Computer problems stall D.C. subway system

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), September 24, 1999

Answers

It just goes to show you the problems that can occur with a computer malfunction. Think what kind of problems will occur if just one system like this is down for days, weeks or even months.

Sifting through all that software, databases, files for bad dates can cause this situation to arise. Why people don't believe that this at least possible is beyond me. Maybe they need to do my job for a day.

-- Larry (cobol.programmer@usa.net), September 24, 1999.

You ain't seen nothin' yet! Wait until next year.

-- cody (cody@y2ksurvive.com), September 24, 1999.

Ya'll know that military Transition Period starting Sept 1?
Lookkee like mebbe they know sumpin after all!

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 24, 1999.

As I recall from the media comments on the latest Senate report, the mass transit systems are Y2K-laggards.

At least, life, provides real-world tests of the contingency plans.

(Now just pile that higher and deeper, horizontially and vertically).

Diane

9/24/99 -- 12:48 PM

Computer problems stall D.C. subway system

http:// www.tampabayonline.net/news/news1011.htm

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A computer that monitors every train in the Washington regional subway system failed today, halting service and delaying thousands of morning rush-hour commuters by up to 50 minutes.

``When you're looking at the monitor you can clearly see where every train is in the Metrorail system, and because the screen either went blank or froze they weren't able to see that,'' said Cheryl Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority.

The failure forced Metro supervisors and maintenance personnel carrying two-way radios to spread out along the nearly 96 miles of track to monitor trains.

The system handles an estimated 383,000 passenger trips per day, including commuters from Northern Virginia, suburban Maryland, and the District of Columbia. It is also the preferred mode of transportation for tourists visiting the area's monuments and museums.

The 78 stations on the Metrorail system normally open at 5:30 in the morning. The problem delayed opening by a half hour.

Copyright 1999 Associated Press.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 24, 1999.

Thats amazing. The D C subway system had a contingency plan which was people with 2 way radios at critical points. I am surprized that this would be safe without extensive planning.

-- moe (moe@3stooges.gom), September 24, 1999.

"a contingency plan which was people with 2 way radios at critical points."

Interesting that this very problem helped give birth to the modern computer! It use to be the schedules were kept by telegraph operators at each station who would send the precise arrival and departure times back to the central control, who would time trains accordingly to keep everything okey-dokey on the track.

By the late 19th century, these computations became too complex to do by hand in the time required. The first industrial 'computer' was an abacus-like device- you may have seen it in old movies- which kept trains in order. Later it was superceded by a mechanical schedule calculator. In this century, railroads were among the first to computerise, which is why they now are stuck with so many ancient legacy systems.

If someone can find a web site on the history of the computer, perhaps they could post a link describing the railroad device, the name of which I can't remember. I am going to be too busy the next few days to look, but when I can I will put something up here on this because it is actually quite interesting.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 24, 1999.