MTA works to fight “slime” on rail lines

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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MTA

The foliage, while colorful and plentiful this time of year, is not always ideal for the railroad, notes the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). That's because when leaves fall on the rails, they become crushed and produce an oily substance known as pectin. MTA says this "slime" can cause wheels to slip or slide when a train attempts to speed up or slow down, often leading to minor service delays.

 

In severe cases, the train will automatically make an emergency stop, because the on-board computer system perceives “slip-sliding” as the train not slowing down when it should. This slip-sliding during braking also creates flat spots on the train’s wheels, forcing the railroad to take much-needed equipment out of service for repairs.

MTA reduces speeds through problem areas under extreme “slip-slide” conditions to ensure safe operation of its trains and prevent any greater delays because of wheel damage. If MTA can prevent flat spots on wheels, it means it can operate at regular speeds in non-problem areas and keep trains in service.

Over the past several years MTA has taken a very proactive approach to combat the problem resulting in less frequent service delays.

The MTA has taken the following steps to reduce slippery rail conditions:
• Instructing engineers to report slippery conditions immediately to the Operations Control Center.
• Enhancing its computerized train-tracking system to allow for automatic real-time reporting of slip-slide incidents and conditions, enabling it to take corrective action more quickly.
• Installing a Wheel Impact Load Detector across all four Metro-North Railroad tracks in the Park Avenue Tunnel. This monitors for wheel flats that may have developed during operation and allows MTA to identify and prioritize wheels for repair.
• Installing a tandem Wheel Truing Lathe in Metro-North’s Harmon Shop. MTA built a wheel true facility in Harmon that can cut both wheels on a truck simultaneously. This allows for proper wheel diameter matching and also helps return cars to service more quickly so there are enough cars available.
• Stepped up efforts to keep right-of-way as “leaf free” as possible. MTA uses two high-pressure rail washers and several scrubbers to remove crushed leaf residue from the tracks. And on-board “sanders” on its diesel trains automatically drop sand on tracks to help improve traction and reduce wheel slippage when it begins to occur. In addition, Long Island Rail Road has a vegetation program using licensed tree professionals to trim or remove overgrown trees, shrubs and bushes along the right-of-way.

 

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