Комментарии к фотографиям из города Тусон (трамвай)

Quote (Евгений Лысый, 24.07.2022):
> They don't take transportation seriously.

"They" = the police. And then I agree for 100 % with you.

As everywhere, the tram company (or the city, or whoever) has no influence in the operation and demands of the police. Not in Russia, not in Europe, not in America...
The tram company did its very best and in an exemplary manner.

1. The displays at each stop were immediately provided with the necessary information about the service interruption and also (later) how to get to their destinations.
2. In less than half an hour, a shuttle bus could be chartered: I can find many big cities where this would take half a day, if anything can be organised. So here they were able to find both a bus and a driver.
3. At the bus/tram interchange, there was a controller/dispatcher (function unknown to me) who explained to all travellers and indicated how long they had to wait for the bus. I got there first and was told that the bus had just left, but the route was quite short and the driver would probably be back within 15-20 minutes and that I didn't need to worry. It was during the waiting period that the man explained to me how the financing of this tram company worked (free for passengers, more than 60% of the costs are covered by advertising revenue), what was going on, why the tram was not running, etc.

As said, the tram company has no influence over requirements of the police. The bus followed the tram route, I sat there as a passenger but saw nothing: no police shooting at a bandit who would have shot at the police first...

A you wrote, service was interrupted not even because police investigated something, but because it needed to park some their vehicles. This sounds ridiculous. They don't take transportation seriously.

Quote (Ymtram (Yury LRTA), 19.07.2022):
> The debate above was not written for the sake of argument, but rather in good faith and for the sake of fan :)

I know that :) The system that is used works locally (in Tucson) but certainly cannot be used everywhere. But even then, the dispatcher has to get the order right as soon as possible, because I suspect that at the depot (en route) there are regular staff changes. I guess that this is also planned in Tucson. If a tram is in the wrong order for too long (more than one trip) then the entire schedule can be messed up.

Цитата (focus1965, 17.07.2022):
> Two thirds of the network was not in service due to that shooting. One tram was left behind in the centre, and all the others were serving this part of the network (with a much higher frequency than usual). There was always a tram waiting to enter that single-track section. This was an exceptional (?) situation, but with a second track at the endstation, things could have gone more smoothly.

This would be true if you argued for an additional passing point in the middle of the single track segment, but the segment in question is too short for that anyway. I don't think the second track at the terminal would help much, perhaps it would save 1-2 minutes only (see below).

Say, there was a second track at the terminal, and the described outbound tram that was waiting before the single track segment was allowed to go ahead. However, now the return city-bound tram might get delayed, as it is waiting for the single track to clear anyway. The 1-2 minutes that will be saved is the time it takes to 'change ends' on the tram at the stub-end terminal, as the city-bound tram now can leave right away, with no wait for 'changing ends'. But that tram is already delayed anyway. The point is - there is really no difference which of the two trams to delay.

One can argue, that an attempt to save time with the second track at the terminal presumes that if the follower enters the single track segment with the leader still at the terminal (i.e. two trams are within the single track segment at the same time), the second track at the terminal allows to keep the ORDER of assigned runs. Thus, the follower would always follow the leader on departure. However, with only one track at the terminal, you can still operate the same departures, except now the follower tram becomes the leader on return trip, i.e. the order of assigned runs is changed. The only time you are losing, again, is 1-2 minutes on 'changing ends'. I can assure you that the management of Tucson tram carrier is flexible enough to do just that.

Overall, the second terminal track is simply not worth the investment due to really minor operational benefit. Note, that the stub end terminal is currently designed for two cars exactly as per my description above, as there is space after the platform that can accommodate precisely one car.

The debate above was not written for the sake of argument, but rather in good faith and for the sake of fan :)

Quote (R. S., 17.07.2022):
>
> Central AZ would like a word :)

Of course you are right: the west side is green. I had not clarified that I was talking about the east side, which I visited.


Quote (Евгений Лысый, 18.07.2022):
> At the same time, there was a documentary about Moscow subway, and they told that if somebody is hit by a train, trains resume running after 20 minutes. In this time investigation must be completed and the track washed of blood.

If they were to quickly clear tram tracks after a super banal accident with only a few scratches on the car and the tram, I would find it worthwhile to discuss further.

Подпись к фотографии: кого-то застрелили, пусть даже полицейского, и движение трамвая было закрыто на много часов... чтобы во время расследования полиция могла припарковать её машины.

