Get To The Root Cause Of LRT Mishaps

07/23/2023

The Transportation Safety Board said the roller bearings in Ottawa’s troubled light-rail system are not the problem with the LRT breakdowns. It’s the stress being put on those bearing that is causing the train to breakdown or derail.

My guess at present is that OC Transpo is fixing the symptoms rather than the root cause. Therefore it is only delaying another major breakdown or derailment with its current repairs.

This is required reading below. This is how the much-respected TSB addressed the terrible problems of the LRT in its report of Feb. 3, 2023:

To date, there have been 2 serious main-track derailments and a near catastrophic
component failure that all involve OLRT LRV cartridge assemblies. While the materials
used to manufacture the cartridge assemblies conformed to the manufacturer’s
specifications, the 3 cartridge assemblies examined by the TSB exhibited numerous
failure modes. The observed damage was widely spread throughout the assemblies and
was not limited to any one particular component. Furthermore, areas of heat
discolouration observed on several components and the condition of some grease
samples suggested that the assemblies had been subjected to a higher-than-average
heat event that was likely related to a deteriorating cartridge assembly condition that
went undetected.

In the cases cited, the root cause of the cartridge assembly failures cannot be attributed
to a single component. It is likely that the combination of the newly designed LRV, new
Iponam bogies, and a more powerful drivetrain may play a role in the failure of cartridge
assemblies.

Lead, Mark Sutcliffe. Make An LRT Decision: WHOPPER WATCH

These cartridge assembly failures continue to pose a risk to safety until the issues are
resolved. Therefore, the City of Ottawa may wish to ensure that all parties involved in
the OLRT undertaking work together to resolve design, operational, and maintenance
risks to safety, as they emerge. Furthermore, the parties involved should ensure that
effective on-board monitoring systems for safety-critical LRV components, such as
cartridge roller bearing assemblies, are put in place to protect the travelling public.
The TSB would appreciate being informed of what action, if any, will be taken in this
regard.

In other words, until OC Transpo and the city address the fundamental design problems with the LRT, these stoppages or derailments will continue.

Ken Gray

—

Pop Gossip Your Home Relax …

Bulldog Weather Full Local Sports

Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6

Other features: Full Bulldog Index Return to Bulldog Home

Tags: derailments light rail Ottawa Transportation Safety Board

John says:
07/23/2023 at 10:15 PM
Haven’t we killed something like 9 people on OC Transpo in the last 10 years? Did we change anything after the level crossing incident? Did we change anything with the overhang at Westboro Stataion? This group of bureaucrats and politicians seem to feel that this kind of casualty thing is the normal way to do business. If we don’t solve the issue here, will we have a derailment on one of the new elevated sections of the LRT? If we do, will Ottawa not look a well deserved third world, not the World Class image we keep hearing about? Is there not a disconnect here? I seriously hope we strive for a World Class LRT.