One more rail collision for the week. At least no one was seriously hurt.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002649089_monorail27m.html
Weird…
I’ve never seen a monorail crash before.
Quite wierd alright.
Thank goodness that nobody was killed.
That’s not something you see everyday…
C U ALL L8TER!
[:)][8D][:D][:(][:O][8)][|)][:P][;)][X-)][%-)][(-D][sigh][swg][:)]
They can build a sky needle with a revolving restaurant but can’t measure track clearance?!?
Makes you wonder…[8)]
Nobody was seriously hurt and that’s good. Does anybody know what type of signaling system that the Seattle Monorail uses?
CC
Smalling,
I had the same thought, being just old enough to remember riding it during the World’s Fair. The article I read said that the line was shortened a bit some time back and the close clearance was introduced at the new end of the line that time. Who do you blame, the operators, the design engineer who created a trap, tyhe politician who ordered it done, or the real estate speculator who wanted it dome. The last two are my speculation, but I am confident are correct if the whole tale be told.
Mac
As I understand it, the downtown terminal (there’s only two stops in the little over one mile) has the tracks closer together because they have walkways extend over the inner rail to get to the outer one. The accident happened on the curve where the rails get closer. There’s a signal that states whether it’s clear to proceed. Typically only one train operates on most days so no problem. Because two where running, some co-ordination is required. Even if the signal was malfunctioning, in my mind it doesn’t take a genius to know that if you haven’t seen the other train on the way from The Needle to Downtown, then you can’t pull into the terminal. There are no switches, so there are few places for the trains to actually be. My armchair investigative ability puts the blame on the arriving train’s operator.
Here’s a link to the 'other forum"'s topic on the same subject.
http://www.railroadforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10525
I belive the track clearences were good, but as the report states “In that area, the tracks start to converge as they approach the station at Westlake Center, leaving insufficient space for two trains at once.” and even the general manager stated “the risk of a collision was clear to anybody who looked at the converging tracks there.”
Of course lazy engineers are at fault here, since the original design was perfect, but “the route was shortened slightly in the late 1980s to end on the upper level of the Westlake Center mall, which was just opening. That redesign led to the tracks converging.”
Also remember this system is over 40 years old and is slated to be replaced with a new monorail system soon. Good thing nobody was seriously hurt.
I doubt the engineers were lazy, they don’t fund the project! I’m sure there was a cost reason behind the design.
The article states the replacement system was voted down.
This is really confusing and it makes my head hurt if I think about it too hard but… when there are 2 "MONO"rail tracks, can you really, technically call it double track? [;)]
Or is it dual track [:D]?!
When I was on it last March I don’t recall seeing any signalling on it, It sure was fun to ride though!!
Well, technically, its only Double Track if trains normally run in only one direction on each track. So, I think the Monorail would be Two Tracks?
I’m afraid that I think you have it backwards: dual track is directional running, double track is bi-directional.
Sincerely,
Daniel Parks
Daniel,
Barrydraper is correct in his definitions of double track vs two main tracks. You are not. You either do not have or have not read a real railroad rulebook, say GCOR.
Mac
Quite right.
Oh by the way, I have read the GCOR from stem to stern, and have a copy.
Where do you get a copy of the GCOR?
Many streetcar systems had double-track lines with “NO CLEARANCE” curves, and motormen knew where they were and behaved accordingly. In New York City, the only two I remember were the pair into Gun Hill Road from Webster Avenue and then into White Plains Avenue from Gun Hill Road in the Williamsbridge section of the Bronx. The cars used on the Webster & White Plains Avenues “W” line were the 1200-series double-truck Birney’s that were wider than all other cars on the system. I never heard of any accident due to the restricted clearance because motormen were alert.
Since the restricted clearance curve on the monorail is near one end of the line, normally there would be no reason for passing at that point. Normal operation with two trains had them passing at the midpoint So the problem was forgotten.
When the Cleveland system hired people at the start of WWII because of increased ridership and employees going into armed services, supervisors went out and hung a lot “NO CLEARANCE CURVE” signs on spanwires.