removed it before the Eldorado Axess arrived.

[andrethebusman]

I think the ME NS cars are up to 1286.

I understand they are at 1302, so there are 76 cars in. Now the break was supposed to be at 80, so do 1303-1306 exist?

[sw4400]

This needs to be said.... do people just have a death wish or what??? I was on my way to work this afternoon and passing the Union Pacific North Metra Line at Grace & Ravenswood this afternoon, I hear some noises above on the tracks. I look above and see two kids between 12-15 years of age heading NB on the tracks!!! I immediately called 911 to report these two trespassers and gave as best a description of them to the operator so CPD could get rolling to catch them before a train does. I was heading north on Lincoln past Irving Park and I heard a Metra horn blaring and all I could think was "God, I hope that CPD got up there and got those knuckleheads off the tracks!!!"

Seriously.... don't trespass on the tracks!!! They're for trains, not for people!!!

[MTRSP1900-CTA3200]

This needs to be said.... do people just have a death wish or what??? I was on my way to work this afternoon and passing the Union Pacific North Metra Line at Grace & Ravenswood this afternoon, I hear some noises above on the tracks. I look above and see two kids between 12-15 years of age heading NB on the tracks!!! I immediately called 911 to report these two trespassers and gave as best a description of them to the operator so CPD could get rolling to catch them before a train does. I was heading north on Lincoln past Irving Park and I heard a Metra horn blaring and all I could think was "God, I hope that CPD got up there and got those knuckleheads off the tracks!!!"

Seriously.... don't trespass on the tracks!!! They're for trains, not for people!!!

Forgot if I mentioned this before but I saw something like that a while back on the Northwest Line. Some guy was wandering on the tracks outside of Clybourn. A few horn blasts and reduced speed to 10 MPH and we passed him still wandering, almost touching the train cars.

Also a few commuters and I shared the Crystal Lake shelter with some big bags and a cane while waiting for my inbound train last Wednesday. The police later arrived, but they only questioned one person who appeared not to have any info.

[strictures]

I saw something I never saw before on the UP North Line today.

About 3:30PM, a UP switcher, probably an SW-1500, was pulling a single coach, an ex-C&NW green & yellow, repainted in Metra colors, SB towards downtown.

This was at Bryn Mawr.

I wonder if it was being towed to the Metra Western Ave. shops for repairs.

[ctrabs74]

I saw something I never saw before on the UP North Line today.

About 3:30PM, a UP switcher, probably an SW-1500, was pulling a single coach, an ex-C&NW green & yellow, repainted in Metra colors, SB towards downtown.

This was at Bryn Mawr.

I wonder if it was being towed to the Metra Western Ave. shops for repairs.

Seeing as I doubt that a switcher loco has head end power, then I believe the coach was shop-bound.

[Busjack]

I saw something I never saw before on the UP North Line today.

About 3:30PM, a UP switcher, probably an SW-1500, was pulling a single coach, an ex-C&NW green & yellow, repainted in Metra colors, SB towards downtown.

This was at Bryn Mawr.

I wonder if it was being towed to the Metra Western Ave. shops for repairs.

Seeing as I doubt that a switcher loco has head end power, then I believe the coach was shop-bound.

Undoubtedly correct on both counts.

The strangest one I ever saw was a Metra switcher hauling a South Shore car on the RI near 107th. The explanation given by someone on a Yahoo! group was that it was being returned after some rail convention at Union Station. That was shortly after they were rehabbed and converted to AC traction.

[strictures]

It looks like Metra & the UP are getting ready to lay the new track on the UP North Line.

They've spread gravel over most of the track bed, I presume as the base for the granite ballast.

There are also many racks of new concrete ties in the North Ave. yard.

There's also numerous sections of continuous welded rail just laying in the abandoned roadbed south of Rogers Park, plus a track panel with a switch near Addison St.

[strictures]

Metra has laid concrete ties for the new Track Zero on the UP North Line from Grace St. to just north of Balmoral.

They've also placed rails for some of the way. So I guess it will be in use some time next year.

[Railwaymodeler]

I've seen a lot of ballast trains in Kenosha and Waukegan recently, and a few days ago saw a Plasser self propelled MOW car as well. I get the idea there's trackwork being planned on this end of the line too.

[strictures]

There have been huge mechanical problems with trains on the UP North Line the last two days.

This doesn't bode well for the upcoming winter for all UP train lines, as they share the same pool of fairly old locomotives, due to weight restrictions on the 100+ year old bridges in the city & a few close in suburbs.

[Busjack]

There have been huge mechanical problems with trains on the UP North Line the last two days.

This doesn't bode well for the upcoming winter for all UP train lines, as they share the same pool of fairly old locomotives, due to weight restrictions on the 100+ year old bridges in the city & a few close in suburbs.

Strangely, though, the Metra reports indicate that the Milw lines, which Metra owns, had the worst record. Maybe too many 7200 and 8200 series cars.

[strictures]

Strangely, though, the Metra reports indicate that the Milw lines, which Metra owns, had the worst record. Maybe too many 7200 and 8200 series cars.

While Metra owns the Milw lines, they have to contend with CN freight traffic & that mess of a junction where the North & West Lines meet. It's a slow zone through it, as bad as the worst of the CTA slow zones.

I've also noticed, that Metra appears to have returned most of the ex-C&NW coaches from the 1950s, back to where they originated, now the UP lines.

They had a lot of them on the Milw lines & it was odd to see them in a Union Station berth.

[Busjack]

While Metra owns the Milw lines, they have to contend with CN freight traffic...

At least during the polar vortex, it appeared more car equipment and signal problems.

One does not have to speculate, as Metra has an on time performance reports page. In January, looking just a MN, which had a 73.1% on time rate, which was the worst in the system, my tally shows 13 frozen or defective doors, 7 signal problems, and 3 ADA equipment problems.

There were various delays reported at Mayfair, but only 4 delays reported due to CN freight crossings.

The vast majority seems to be trains stopped or annulled due to grade crossing accidents, and equipment being turned at the terminal late.

[Tcmetro]

Metra to release RFP for 10 new diesel cab cars: http://metrarail.com/content/dam/metra/documents/Board_Information/2015/January/Item%208%20-%20Ordinance%20Authorizing%20Release%20of%20RFP%20for%20Acquisition%20of%20Rolling%20Stock.pdf

[Busjack]

Metra to release RFP for 10 new diesel cab cars: http://metrarail.com/content/dam/metra/documents/Board_Information/2015/January/Item%208%20-%20Ordinance%20Authorizing%20Release%20of%20RFP%20for%20Acquisition%20of%20Rolling%20Stock.pdf

Looks like the board has to approve just sending out a solicitation. Strange.