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?