(The following story by Brian Scheid appeared on the Bucks County Courier Times website on October 23.)
PHILADELPHIA — Every autumn, the leaves change and fall from their branches, an annual marvel that wreaks havoc with SEPTA’s regional rail schedules in Bucks County.
When the leaves fall on railroad tracks, they are crushed by trains and, when mixed with the track’s oily residue, morning dew or a light rain, make the tracks so slick that trains often cannot brake properly and skid past station stops. When the trains attempt to start again, they might have trouble accelerating due to the lack of friction between the train’s steel wheels and the steel tracks.
“It’s almost like hydroplaning in an automobile, same kind of principle,” said Jim Whitaker, a SEPTA spokesman. “It’s a major problem worldwide.”
Late October, when leaves begin to fall, is known by SEPTA officials as “slippery rail season,” due to the thousands of delays caused by leaves on the tracks.
For years, SEPTA tried to combat the problem by putting sand on the tracks, using experimental gels and imposing speed restrictions for trains, Whitaker said.
In 2003, SEPTA connected a pressure washer to a flatbed railcar that traveled the tracks blasting away leaves and other debris. SEPTA soon expanded the idea, sending three railcars along the rails to clear leaves. Each car is equipped with a washer with about twice as much power as the original washer.
Those three railcars started their work again this weekend. The plan this autumn is for the three high-pressure washers to travel the regional rail lines, as well as the trolley tracks in Philadelphia, six nights a week through the fall during the late night and early morning when the tracks are shut down.
Whitaker said the effort has paid off but has not completely rid the system of “slippery rail” delays.
In 2002 SEPTA reported 2,352 “slippery rail” delays. The transit agency reported 1,344 “slippery rail” delays last year.
“The cost is really minimal and it saves us a great deal of time,” Whitaker said. “This has been the most cost-effective way to clear the tracks and address the problem.”