Sunday, August 23

Operator #1 8/23:

Hi, gang!

Well, I got my chance to try out the new signal system today (Sunday, 8/23).  Sunday was 
no better than Saturday.  Here are some of the lowlights:

Breda 1451 had its center axles seize up on the N Line.  The shop couldn't get them to roll 
free, so the poor beast had to be dragged back to Metro. By the time it reached there, its 
wheels were perfectly square.

A pan broke on an outbound J car (a Boeing) at 210pm.  A Breda, undergoing burn-in 
testing, pushed the car back to Metro.  1 hour delay.

As on Saturday, schedules were out the window.  About 300pm, a Boeing decided to take 
a dump on the inbound track at Embarcadero.  This forced Muni Central Control to reverse 
run (in auto mode) all the trains which were stacked up behind it out the Duboce Portal.  
(Why couldn't they single track through Embarcadero using the old west crossover and the 
MMT pocket track, which can switch trains over to the inbound track, with MMT-
terminating trains switching back at Harrison Street?  Duh!)  I was due to make a relief on 
the J at 357pm; my train didn't arrive Balboa Park until 510pm.  In the meantime, trains 
were switched from J to N and N to J, and K/M to L and L to K/M at the portals, until the 
subway reopened.

Evidently, the calibration and diameter of the center truck wheels on Bredas are absolutely 
critical with regard to auto entries.  If the ATCS computer detects that the wheels are of the 
minutest difference in diameter and calibration on a two-car train, it will give a failed entry.  
This is a major design defect of both the car manufacturer and the ATCS system hardware, 
and will produce headaches for Muni for years to come.

My car, Breda 1408, made auto entries at Duboce Portal both times. However, when the 
train departed, it went about 5-6 mph for 40 feet and promptly went into emergency.  End 
of Auto Mode for the trip.  Switchback in MMT was quick and easy, even in cutout mode.  
(When I pulled in, I told the shop about the emergency stops, and I was toldthat #1408 was 
considered a "suspect" car, and it was going to be scrutinized very carefully.

By night's end, the number of LRVs, both Boeing and Breda, held for ATCS-related 
defects, had climbed to about 30-35.  Clearly, the shop was going to be hard-pressed to 
meet the car assignment requirements for Monday morning.  Indeed, at 600am, all runs 
pulling out from between that time and 730am--the time of the last morning pullout--had 
not yet been assigned cars.  Several Boeings were assigned to the N-Line.  Grab your 
cameras and go out to MMX, gang, for those rare shots of Boeings under the Bay 
Bridge!!!!

There were no plans to assign extra F-Line cars to handle the suffering riders.  I offered to 
take the Milan car (the "good Italian streetcar") out for 2 trips, but was turned down.  At 
least all F-Line runs were filled.

This afternoon, I am working (on my regular day off) on the N-Line, by request.  I must 
be a glutton for punishment.  I will report my findings later.

Ken Parker 8/23:

My first impression something might be going wrong was when I was riding around with 
my sister and saw a diesal bus close to the Glen Park BART station with "K-L-M  West 
Portal Station" on it at around 3:30 in the afternoon!  (Anyone know if these were running 
because they couldn't keep up in the tunnels?)

   Then, my sister dropped me off at 12th and Judah and I started waiting for an inbound 
N.  And waiting.  And waiting.  At least 30 minutes (I didn't start counting right away) 
until one came. It said "N Judah  --  Caltrain Depot" on it and had two cars with one driver.  
The first car was packed but there were seats on  the second one.  It proceeded normally to 
Church and Dubose and then waited about 15 minutes before entering the tunnel.  Then, it 
waited about 8 minutes at a spot between Van Ness and Civic Center (which was my stop:  
I live at 8th and Market).

   After a bit, I was curious about what was going on at the Embarcadero station with the 
new rules.  So, I took BART from Civic Center to Embarcadero (I'm not stupid) and went 
down to the Muni station.  There was a croud there, of course and then, I saw why.  There 
is a NEW POLICY CHANGE on Muni Metro.  Now, the trains (other than N) go to 
Embarcadero, the sign above says "Do Not Board" and the driver announces that this is the 
last stop and demands that everyone get off.  Then, the train continues on from 
Embarcadero.  Two or three minutes later, the train shows up, empty, on the other side 
where people can board it for outbound service. Now, I wonder what things are going to 
be like rush hour Monday afternoon?  A common practice (which I've done  myself as the 
Montgomery station is closest to work) is to board the train I want at Montgomery, but 
INBOUND.  Then, stay on the train at Embarcadero, most likely with a seat. There have 
been times where the train is already standing room only before it even gets to the 
Embarcadero platform. Now, they are going to kick all these people off at Embarcadero 
and they will ALL fight it out on the other platform!  Interesting times we will live in the 
next couple or so weeks before people get used to the new rules.

   But back to my story:  After seeing the new rules, I decided to wait for an N Caltrain to 
see how N integrates with the old "E" (May it rest in peace!)  Well, about 25 minutes later, 
one shows up.  The driver waits until the doors have closed and the train is in motion to 
announce that this train is going to the Caltrain Depot! You should have heard the outrage 
of all the people who thought they were on an outbound N!  Several people got off at the 
Folsom station for the next Inbound (which the driver suggested).  I got off at 2nd and 
King to watch the train make its turn-around.  Then I got back on.  When we got to 
Folsom, the same people who had gotten off got back on (too much space between runs, 
obviously!) and we went back to the tunnel (where I got off at Civic Center and went 
home).

   That's enough for now.  I'll allow them a "first day allowance", perhaps, but if things are 
still this bad on Monday, there's likely to be a lot of chaos.  (Weren't there times in the past 
where so many people were in the  Muni tunnels that they stopped letting people in?  The 
BART strike comes to mind.  I hope things don't get to that level...)

    Till later,

	Ken Parker 
	(Not suprisingly, a Muni Metro "specialist")