New Red and Orange Line Cars

Potentially rolling out a software change that requires testing out of service...
EDIT: literally just saw this on Twitter. Sounds like there was an issue on the run three days ago with a door opening while in motion 😬 that'll probably take them out for a few days minimum while software is fixed. Chris Friend has traditionally been a pretty reliable source, he does a ton of analysis of MBTA data.


That's too bad. They were not in service again this morning. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to fix.
 
That's too bad. They were not in service again this morning. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to fix.

Per MBTA: will be fixed by Monday.

 
Per MBTA: will be fixed by Monday.

Yep, and per the mbta the green line extension will open in 2017.
 
That's too bad. They were not in service again this morning. Hopefully it doesn't take too long to fix.


Looks like they still have not done their homework. Your supposed to have your shit together before you introduce new equipment to the public & make it safe before they get to feel confident about using it.:mad:
 
Last edited:
On the plus side Joe Pestaro noted that the train brought itself to a stop as it should when a door is opened in motion, also saw tweets with photos of them back out testing today. Maybe for once they werent downplaying a bigger issue, i can dream...
 
Apparently a hardware issue
report today which heralded the Red Line Control Problem Fixed also noted that a sensor would now be replaced at no cost to the T for each door on each of the 12 cars now in service
 
Weren't you just bitching that testing was taking too long?


Yes I was, but it seems like even though some things were missed & they promised to have the trains ready at certain times, stuff is still getting missed & the trains have to go back to surgery for more tweaking. :rolleyes:
 
Undoubtedly.

1569624710745.png
 
Yes I was, but it seems like even though some things were missed & they promised to have the trains ready at certain times, stuff is still getting missed & the trains have to go back to surgery for more tweaking. :rolleyes:

Not to mention the quantum superposition created by being too early and too late

These sorts of posts always leave me wondering how the MBTA gets these photos

CRRC self-promotion. They've had a considerable social media presence since Day 1 of this contract as they try to gain mindshare stateside for future orders. These shots probably aren't T originals, but provided gratis from CRRC with some degree of coordination with T public relations (who then take the ball when these are on the property). They have a lot of self-motivation to do that given all the skepticism and/or hostility about Chinese rolling stock orders, so it behooves them to present an open-looking book about progress and to try to land a few neato camera angles that'll get people talking positively.

With most established manufacturers you get barely a peep, so it's all net-positive. At least as much as it makes this thread somewhat less of an insufferably broken record when we have something to look at.
 
Anyone see the new OL car in service today? Nothing right now. Unless they sent it out this morning, the repair is officially behind schedule on their behind schedule rollout.
 
Anyone see the new OL car in service today? Nothing right now. Unless they sent it out this morning, the repair is officially behind schedule on their behind schedule rollout.

Nothing when I checked at about 8am this morning. It was not a good morning for the OL today either.
 
It's been 9 days. The mbta is never on time with repairs.

Define "on-time"...because the only on-time that matters when it's under the banner of a test trainset is what the warranty clause in the CRRC contract says. The CRRC techs get their allowed space to fix things that may or may not correspond to a public ETA on return-to-service. Meanwhile, the T still has to keep all the old sets band-aided while they're providing >90% of service...and if that means the shop line is backed-up during a worse-than-usual week then they need to take care of business first.


I feel like every single tweet of microscopic news crumbs lately begs to be stickied with a warning/reminder: "...but damn near EVERY car order has gone through this at the beginning" before being posted on this thread given how bipolar the instant-gratification theatre has gotten lately. Debugging computer-integrated train control is utter monotony, especially in the early-going. Every major new technological generation of rolling stock has gone through it, people drive themselves nuts with their own impatience during the rollout...and then they inevitably forget with hindsight how worked up they got over nothing during last order's early testing when it comes time to get too worked up over the next order's first bugfixes. Please, people...go dig up the Blue 0700 delivery thread deep in the RR.net archives to see how closely this thread is miming to the exact same emotional roller coaster act. This is what a "normal" rollout looks like.
 
Here's the problem that lead to the doors acting up, which has caused another delay until October 7.

 
Here's the problem that lead to the doors acting up, which has caused another delay until October 7.

Interesting aside from the work done in assembly there is only a minor Massachusetts and not much more New England manufactured content

According to MASSLive, “Massachusetts went without federal funding on the cars so that it could mandate that they be assembled in the state. The idea was to foster the industry of making railcars in Massachusetts.” Following the MBTA order, Los Angeles Metro, SEPTA, (Philadelphia) and CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) awarded contracts to CRRC for transit cars. In Boston, CRRC won bids over Bombardier, Kawasaki Rail Car and Hyundai Rotem, largely with pricing up to 30% below that of its competitors.
CRRCMA-Suppliers-Infographic-September-2019-1.jpg
 
Any glitches that occur will automatically be stamped out & corrected as production goes on. They'll be included in as news fixes so that they wont be missed or forgotten.
 
Last edited:

Back
Top