And the forecast calls for snow!
January 26, 2009, 11:29 PM
You know, when I was younger, the word “snow” meant the potential for an unscheduled play-day, since in Augusta County, Virginia, you could dump an ice cube tray out on the road and they would cancel school. As an adult, there is no such thing as a snow day, and so snow is a colossal pain in the behind. I remember last winter going back to the Metro after work, and slipping and sliding on the sidewalk on P Street. Not the most enjoyable thing in the world.
For that matter, really cold days are a bother, too. Today, I had a very cold commute to work. It was well below freezing, and that would have to be the day I got a 5000-Series on the way in to work. 5000s are a bit of a novelty for me since they are uncommon on the Red Line, but they’re well known for being the coldest cars in the fleet, and from what I understand, Metro isn’t going to fix the problem (cold CAFs are fine in the summer, but not in the winter). I got to Glenmont, and boarded CAF 5120 to ride to work. I sat down, and the seat was cold. It wasn’t just the air that was cold, but the seat cushion itself was cold. Not a good way to start the day. Good thing I have a nice, warm winter coat and that dashing hat of mine.
And then of course the walk down P Street to my office building was cold, too. But at least things warmed up from there, as the building was nice and toasty.
Still, as much as I complain about getting what seems like every WMATA Rohr car in the fleet on the Red Line sometimes (the phrase, “Another DAMN Rohr!” has crossed my lips on occasion), this is one of those days when I am longing for the warmth found on those old Rohr cars. Those cars can really produce some good heat, and that’s really good in the winter, since my bus ride is not long enough to allow me to fully thaw out from waiting for the bus in the morning.
Meanwhile, I got to see an eight-car train get broken up at Glenmont. They put the train out of service, and closed the doors. Then they put an operator in Breda 4040 (the second car), and another operator in the third car. They did their thing, and turned an eight-car train into a six-car train for the evening. Next thing I knew, the headlights were on at the end of 4040, and the pair was apart. Then they opened the remaining six cars back up, and boarded for the next run to Shady Grove. Meanwhile, the now-liberated pair drove off into the yard. And then as I was leaving the station, the six-car train left for Shady Grove. That was fun to watch.
Song: Theme song to Step By Step
Quote: Yes, in the real world, there are no snow days, which is something I have to remind Mom about from time to time...
Categories: Washington DC, Winter weather, WMATA