Boston’s new Orange Line trains: First Springfield-built MBTA cars take off at Medford’s Wellington Station

[081552]

https://www.masslive.com/traffic/2019/08/bostons-new-orange-line-trains-first-springfield-built-mbta-car-takes-off-at-medfords-wellington-station.html

[richg1998]

The cars were recently pulled out of service when a door opened bringing the train to a stop. Parts being replaced.

I hate putting a link here with so much unneeded news on it.

I sometimes see the cars being tested while driving on Rt 291 in Springfield, MA where final assembly and testing is completed.

Rich

[daveklepper]

Not a link, but information distilled and rewriten from 1 October Railway Age:

All of MBTA's new CRRC (China Railway Rolling Stock Corp.) MA-built Orange Line rapid transit cars are out of service for instalation of replacement door bump stops.  A train went into emergency braking automatically and stopped, according to the MBTA after a door opened while the train was moving. No injuries.

The sliding pocket doors have controls and motors by Wabtec subsidiary Vapor Stone Rail Systems, whose manufacturing plants are in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and Mexico, with a design and development center in St.-Laurent, Quebec. All bump stops will be replaced with “a new heavy-duty design.” The cars should return to service Oct. 7.  No costs for MBTA for the fix, applied to all cars in the order.

Final assembly of the $2.43 million cars coccurs at the CCRC-MA plant in Springfield, Mass. The first six-car train operated 7,000 miles for routine and qualification testing, then a 40-hour reliability demonstration in simulated revenue service, and then a 500-mile “burn-in test.” before actual revenue service starting on August 14th.