Return to: Home > Rolling Stock > Subway Yards > Coney Island Complex

"Special Inspection Increases Shop Efficiency" (1929)

ELECTRIC RAILWAY JOURNAL · Vol. 73, No. 7 · February 16, 1929 · pp 273-277.

Special Inspection Increases Shop Efficiency

By Clarence W. Squier, Associate Editor Electric Railway Journal

No. 1. Workmen cleaning equipment by use of compressed air. No. 2. Inspector at work on switch group. The receptacle for drop light and the cut-out switch can also be seen at the left.

By concentrating the work of inspecting subway cars at the Coney Island Shops, the Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation has built up a force of specialists who perform their duties with unusual skill and speed.

Preventing delays and equipment troubles in service is the real function of the inspection shops of the Brooklyn - Manhattan Transit Corporation. If a car gives trouble on the road the first question is: "When was that car inspected last?" and next: "What work was done and who did it?" This information is made available through a simple but accurate record system that starts delivered at the shop for inspection department and continues through the repair work. Car numbers are entered in a book by the inspection clerk as the cars are received. The clerk then hangs four inspection cards on each car. There is a blue card for carbody work, a buff card for truck inspection, a green card for electrical equipment and a pink card for pneumatic equipment. Each card has a list, arranged alphabetically, of the equipment to be inspected, lubricated or tested. At the top of each card is space for the car number, the date and the name of the shop. The body of the cards has three columns. Items are listed in the first column. The second provides space for the signatures of inspectors, and the third is for the names of the assistant foremen who checked the work. At the bottom is a line for the signature of the foreman inspector.

No. 3. Car body inspectors at work repairing windows and hand straps.	No. 4. Packing of journal boxes is removed and new oil soaked waste used to repack on 180-day inspection basis.

The work of inspection is divided into four major classifications corresponding to by the transportation those given on the inspection cards. A foreman supervise the various stages of the work for each classification. There is also a general foreman and an assistant general foreman, a superintendent being at the head of the entire shop organization. Inspectors take care of the inspection of that particular class of car equipment to which they are assigned. The work under each of the major classifications is further specialized so that in electrical equipment, for example, items are subdivided into eight groups, each of which has an inspector and assistants who devote their attention to that particular work. Pneumatic equipment is likewise divided into six groups, with special inspectors for each classification. The inspector certifies, by signing the card, that he has inspected the particular class of equipment opposite his signature and put it in good condition. As a final check on the work the foreman of each major classification signs each card for his class of work to indicate that he has examined the car and believes it to be in fit condition for operation.

No. 5. To lubricate center and side bearings, cars are raised by pneumatic jacks. No. 6. Dressing up trucks and connecting their brake rigging after receipt of cars from the intermediate truck overhauling shop.

The cards are made part of the official shop record and provide an easy and accurate source of information as to who inspected an individual item of equipment and the date when the inspection was made. The individual signatures on the card leave no possibility of question as to who is responsible. After the cards leave the custody of the foreman and before they are filed each is checked by the office staff to make sure that there is individual certification as to the inspection and checking of each item of equipment and also the general certification by the foreman on each card.

Four different cards are filled out for each car being inspected at the Coney Island Shops. These include cards for car body, trucks, electrical equipment and pneumatic equipment.

An idea of the degree to which specialization is carried and the manner in which the electrical equipment is subdivided may be obtained from a brief outline of the work. One man inspects and tests the batteries. A second inspects and lubricates the electric brakes and the plug switches, "Power On" recorder, relay and toggle switch. A third man takes care of the inspection of the buzzers, switches, door-operating boxes and incidental magnets, interlocks, signals, cutouts and plug contacts. A fourth devotes his attention to the inspection of contact shoes, and beams with the incidental fuses, shunts, fuse boxes, springs and leads. A fifth inspector specializes in coupler equipment such as slides, fingers and shunts together with the cable hangers and clamps, junction boxes, jumpers, receptacles and covers. A sixth man is detailed to inspect electric trip switches, cable couplers, the motors with their leads, brushes, brush-holders and connectors. The lubrication of the automatic stop device, hangers and bolts and the trip switches, together with the testing of main control circuits and electric trip circuits is taken care of by this inspector. The compressor switch, main switch, resistance and leads, line switch with its fuse, resistance, overload trip and operating relay, together with the interlocks, magnets, switches and drums of the switch group are inspected by a seventh man, who also lubricates the overload trip, the line breakers, the potential and accelerating relays, control cylinders and control contacts. An eighth man inspects charging relays, fans, heaters, indicators, key switches, lights, markers, destination signs, master controllers with incidental reset switches, advance switches, EMF and other relays for control contacts, doors, emergency lights and resistances, in addition to which he tests door-control circuits.

