Poor METRO. How many years has the Main Street Rail line been running, and still we are learning how poorly constructed it was:
Every year – in either March, April or May – METRO tests our 7.5-mile railroad track with a device called a track geometry vehicle.
This machine glides along the rails and employs ultrasonic testing to discover cracks or other flaws. It will detect warps, gage issues, curves, elevations and speed limitations, says Scott Grogan, senior director of rail operations.
“The most recent testing resulted in a permanent speed restriction of 15 mph, implemented at old Main northbound,” said Grogan. Geometry testing revealed that the curve at Fannin and old Main did not meet the federal guidelines for allowable speed at that curve because of the elevation of the outside rail. That curve met the federal criteria for a Class 1 speed of 15 mph.
“It should have been 15 mph from the get-go,” said Grogan.
Better late than never to figure that out, eh?
And Rad Sallee has an update on The Medical Center’s battle with METRO over stray current:
Metro maintains that the current has caused no damage to structures along the 7.5-mile route. However, Metro and Siemens have repaired bridge anchors and other track facilities where corrosion was found or current leakage was unacceptably high.
A report by a Medical Center consultant, Corrpro, based on monitoring 161 locations at 13 facilities in the medical complex in 2006-2007, found three with current high enough to deserve continued monitoring. Two sites were underground pipes and the third was the Meyer Building of Texas Children’s Hospital, 1919 Braeswood at Greenbriar, which houses administrative offices.
Who knew a 9-volt battery could wreak such havoc?
