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5000-series - Updates


greenstreet

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​What exactly was the issue with them that they couldn't even run express?

​From the description sounds like a major control issue. There have been instances over the years where the train simply will not accelerate because of control group failure, and sometimes it finally just stops and will not move any more. When you have one of these, the most sensible thing to do is get it either back to the yard or into a siding (such as at Foster) until the problem can be fixed and/or bypassed. If you have such a situation SB at Jeff Park, the chances of getting all the way to Desplaines without a total failure are remote. So the prudent thing to do is discharge, cross over and go back towards Rosemont. And if it stopped again between Addison and Pulaski going up the hill, it definitely sounds like what was happening, and it might have already been too late to avoid a major problem involving coupling and pushing.

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​Last weekend they had a big problem with #2651-52 resulting in about a 50 minute delay. The train was told to run express from Jeff Pk to Belmont, but it never made it that far. I was really shocked when the express train stopped at Addison and ordered us all off and went back north. The train was so screwed up it couldn't even run express. As it pulled away back north, it stopped on the incline and I can only imagine it then started delaying the NB side.

And I was dealing with more crap while I was heading to Forest Park to meet my mother that weekend dammit! :P 

It was a fire on the NB track at Western-Congress halting both inbound and outbound trains even though my train went express to Harlem. I did hear people complaining about waiting over an hour and it was a mad house at Jackson like holy sh--!!! What really pissed me off is why have a f'ing UIC bound train run express from Jackson to UIC just to terminate instead of having some of them continue to operate to Forest Park? It was so bad that the Forest Park Yard was halfway empty when I got there.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/krhvp4dka6xylav/2015-05-02%2016.49.59.mov?dl=0

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And I was dealing with more crap while I was heading to Forest Park to meet my mother that weekend dammit! :P

It was a fire on the NB track at Western-Congress halting both inbound and outbound trains even though my train went express to Harlem. I did hear people complaining about waiting over an hour and it was a mad house at Jackson like holy sh--!!! What really pissed me off is why have a f'ing UIC bound train run express from Jackson to UIC just to terminate instead of having some of them continue to operate to Forest Park? It was so bad that the Forest Park Yard was halfway empty when I got there.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/krhvp4dka6xylav/2015-05-02 16.49.59.mov?dl=0

​"Extending" a UIC train is not as simple as it sounds. Now the crew is out of place. If it happened to be the gay's first trip, he won't be able to make the remaining four or five at anything resembling scheduled times. I remember a few times when a route was short-turned because of some major problem. Usually the schedule for the rest of the day becomes "catch as catch can" because all the crews were out of place.

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​"Extending" a UIC train is not as simple as it sounds. Now the crew is out of place. If it happened to be the gay's first trip, he won't be able to make the remaining four or five at anything resembling scheduled times. I remember a few times when a route was short-turned because of some major problem. Usually the schedule for the rest of the day becomes "catch as catch can" because all the crews were out of place.

​What was really surprising about that delay last weekend, is after the first train died running express, the follower never ran express all the way to the loop. The train was packed, I got off at California and took the follower with 4 riders on my car. There were about 6 trains piled up together a stop apart. They could have easily ran the first train express multiple times. I've seen this before with a train that ran logan to clark/lake; jackson to medical center; medical center to desplaines. Maybe they were worried about the UIC short turns. Every other train was pre scheduled to only go to UIC, so that leaves 3 trains going to Forest Pk. There was no service Western/O'Hare SB to Cicero/Congress EB when the first train was at Western. But still that delay was recoverable with express service.

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​What exactly was the issue with them that they couldn't even run express?

​I don't know, maybe the train kept going to an emergency mode. The operator went back to the affected car about 3-4 times and could not override the problem. Even the supervisor that got on a jeff pk couldn't fix it. There was someone else with a CTA vest too. No one could fix it. #2651-52 smelted like it was burning, I'm told that's a brake issue. Maybe the brakes kept locking on that car and it was being dragged. Maybe that could result in a fire if not fixed and it becomes too dangerous to run the train with passengers.