Specialization of work and the efficiency of its performance have been assisted by having a new up-to-date shop. The inspection shop is a separate building located at the west side of the Coney Island shop group. It is 86 ft. wide and 600 ft. long. Vacant space to the west of the present building is to be used for additions as the volume of work increases. Four tracks pass entirely through the building from end to end. These are provided with motor-operated curtain-type doors so cars can enter and leave from either end of the shop.

Electrical inspectors at work on panelboard and door operating contacts.

No. 2. The battery bench has a shelf underneath for storage of batteries. No. 3. Shoe beam racks along the wall of the shop.

Each track has a pit for its entire length. Tops of track rails are 15 in., above the floor level. The rails are supported on cast-steel chairs so there is a clear space of 9 in. between the floor and the bottom of the rail. Pits have a depth of 3 ft., 9 in. below the tops of the rails and are 4 ft. wide. The pit walls and floor are of concrete, and the floor is sloped to a drain at the sides. Special attention was given to the lighting arrangement for the pits. Lamps are spaced 14 ft. apart and are staggered in relation to those on the opposite side of the pit. White enameled porcelain reflectors in the wall niches, with lamps projecting at an angle, throw the light upward to illuminate the undersides of cars. Receptacles are provided for plugging in drop lights. With each receptacle there is an inclosed switch so connected that with the drop-light plug in position, operation of the switch connects the drop light in the circuit and cuts out the adjacent pit light.

Receptacles are provided also for inserting plugs to furnish current for testing various pieces of electrical equipment on the cars. Where the apparatus to be tested is inside the cars it has been found most convenient to use a pole test circuit which hooks over the overhead trolley. There are no third rails inside the shop, and as the subway cars are provided with contact shoes but not with trolleys a special overhead traveling trolley with cable connection is used to supply power for moving the cars. The construction and operation of this overhead traveling trolley was described in ELECTRIC RAILWAY JOURNAL, March 18, 1922, page 474.

No. 4. Work benches and maintenance material rack. No. 5. Carpenter and glazier's work bench. Racks for glass are seen in the background.

A compressed air pipe runs alongside each pit, with cut-in valves approximately every 20 ft., for use by the inspection force when testing the pneumatic equipment on cars and for cleaning purposes. Pits are provided with steps at each end and, at frequent intervals along the side, there are toehold niches to enable workmen to get in and out without having to go to either end. Cross planks with metal angles at the end to keep them firmly in place are also provided at frequent intervals, so that it is unnecessary for shop employees to jump pits when going from one side of the building to the other. Short stepladders are kept in the pits, so that there is no excuse for men standing on boxes or other makeshift equipment when their work requires them to get up close to the floors of the cars. Subway cars, with the exception of service cars, electric locomotives, etc., have their regular inspection on a 1,500-mile basis. A leeway of 150 miles either way from the standard is allowed. This makes it possible to place the same number of cars over inspection pits each day. Where any subway car has not made the specified mileage in a period of 30 days it is arbitrarily ordered into the shop for inspection.

Inspection work is done at the Coney Island shop on 537 subway motor cars, 12 trailers and 116 triplex units. In ordinary service the cars operate the 1,500 miles in about a week's time. At present inspection work is done by both day and night forces, each working 50 hours per week. About 60 per cent of the cars are inspected by the night forces and 40 per cent by the day forces.

No. 1. General view inside inspection shop. At the right is seen the arrangement of racks and benches for material.

In addition to this regular mileage inspection, certain special heavy inspection work is done on a 180-day basis. Six cars are given this heavy inspection by the day forces each day. This 180-day heavy inspection is a convenient way of taking care of work that would interfere with the regular schedule if included in the ordinary inspection. Moreover, by working on only six cars a day, the men have more time to do the work carefully and efficiently than if done on regular inspection.

With this systematic arrangement of work and with the various inspectors classified so that they have a definite portion to do, it is possible to plan the work so that it is done most efficiently. To prevent interference between groups whose work is located in the same part of the car or of groups whose work might interfere because of a common location on certain definite parts of equipment to be inspected, two groups usually start working from opposite ends of the pit so that they cross each other's path only once.

