The new NJ
Transit Physical Fitness program for Trainmen
(and trainwomen, too)
The Comet VI
Multi-levels are coming in 2006. Each car has two levels (upper and lower,
see the picture) plus a
mid-level between the quarter doors and the end doors. If a trainman (or
trainwoman) cuts tickets on both levels between all stations he or she has
to climb and descend
10
steps
between each
station for a total of
20 steps.
If a trip between Dover and New
York , for example, makes 17 stops, to collect all the tickets on
both levels (assuming passengers are not restricted to one level) the
trainperson must traverse these
20 steps 17 times
for a total of
340 steps
per trip.
On an assignment that runs
4
trips
the trainperson
must traverse
1360 steps
for the day.
If the job does the same work
for
5
straight days
that is a
total of
6800 steps each
week!
A normal
staircase in a residence (your house) is
13 steps
so a normal week working a
MidTown assignment is the pretty much the equivalent (even if the step rise on the multi-level is shorter by a few inches) of climbing up and down
(6800 divided by 13 = 523 divided by 2 [up and down flights]
a 261 1/2 story residential building
or essentially climbing and
descending the
Empire State building (102 commercial stories) over two and a half times
every week.
Now, consider the fact that this 261 1/2
story building is moving; accelerating and braking for stations and curves,
and going up and down grades and around curves and you add in a whole
roster of factors that increase, by an order of magnitude, the fun all
trainpersons will enjoy while rockin' and rollin' down the track toward the
Big Apple.
Oh, by the way there are 13 low level platforms between Dover and New York so add 104 additional steps per trip for those of you fortunate enough to work MidTown trains and are required by rule to hit the platforms!
Gladstone trips
To maximize the exercise potential those who have enough seniority to get these multi-levels on an assignment that does two round trip locals to Gladstone with a Sanford's stop that adds up to 96 stations per day times 20 steps per stations = 1920 steps plus 8 steps per station to hit the platform times 88 stations (2 with high platforms) = 704 additional steps = 2624 steps per day or the equivalent of climbing a 100 storied building all the way up and all the way down again each day!
Think of
the great shape all trainpersons could be in in a very short time.
Congratulations to all you soon to be fit and trim trainpersons.
In fact, all you
trainpersons are gonna look like the hind end of a cheetah!
We engineers are truly jealous.
Oxygen anyone?