 

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​I don't know, maybe the train kept going to an emergency mode. The operator went back to the affected car about 3-4 times and could not override the problem. Even the supervisor that got on a jeff pk couldn't fix it. There was someone else with a CTA vest too. No one could fix it. #2651-52 smelted like it was burning, I'm told that's a brake issue. Maybe the brakes kept locking on that car and it was being dragged. Maybe that could result in a fire if not fixed and it becomes too dangerous to run the train with passengers.

 

​If it smelled hot it was probably the brakes. I saw an orange line (2600) train fly into Adams/Wabash a few weeks ago and one car's yellow light was on from Madison all the way to Adams; the thing was going probably 35 when it entered the station and by the time it stopped it was just spewing smoke in every direction.

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During yesterday's (5/5/15) evening rush hour, I spotted 5675 on NB Route 83 near I-55. But the truck appeared to be pulled over on the side of the road. 

​There's either 4 or 6 new #5000's at Skokie, so that sounds like the most recent car number. Skokie didn't look that crowded this time but the Santa train is in Howard yard. Looked like all #2400's were off the property except the goodbye old friends ones.

Edited by BusHunter
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Just spotted 5567-5568, 5569-5570, and 5571-5572 all coupled together in the Howard yard. 

​Sounds like they are down to the last 34 cars to be delivered, they are probably all built now and the last ones are in testing at Bombardier. CTA should have them all by two more months, maybe mid July.

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Spotted 5673-5674 in service yesterday on the Red Line.  Wonder if it was the last set to leave the Skokie Shops before the track closure.

​Yes I forgot to mention I saw it too. It was run #925 or #825. If Skokie will be closed off for a month, they might just get by accepting the cars at Skokie Shops. As long as they have a place to store 16-20 cars, it shouldn't be a problem.

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​There's either 4 or 6 new #5000's at Skokie, so that sounds like the most recent car number. Skokie didn't look that crowded this time but the Santa train is in Howard yard. Looked like all #2400's were off the property except the goodbye old friends ones.

​I don't think they'll be put in service anytime soon, nor will any other trains delivered...

 

ct-yellow-line-update-05-22-met-20150523-001.jpg

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I think CTA will be ok with what they have until the Yellow Line repairs are done. Any equipment that is or was in dire need of replacement is probably long gone by now. Any #5000's delivered after this point are probably for fleet expansion. 

Edited by juelzkellz
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Looking back at the picture and the fact that they are running a schedule, is it safe to assume the other track is structually unsound? I'm asking because it looks intact from the angle given.

​I don't know about what you are referring. The CTA Alerts still say:

Length:

Sunday, May 17, 2015 - 10:00 PM
to TBD

Impact Level:
Service Suspended

Predictions Disabled Affects Train Tracker prediction availability
(What's this?)
 

Full Description:

Service on the Yellow Line has been temporarily suspended due to a track condition.

Besides that, if half the embankment gave away as of when those pictures were taken, what rational person would think the rest isn't ready to collapse?

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Monday [5/25/15] I had occasion to ride the Red Line from Howard to 95th. I didn't think the speed of the train was excessive
 but my back was being bounced off the seat [on the Ryan portion of the route south of Cermak.  I was sitting near the end of the
car facing the aisle. This happened riding southbound in the afternoon. I didn't experience this returning north last night. I was surprised riding a (relatively) new car on new tracks. o.O

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Monday [5/25/15] I had occasion to ride the Red Line from Howard to 95th. I didn't think the speed of the train was excessive
 but my back was being bounced off the seat [on the Ryan portion of the route south of Cermak.  I was sitting near the end of the
car facing the aisle. This happened riding southbound in the afternoon. I didn't experience this returning north last night. I was surprised riding a (relatively) new car on new tracks. o.O

Anytime you sit on the end of a car,  you are more likely to feel the swaying of the car as opposed to the middle regardless of the make and model of the train car.  This certainly includes Metra cars.   The fact that you were sitting in an aisle facing seat just gave you a different perspective of back and forth instead of side to side if you were in a forward facing seat. 

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