Yesterday’s Mileposts sparked some interesting dinner conversation at my house last night. Who wouldn’t be inspired to discuss iron pectate?
Anyhow, Metro-North’s reminder of the ‘difficult’ fall season made my wife and I realize that every season is difficult for Metro-North — nowhere more so than on the beleaguered New Haven Line.
Here’s a breakdown of the seasons, and the serious issues that will most likely affect my commute:
Fall: Leaves, iron pectate, flat wheels, rail scrubbers, emergency braking. Sounds like they’ve got their hands full.
Winter: Snow, ice on the overhead, frozen switches
Spring: Flooding, Flooding, Flooding….
Summer: Heat causing the overhead to sag. End result? Pantograph rips down the sagging catenary, disabling multiple tracks with fallen wires.
Good times, right?