Fix Your Own Circuit Boards - 30 Years of Success at SEPTA’s Electronic Repair Shop
In regards to transit agencies fixing their own rail vehicle circuit boards and other electronic lowest replaceable units (LRUs), the author has heard some criticism from personnel within the industry whom he doesn’t believe understand or have not seen with their own eyes the full value of having organic electronic repair facilities within their own organization. Some of these criticisms are: that there is not a positive return on investment (ROI), modern electronic systems are “maintenance-free”, and some other terms such as: “pay back”, “plug and play” and “rebuild-versus-buy” are used glibly when trying to argue against the value of having an in-house electronic repair facility. At the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) Woodland Electronic Repair Shop tens of thousands of circuit boards and electronic assemblies have been repaired over the past 30 years and the Repair Shop has become a capable and crucial member of SEPTA’s maintenance infrastructure. The dedication and constant efforts of SEPTA personnel to promptly and economically repair the “float stock” of electronic equipment that augments the SEPTA rail fleet is at the core of its success. With experienced trained personnel and the proper test/repair equipment many of the defective equipments removed from rail vehicles are found not to be defective at all and many of them that are actual defective have very detectable problems that require inexpensive parts to return them to service. The postulate for having an in-house electronic repair shop will become more lucid upon looking at the 30 years of history at SEPTA’s Electronic Repair Shop.
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Supplemental Notes:
- Abstract used with permission from American Public Transportation Association.
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Corporate Authors:
American Public Transportation Association
1666 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
Washington, DC United States 20006 -
Authors:
- Brown Jr, William J
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Conference:
- 2013 Rail Conference
- Location: Philadelphia PA, United States
- Date: 2013-6-2 to 2013-6-5
- Publication Date: 2013
Language
- English
Media Info
- Media Type: Digital/other
- Features: Figures; Photos; References; Tables;
- Pagination: 8p
- Monograph Title: 2013 Rail Conference
Subject/Index Terms
- TRT Terms: Circuit boards (Computers); Electronic equipment; History; Maintenance management; Maintenance practices; Rail transit; Repairing
- Identifier Terms: Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority
- Subject Areas: Maintenance and Preservation; Railroads; I60: Maintenance;
Filing Info
- Accession Number: 01502498
- Record Type: Publication
- Files: TRIS
- Created Date: Dec 24 2013 1:09PM