Through the Metra Glass

On my way home yesterday, I was waiting for the train to stop… when I noticed an odd designation on a glass window pane. This glass was part of the sliding doors that separated the front and back of the car, and the main boarding area (where the doors are, that open to the platform).

Doing a little Googling, I found a surprising amount of information about this type of glass! Though I’m not 100% on how every company fits in, here.

Makrolon TG 250 is a product made by Covestro.

In turn, Covestro is the new name of what used to be Bayer MaterialScience. The English major in me notes that the actual name lacks of space between the words “Material” and “Science,” but the reference on the door has a space.

Total Plastics, Inc is part of a larger org that’s named Total Plastics, International.

I’m not super clear on who exactly made the glass, but looks like there’s a serious lineage thing going on here.

As far as FRA Type II, I found this fantastic article on train glazing by Jenna Reed.

FRA Type refers to a type of glass that’s administered by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Type I designates front-facing glass; Type II designates side-facing glass. Which is a little odd, since the door and window strike me as front-facing. Or least, in the direction of travel.

While the FRA doesn’t determine how the glass is made, it does set the rules on the tests that each type of glass must pass. So for the bit of glass I took a picture of:

And both types have to pass a ballistics test! The date, I believe, indicates the date when the tests were administered/passed. I think I found that info somewhere, but can’t seem to track it down now.

For a two second photo I took while waiting to get off the train, this sure has led down a crazy rabbit hole of information. Neat stuff.

Related:
Nippon Sharyo: Made in the USA
Safety First
Old Technology at the 56th Street Metra Station