В Сан-Хосе в Калифорнии несколько лет назад какой-то псих влез на крышу "трамвая" (light rail), и сидел там 12 или 14 часов, и соответственно всё движение стояло.

В Нью-Йорке и в Районе Залива Сан-Франсиско (BART) поезда метро иногда задерживаются из-за "полицейской активности".

А в то же время, был документальный фильм про Московское метро, так там говорили, что если кто-то упадает под поезд, то движение восстанавливается через 20 минут. За это время проводится расследование и путь отмывается от крови. (Кто-то вроде бы раньше говорил, что труп обычно находят под 3-м вагоном.) В России кое-где умеют работать!

********

In San Jose in California a few years ago a man climbed on the roof of a light rail car and seated there for 12 or 14 hours, and all trains were stopped.

In New York and on the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) trains are sometimes late because of "police activity".

At the same time, there was a documentary about Moscow subway, and they told that if somebody is hit by a train, trains resume running after 20 minutes. In this time investigation must be completed and the track washed of blood. Somebody told probably before that the body is usually found under the 3rd car.

Quote (focus1965, 17.07.2022):
> the desolate landscape without any greenery

Central AZ https://www.google.com/maps/@34.5029156,...6?hl=en and eastern TX https://www.google.com/maps/@31.0046075,...6?hl=en would like a word :)

As an outsider, I only know that there is something in common in Texas and Arizona: the permitted gun ownership and possession and the climate, and with it, the desolate landscape without any greenery, unless it is a cactus here or there.

Good catch, thanks. This was written on cruise control right after another comment on El Paso. Please read 'Arizona' above.

Цитата (Ymtram (Yury LRTA), 17.07.2022):
> And this is in Texas

B-b-but Tucson is in Arizona, isn't it?...

The first is true :-)

Nowadays, the museum (although it is more of a workshop) is open almost every day and freely accessible. You can check this on their Facebook page.

During this trip I saw a lot of other trams from Brussels...

Quote (Ymtram (Yury LRTA), 17.07.2022):
> I didn't see it as a major obstacle to the operation. The single track is obviously there to save money on the tunnel, which is the most expensive infrastructure item. Consider that single track to be an extended stub end.

I understand the tunnel, but a second track at the end could have been done there without any problems.

>
> Technically speaking, there never supposed to be two trams at the end of the line.

At the time of planning. This already rules out a temporary increase in frequency, at least for this part of the city. In addition, providing some extra time for the driver at a terminus can never hurt.

> If that happens, there was obviously some service delay on the line. In that case the last existing point should be used for a short-turn to mitigate service. The following car simply 'jumps' the preceding car, and takes over it's interval.

Two thirds of the network was not in service due to that shooting. One tram was left behind in the centre, and all the others were serving this part of the network (with a much higher frequency than usual). There was always a tram waiting to enter that single-track section. This was an exceptional (?) situation, but with a second track at the endstation, things could have gone more smoothly.

> Overall the Tucson tram is a very attractive well operated system within a very attractive vibrant town.

I agree.

> The operation is run by a true tram expert well-known within the industry. I highly recommend this often overlooked destination. By far more impressive than the neighboring dull Phoenix, AZ light rail, which is a very long line of a lot of nothing )

The explanation of their financing alone charmed me. Also, the fact that they had managed to organise a shuttle bus in the shortest time and to provide the necessary information to travellers (including me): kudos!

I bet meeting this tram had a special meaning for the author )

Did you arrange a special access tour, or does the collection have visiting hours nowdays?

> The last section of the route is single track. Even at the end there is no second track available. From an operational point of view, this is a failure.

I didn't see it as a major obstacle to the operation. The single track is obviously there to save money on the tunnel, which is the most expensive infrastructure item. Consider that single track to be an extended stub end.

Technically speaking, there never supposed to be two trams at the end of the line. If that happens, there was obviously some service delay on the line. In that case the last existing point should be used for a short-turn to mitigate service. The following car simply 'jumps' the preceding car, and takes over it's interval.

Overall the Tucson tram is a very attractive well operated system within a very attractive vibrant town. The operation is run by a true tram expert well-known within the industry. I highly recommend this often overlooked destination. By far more impressive than the neighboring dull Phoenix, AZ light rail, which is a very long line of a lot of nothing )

And this is in Texas, where personal freedoms an common sense are still supposedly exercised. Yet another reminder that the police state idiocy in the US needs to be rolled back to pre-9/11 levels.