WMATA test trains seen at Wiehle Avenue

[aegrotatio]

Over the past week I've seen WMATA test trains at the Silver Line Wiehle Avenue terminus slightly beyond the station. I also saw the test trains yesterday at the outbound terminus and this afternoon at the inbound terminus. They are 1000-series four-car trains. This is an exciting development because until this week we haven't seen any electric trains here, just hi-rail trucks and MOW vehicles. For the longest time there has been a blue fence south of Hunter Mill Road but it's apparently been removed. On a related note, they bagged most of the signals on this line about three weeks ago. Maybe they'll really be ready to start up the Silver Line in 2013!!

[erikem]

Interesting as I am about 5 miles from there as this is being written. The station near Tyson's corner looks darn near complete from the road level, so I wouldn't be surprised if the Silver line does get stated up. A bit of a shame the silver line wasn't already running as the station would have been two miles from the hotel as compared to ~5 miles for the Falls Church West station.

I was a bit disappointed to note that unlike BART, WMATA trains aren't equipped to allow passengers move between cars, even though the cars can trace some design features to the original Rohr built BART cars.

- Erik

[aegrotatio]

Wow, I didn't realize they could move between cars. We can use the doors but it's not allowed by management. I also hear that BART uses surplus WMATA equipment, too, and sometimes vice-versa.

[erikem]

A couple of -um- minor details keep BART and WMTA from exchanging cars - BART uses 5'6" gauge track and 1,000VDC third rail, where WMATA uses 4'8.5" track and presumably 600VDC third rail. The original ROHR equipment for BART used special cab cars, which may have made it easier to allow passage between cars.

A further thought the heritage of WMATA cars - the high windows used on BART cars (and WMATA) sort of follow the window design on the Key System cars built for trans-bay service.

- Erik

[daveklepper]

Yes, BART usses 1000V third rail, but I think WMATA is 750V.

[erikem]

Somewhere in my collection of papers collected before marriage, I have the handout that was given by a BART engineer giving a talk to an EE seminar at Cal about the propulsion system for for the Rohr built cars. The cars used two sets of 550V Westinghouse motors in series with a thyristor chopper control, along with braking resistors that cut in when the third rail potential went much above 1,000V.

You may be right on the 750V for WMATA.

- Erik

[C2Cin2006]

Always thought BART trains had something peculiar but could never put my finger on it. Yes, the track gauge!! Any idea why  the constant noise from the wheels? A royal pain.....

[aegrotatio]

Oh, they don't exchange cars, they exchange car parts.

[erikem]

That makes sense.

[Bonas]

I walk between cars all the time In DC METRO especially when some smelly bum walks into the car

[aegrotatio]

One eight-car train and a six-car train were in the station on July 22. Today, July 23, only three two-car sets are here. Load testing of the substations, perhaps. Many parts of the older system have been unable to support eight-car trains in both directions and there was some talk a while ago about the Silver Line's electrical system's design being downsized to only support six-car trains or only one eight-car train per substation. We'll see what happens.