(04-04-2019, 02:40 PM)urbd Wrote: This will be an unpopular opinion but as long as the system is safe then it should be open, and just looking at the LRVs going up and down the whole line without any visible or serious issues make it seem that it could be safe enough to operate. Yes, I am aware of the legality and the processes and checklists, I am just speaking hypothetically.
Back in 1930 you could operate a system the moment the trains could run on the tracks. Of course back in 1930 people died on the job all the time and nobody other than their immediate friends and family cared. These days the system has to be able to operate safely and reliably, not just so that no one dies on the job but so that even the lowliest of innocent bystanders is not put at risk.
In 1930 a vehicle needed a working throttle, brakes, and little else. The driver's control authority was absolute and if he effed up or a single thing broke, you could die.
These days there's crossing signals, traffic signals, route coordination, collision prevention, limits enforcement, emergency brakes, automatic emergency brakes, holding brakes, cameras, e-stops, e-stop strips, heaters, air conditioners, lights, emergency lights, windshield wipers, horns, gongs, sanders, headlights, brake lights, turn signals, window defrosters, and a whole ton of other things I've overlooked. I want ALL of these things to be working properly because my safety is NOT an option. (Yes, you can be injured by malfunctioning HVAC equipment.) These aren't just check list items, these are real things that have to work because when they don't people get hurt. You can't look at it and say "Yep, that appears to work, ship it." because safety MUST be tested and proven. When it's not, well, there's that whole people getting hurt thing again. The rules may seem arbitrary, but when you look back I'm certain each of them was a direct result of somebody getting seriously hurt.
Of course you also can't forget about the destination boards, stop annunciators, PA systems, door openers/closers, door open/close buttons, and stop request buttons. These things are also important to the proper operation of the system. This should all be working before the system opens, and if I have to wait an extra few months for it then so be it. Just keep me informed so I know a little bit about why I'm waiting, and how long you think it's going to take.
...K