[Timber Rattler]

The Orange and Blue Lines are FUBAR. Several riders report that a train lost a wheel. Nothing specific from Metro. Developing.

[JosephMama]

Oh the irony.

[pgkdan]

Geez...I used to ride the metro all the time back in the late 70’s when I was in college. I thought it was great back then. Now when I sometimes take the train to a Nats game it seems to me that they’re still using the very same trains I rode on 35 years ago!

[kevkrom]

So... the wheels are finally coming of of Metro literally as well as figuratively. I’m surprised it took this long.

[YHAOS]

"Those who made it off are reporting that Metro still made them pay exit fare and somehow find their own alternative transportation."

Of course. Metro's riders are subjects of the State . . . not customers.

[Army Air Corps]

Willie Green is deeply saddened.

[sodpoodle]

Are you out yet?

Rode Metro for a few years - never had any problems.

Finally switched to an Express Commuter (Dillon) bus from Silver Spring to DC. Cheaper, cleaner, no claustrophobia, plus passengers & driver were like family.

Good luck;)

[Timber Rattler]

"From a very reliable Metro source "A brake disk (200lbs) broke free. Hit train behind it. The disk more than likely broke free and damaged that train but then looks like it possibly did damage to the train behind. There are either 8 or 12 bolts that hold the disk on. The bolts must have sheared off. Possibly inferior bolts from low bid contractor."

"Metro press conference at 3:00 p.m."

[Fast Moving Angel]

Chee, kind of a metaphor for the whole Obama administration ...

[sten]

sent this on to Rush. i figure he’d find this hilarious

[Doogle]

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

“You picked a fine time to leave me Loose Wheel”

[ml/nj]

people still stuck on the train. Those who made it off are reporting that Metro still made them pay exit fare and somehow find their own alternative transportation.

Sound like this is something like what we could expect from a national health service.

ML/NJ

[mountainlion]

Muslem brotherhood.

[G Larry]

“...made them pay exit fare ...”

Me:
“I’m not PAYING for your broke@$$ train!”
SLAM! as I exit....protected by the hundreds in my wake.

[Hatteras]

Ahhh, the Ghettro Rail... I remember it well. Fond memories? Eh, not so much.

"Nes stop, Cleveland Par', doze opin on da lef'... dooooong, dooong..."

[par4]

I rode that line into DC from New Carrolton this morning to a meeting by McPherson Square at 9:30. We had another meeting there at 10, one of the others from my office coming for the 10 meeting was on the train that had to stop in and offload in the tunnel. As far as we can tell, it may have been the train I was on that dropped the part.

In any event, when the train stopped he had to walk the tunnel to the Smithsonian stop, a couple of hundred yards. When they got there they asked about bus service. The Metro employees were honest, they said that they needed at least a half an hour to figure out what to do, apparently they were moving out a bunch of busses from the depot, and were making plans on the fly. He gave up and took another train to Greenbelt where co-workers picked him up.

I had the unfortunate task of getting back out, after Metro employees at LaEnfant put us on the wrong transfer bus, I walked from the Reagan Building to the Capitol South station to get out of the mess downtown. Trains to New Carrolton were slow, but running. They announced that things were fixed by 2 or so. The real mess was between Federal Center SW and Federal Triangle.

[Trillian]

Bender: She is well-traveled. And I don't mean she travels a lot!
Petunia: Wheels fell off my house.

[Timber Rattler]

Update: They knew about the brake problems for years but did nothing about it!

Metro Knowingly Let Railcar Brake Problems Go Unfixed - For Years!

"On the same day Metro released a progress report on its six-year rebuilding effort, a Metro board member revealed that the transit authority was aware of problems with brake parts on its 5000 series rail cars six years ago but cancelled repair plans for financial reasons."