The San Francisco Examiner from San Francisco, California • 8

Page 8 S-F. EXAMINER Dec 7, 1978' mwii wl mmm in upi mm vsv)m fml SIMMONS EVENT OF THE YEAR! now, for 3 days only, famous quality mattresses boxsprings and Hide-A-bedsl ffr:" (' 1 iiMti'iiii ggiy at unbelievable sale prices! immediate delivery while quantities last We can't mention the name, but we're sure you'll recognize this as one of Simmons finest, top-of-the-line mattresses and featuring extra firm construction. twin size, each piece full size, each piece queen size set BOEING-VERTOL'S SPACE-AGE STREETCAR The LRV Is tested In the Muni Metro system Trolleys that don't work quite right -From Page 1 the only American cities which have purchased LRVs. The vehicle is a product of a U.S. Department of Transportation task force and is supposed to be the the advanced design transit car of the 1980s.

Boston's MBTA, which daily operates a fleet of 1.200 buses and trolleys throughout the nation's fifth largest metropolitan area, has found that, after two years of use, the LRVs are breaking down at an unacceptable rate. "They work but they just don't work as well as they should," said Kenneth Campbell, of MBTA in a phone interview yesterday. The overall problem with the long, bendable cars is one of design, said Campbell. "Practically every part in the car is a brand new design. Everyone said the technology would work, but it hasn't." The Boston fleet has been plagued with breakdowns of doors, air conditioning, electronics and propulsion systems, said David Gunn, operations director for MBTA.

Since May, the MBTA board of directors has authorized the purchase of $2.2 million in spare parts from Boeing. Muni, said Gunn, "only has five so far and they just operate them experimentally with sandbags instead of passengers. Ours worked fine with sandbags." The LRVs when they are running right are sought out by riders over the older PCC cars In the MBTA fleet, he said. But soon after the LRVs went into operation, they began to fail at rates far in excess of official predictions. A critical parts shortage developed and MBTA officials decided to take 35 already disabled LRVs out of service and use them as a "parts warehouse." It is these 35 cannibalized cars which are being returned to Boeing to be modified and repaired.

"How long that will take we don't know," said Campbell. Campbell said that although the LRVs break down much too regularly, they are safe. "It's a very safe car," he said. Both Boston and San Francisco officials agree that many of the bugs discovered in the Boston fleet will be taken care of before a San Francisco LRV transports its first paying customer. All five of the LRVs delivered to date have been through three stages of modification, said Muni's Leonard, "and there will probably be more." The BSF committee (for Boston-San Francisco) was formed six years ago and has kept Muni officials fully iaaAMw king size set 1 7vV iiiMiPMJB twin size headboard sale 80.

(allow 6-8 weeks delivery) 7. ,1 Headquarters for Simmons famous JU Sloane's is also the place for Simmons Hide-A-Beds1 Make your selection from an array of sale priced only two of which are shown here. SALE a. 51" single size with beige cotton velvet cover 400. b.

84" queen size with blue cotton print cover 575. all stores, 7th floor San Francisco sale! 4 pc. bedroom groups special closeout from a fine quality manufacturer authentically crafted of select oak solids and veneers informed of the Boston problems. It has been negotiating with Boeing for the last two years over modifications made to eliminate the bugs. Under the purchase agreement, San Francisco has 30 days for testing each new LRV delivered here before it must accept the car.

"If we, in testing a car, discover it doesn't meet specifications, we will return it to Boeing and tell them to fix it," said Leonard. He quoted utilities executive John Christensen, The City's member of the BSF committee, as saying: "I don't think we'll have to suspend any (Boeing) shipments." The LRVs are arriving in San Francisco by rail from Philadelphia at a rate of about two a week, said Leonard. Each will be thoroughly tested before accepted by Muni, he said. Leonard blamed much of the trouble in Boston on the MBTA's failure to buy sufficient spare parts when the first LRVs began arriving there in 1976. But MBTA officials said spare parts were simply unavailable in the quantities needed.

No one had thought the cars would fail at such high rates. Muni is buying a stock of $1.5 million worth of LRV spare parts, Leonard said. More importantly, however, Boston officials warn that Muni will need a large and well-trained corps of specialists to maintain the LRVs. At present, Muni General Manager Curtis Green is asking for 200 new employees, at an annual cost of $2.8 million, to service and run the LRV fleet. What bothers many observers is Muni's dismal record of maintenance on previous fleets of new equipment.

The transit system has a history of being chronically underfunded in areas of maintenance and repair facilities. Muni, cynical observers note, was lucky that design and manufacturing problems encountered by Boeing delayed delivery of the new cars for four years. Had they been on time, storage and repair facilities here would have been unfinished. It remains to be seen whether the LRV fleet will be more trouble-free than was BART. Many inside and outside the transit system worry that political decisions made at City Hall will result in the usual underf unding of Muni support services.

sale 1000. immediate delivery while quantities last! 4 pc. group includes: 68" triple dresser; pair of twin mirrors; fullqueen size catkin hoop headboard -iirrrfeSrr -SPw' ifl' in 111 II also available sale above group with 78" dresser 1050. above group with king size headboard 1050. matching night stand 225.

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