(The following article by Larry King was posted on the Philadelphia Inquirer website on October 25.)
PHILADELPHIA — In an effort to minimize train delays during what it calls “slippery rail season,” SEPTA has tripled its number of leaf-clearing power washers. Three high-pressure washers will be used six nights per week this fall to clean leaves from tracks.
The residue of crushed leaves, moistened by rain or dew, cuts friction between train wheels and rails, increasing braking and acceleration times. That has led to an average of more than 1,300 delayed trains per fall season in recent years.
Before power washers were used, the average number of delays exceeded 2,300 per season, according to SEPTA. The washers, carried on flat cars, blast water onto the track at 10,000 pounds per square inch to clear away leaves and debris.