In the regular work of inspecting trucks, inspectors examine the brake rigging, axles, wheels and brakeshoes. If there are any adjustments of brake equipment required that make it necessary to send the trucks to the intermediate repair shop, the inspector notes this on a prescribed form and arranges to have the truck transferred to the other shop. So as not to withhold the car from operation, the regular procedure is to substitute a serviceable truck for the bad order one. The inspection force then prepares the bad-order truck for delivery to the intermediate repair shop and also makes all connections on the good truck that has been substituted.

At left- Water rheostat and switchboard used in the testing and adjusting of line switches. At right- In the foreground are cabinets for workmen's tools. Back of this are racks used for distilled water and behind these is the foremen's pulpit office used by the electrical foreman.

Other inspection work on trucks includes the lubrication of all wearing or movable parts. The waste in journal boxes is inspected and a packing iron is used to make certain that the waste is properly placed under the journal seat. Oil in armature and motor axle bearings is measured by gage provided for this purpose, and additional quantities, as indicated by the gage, are supplied. The packing used in the motor axle bearings and journal bearings is removed and re-treated on the 180-day inspection period. A two-man crew also lubricates both side and center bearings at the 180-day inspection. Car bodies are raised by pneumatic jacks placed on both sides. Shoe beams also are given a heavy inspection on an 180-day basis. This includes cleaning and scraping off the dust which has accumulated. After the cleaning the beams are repainted with an insulating paint.

To inspect the motors the covers are removed, the carbon brushes examined for wear and the commutator brush-holder and field leads looked over. Polepiece clearance for the armature is checked also. Surrounding parts of the armature and brush-holder are examined to discover any accumulation of dust, and compressed air -is used to clean where necessary. After having been blown out with compressed air, porcelain insulators of brush-holders and the V rings at the ends of commutators are wiped off carefully. Motor leads and motor lead connectors are examined closely on regular inspection. Attention is also given to shoe fuses, terminals, fuse boxes, contact shoe leads, jumpers, etc., and repairs and renewals are made where necessary. Contact shoes are gaged and adjusted to proper height.

Light from the pit lamp is reflected upward.	Pit and rail construction.

The control equipment, including the master controller, line switches, reversers, unit switch groups and operating interlocks are inspected carefully. Contacts are replaced where necessary, and any accumulation of dust is removed by blowing out with compressed air. After cleaning, the parts are lubricated. Operating magnet valves are tried out individually and also in their regular operation from the master switch. Motor resistors are inspected as part of the control inspectors' duties. Where it is found necessary to replace any parts, these are changed by a separate repair crew so as not to interfere with the regular inspectors' work. Switchboard contacts are cleaned and insulating paint is applied on the 180-day basis.

Electric parts of the automatic air and electric couplers used on the subway cars are overhauled on the 180-day basis. The slide contact pads are removed and contact fingers are replaced where excessively worn. The interior housing is cleaned out thoroughly. The tension on contact fingers is tried and fingers are gaged for proper height. The contact pad is inspected for wear on the contact surface. Where necessary, new pads or other parts are replaced at this time. On regular inspection where the electric portion is not dismantled the slide pad is pressed in so as to make an inspection of the contact fingers, and whenever an unusual condition is observed the housing is taken apart and required adjustments made. The drawbar automatic locking devices and equipment are tried out on regular inspection.

Men assigned to the work of inspecting couplers also inspect train line cables, jumpers and receptacles as well as the hangers from which they are suspended. This work is done on the 1,500-mile inspection basis. Electric automatic stop trips with which subway cars are equipped are tested on every inspection. Covers are removed, the electric contacts and fingers are inspected, the interior wiped and parts lubricated lightly. Tips are then reassembled and gaged for proper adjustment above the running rail and the proper centering of the trip arm after it is applied. The action of the electro-pneumatic valve used in the circuit is tested. Where adjustments or renewals are required on the trip equipment these are done by the inspector who examines them.

The main panelboard, which includes the light, heat, fan, battery and compressor switches and also the various fuses used in connection with these switches, is examined on every mileage inspection, as are also the control and door-operating circuits.

Car cleaning is taken care of by the inspection shop. This includes the sweeping out of cars every 24 hours and the wiping off of interior portions. This work is all done at night or early in the morning before the cars go into morning rush service. Cleaning of glass is done at the time the cars come in for regular inspection on the mileage basis. This cleaning also includes the cleaning of globes and interior fittings. A combination of sand and pumice is used in damp form to cut the grease which collects on the window and door glass.

Sources: Electric Railway Journal, McGraw Hill Company, Digitized by Microsoft, Americana Collection, archive.org.