From: mrbrklyn@panix.com   
      
   hancock4@bbs.cpcn.com wrote:   
   > On Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 8:08:15 PM UTC-4, danny burstein wrote:   
   >   
   >> Metro's new 7000-series railcars have been billed as much better than   
   >> the oldest 1000-series railcars and a huge leap towards a safer and more   
   >> reliable system. But the railcars are suffering from software problems.   
   >   
   > Service quality on the DC Metro has become very bad.  Slow trains.  Frequent   
   breakdowns.  Cancelled trains, overcrowding.  Deep stations with broken   
   escalators.  I think it's more than just the cars, but bad management and a   
   bad design.   
   >   
   > While this is bad, it seems every new railcar order has very serious   
   delays.  PATCO's rebuilding is _years_ late due to 'software delays'.  Note   
   that the 45 y/o cars ran just fine without any 'software' and off-the-shelf   
   parts.  (And they're not even    
   bothering to rebuild the traction motors or trucks, which are wear items and   
   probably in need of it.  They use LIRR M-1 parts).   
   >   
   > PATCO used to have excellent management, but the current administration is   
   terrible.   
   >   
   >   
   > Today, onboard railcar computers crash and need rebooting, delaying the   
   train.  If electric trains managed to run for 100 years, I don't know why they   
   need computers on them*.  What value do they add?   
   >   
      
   Yup...   
      
   and the same is true in NYC which has spent BILLIONS on these useless   
   conversations   
      
      
      
   > In NYC, they said they gonna keep the 50 y/o R-32's around for a few more   
   years.  I think they have a lousy MTBF, but apparently another rehab job will   
   be cheap and the cars will keep on going.  A tribute to the Budd Co**.   
   >   
   >   
   > *I have a 35 y/o Touch Tone phone that works just fine (and a 1948 rotary   
   set that works fine), but a modern cellular phone lasts only a few years   
   before dying.   
   >   
   >   
   > **However, their Phila Mkt-Fkd cars were crap.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)