Has anyone heard anything new on this?
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/08/23/fire-cripples-long-island-rail-road/?scp=2&sq=long%20island%20rail%20road&st=cse
Some of the reports I read said they were having switchman & maintainer spike the switches .
Rgds IGN
The Long Island RR did suffer a major fire at Hall Tower, which is East of Jamaica Station. Switches were being thrown manually and also being locked in place by shoving wood blocks between the points and the running rails of track switches. The railroad has been operating at 66% - 75% capacity. Full service is set to resume on Monday, 8/30/2010.
Many passengers complained when they found out that 1914 technology has been controlling their trains. "Why haven't there been upgrades?!" "This is ridiculous!", etc. The interlocking is getting computerized in 2 - 3 months. If very severe weather hadn't caused this problem, the 1914 technology would have faded away and no one would have ever known. The media is what drew the attention. 1914 technology works fine, just as 1800's flanged wheel on rail works perfectly fine. If it ain't broke, don't mess with it.
pajrr Many passengers complained when they found out that 1914 technology has been controlling their trains. "Why haven't there been upgrades?!" "This is ridiculous!", etc.
Many passengers complained when they found out that 1914 technology has been controlling their trains. "Why haven't there been upgrades?!" "This is ridiculous!", etc.
Par for the course when dealing with the technologically challenged members of the, "General public." I wonder what they would say if they knew how old some unique production machinery is. (The horizontal lathe used to turn the central strength rings for the C-141 aircraft was reputedly built by Ericcson - to turn the turret ring for U.S.S. Monitor.)
The interlocking is getting computerized in 2 - 3 months. If very severe weather hadn't caused this problem, the 1914 technology would have faded away and no one would have ever known.
"The wonders of modern technology, when they don't work." How long would it take to replace the guts and plumbing of a computer-repeater cabinet full of computer boards if somebody torched it just for grins? And, what kind of work-around would the railroad arrange if that happened? I'd wager it would bear considerable resemblance to what's being done in this case.
The media is what drew the attention.
Figures. People who don't know which end of a torque wrench goes on the nut, criticizing things they know nothing about.
1914 technology works fine, just as 1800's flanged wheel on rail works perfectly fine. If it ain't broke, don't mess with it.
What every mechanic, electrician and design engineer should have engraved on the inside of his eyelids, usually rendered as, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." That's why I always end up ROFLMAO at the psuedo-science writers' flowery descriptions of their latest iteration of the square wheel. Most are, "Been there, tried that, didn't work." Of course, since they did no research, they don't know that.
Chuck
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