Re: Half-a**ed-article on the errors of BART Technology
Author: Sumotuwe
Date: 03-26-2016 - 19:37
>BART is a botched clone of the NYC subway.
And Boston and Chicago
>Idiosyncratic gauge
Didn't you know that this decision was made on the eminently rational basis that it would prevent 70 mph train from being rolled over by a 70 mph crosswind? Shame on you.
>no front doors(A&B cars),
Ah! but it's swoopy, stylish, and European (never mind the non-functionality).
>no express tracks,
Proposed by deliberately rejected.
>cylindrical wheelset tyre profile.
Not really relevant to this discussion/rant/cocktail hour.
>instead opting for proprietary just to be stupidly different.
Proprietary would have been even more worserer,
>They did not even make the cars appreciably wider.
Well, they did.
> Bechtel was obdurate
I've often heard the phrase "Stevie Bechtel's electric train set", although not for a while. Don't forget B.S. Stokes.
> knew all along it would be an NYC style subway
At this point, I have to disagree. Obviously they didn't know what they were doing (and still don't).
> say French rubber style metro or monorail. At least rubber would have been quieter.
Ahh, the Frainch. "The French don't care what they do, actually, as long as they pronounce it properly" (Henry Higgins in Pygmailion/My Fair Lady). Montreal: go to all the exspense of building an extensive track system and then don't use it on a daily basis. And then shell out big bucks (Canadian) to air condition the entire subway in order to remove the heat generated by the flexing of the rubber tires.
>Instead of a subway they should have done exactly what the SP loathed - seize their property and build an RER or S-bahn, similar to the possible electrified Caltrain maybe we'll see. Market Street should have been left to Muni and the blinking highrises to Oakland.
>Tear the mother up and convert to standard gauge. At the very least any new tube and lines should be standard gauge and driverless.
Dirty rotten SP-basher.
>In 1962 they promised Rube Goldberg but knew all along it would be an NYC style subway because powerful interests wanted to Manhattanize SF. They were ashamed of building a railroad thus "supported duorail".
Wasn't Rube Goldberg's studio in SF?
>Tear the mother up and convert to standard gauge.
With a 1200V 3rd rail, just like the CCT!
> and driverless.
And nothing can go wrong -hick- can go wrong -hick- can go wrong -hick- can go wrong . . .