Passenger Trains > Metro-North's response to Sandy

Metro-North responded better than many of the other commuter railroads and transit lines. Some of it was geography and some planning.
A media relations director told me that M-NR took great advantage of the 36-hrs between shutdown on Sun. evening and when the storm actually hit to move as much equipment as possible to Grand Central, which is located far away from the rivers and on a high point on Manhattan Island. Equipment at Harmon Yard was moved from the south (near the Croton River) to the north and equipment at New Haven Yard was moved to higher ground.
One thing M-NR did that was smart was to remove the switch motors from the control point interlockings, which save them from water damage where it was done.

Andy

Was it Metro North that also removed crossing arms so they did not break loose in the winds? Sounds like there were some busy crews those days. Their restoration costs could come in considerably cheaper if it is replacing items with ones you took down, instead of getting new ones made and delivered.

JimBo

Jim Montague
IRVINE, CA
Train and Nature photo Art

3751_loony Wrote:
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> Was it Metro North that also removed crossing arms
> so they did not break loose in the winds? Sounds
> like there were some busy crews those days. Their
> restoration costs could come in considerably
> cheaper if it is replacing items with ones you
> took down, instead of getting new ones made and
> delivered.

Metro-North's lines only have a small number of grade crossings -- mostly on the Upper Harlem Line and the New Haven Line branches, with none at all on the New Haven Line main -- so it wouldn't have been too time consuming for them to remove crossing gates.

I am pretty sure that the LIRR also removed their crossing gates. As a daily Metro North rider since 1989, I have been struck by how much better they have gotten better and better at this, They made a point of sharing with the riders when the M-7 and M-8 cars were designed and built that the designs incorporated what was learned about snow, ice and moisture from storms that hit the prior generation of M-1 and their progeny.

Also do not forget about the amazing recovery by the NY City subway system (and SIRT on Staten Island).

twropr Wrote:
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> Metro-North responded better than many of the
> other commuter railroads and transit lines. Some
> of it was geography and some planning.
> A media relations director told me that M-NR took
> great advantage of the 36-hrs between shutdown on
> Sun. evening and when the storm actually hit to
> move as much equipment as possible to Grand
> Central, which is located far away from the rivers
> and on a high point on Manhattan Island.
> Equipment at Harmon Yard was moved from the south
> (near the Croton River) to the north and equipment
> at New Haven Yard was moved to higher ground.
> One thing M-NR did that was smart was to remove
> the switch motors from the control point
> interlockings, which save them from water damage
> where it was done.
>
> Andy

Might be a good idea to replace them with immersible motors as used in sump pumps.

SIR is running it 13-mile full length, but due to water damage to track equipment and signals at St George ferry terminal, only two platform tracks are useable. Express peak service is curtailed, full ops expected to take weeks.
Good thing that Brooklyn subway connector tunnel under the Narrows was never was finished after two tries many years ago. ;^)

Update per SI Advance website...
Besides near-total signal damage at St. George slowing traffic flow, add heavy damage to harborside repair shops, with normal service now not expected until next March.
No morning ferry-bound express trains due to lack of open St. George platforms, delays expected SIR-wide.

Good thing MTA replaced SIR's original B&O cpl system with CTC-type signalling a few years ago, and apparently moved their three new switchers and R44 subway-type equipment above the floods, as did Metro North.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/16/12 21:59 by Abqfoamer.

ProRail Wrote:
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>
> Might be a good idea to replace them with
> immersible motors as used in sump pumps.


It doesn't work that way in the rail industry