L.A.'s Angels Flight Derails

[WhoozOn1st]

Suffering a rather convoluted path of equipment failure, the iconic funicular is out of action once again. When it might resume operations is "unclear."

Angels Flight car comes off track, stranding Australian tourist - http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-angels-flight-20130906,0,3692857.story

"The railway's power was disrupted when lubrication from routine maintenance done Wednesday weakened the connection between the grounding brush and the third rail, said Angels Flight Railway President John Welborne. The car's backup batteries drained and the emergency brake engaged, which lifted the car's wheels off the track."

Angels Flight from the bottom...​

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...and from the top. (WhoozPhotos)​

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Looks like L.A. visitors will have to strike Angels Flight from their list of activities for a while, excepting maybe a look at the non-running little railway...

Angels Flight could be shut down for months, NTSB says - http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-angels-flight-shut-down-months-ntsb-20130909,0,6474209.story

"Dave Watson, a senior railroad accident investigator with the National Transportation Safety Board said officials from the California Public Utilities Commission and Angels Flight Railway President John Welborne spent Monday afternoon inspecting the equipment, running tests on the stalled trolley [it's a funicular, not a trolley] and gathering documentation."

"The NTSB will issue a report and recommendations after investigators determine what happened to the system before the accident, he said, estimating that the process could take six to nine months."

 

[CHamilton]

Will Angels Flight Ever Roll Again?

Issues That Caused September Derailment Are Resolved, But Regulators Want Other Improvements Before Operations Resume

And more about funiculars.

7 Ingenious Trains That Slide Up the Slopes So You Don't Have to

 

[John Bredin]

Do I see a sign in the second picture above telling passengers to WAIT OUTSIDE until after the car arrives? Impossible! Only Amtrak inflicts that on its riders. :giggle:

 

[NorthShore]

So, I guess I should take a ride on the one in Iowa before they all get shut down due to inability to reasonably upgrade to escalated standards.