"We've been finding a lot of drug paraphernalia. Needles. You've got to keep an eye open for them. They're usually stuffed between cushions," Gunderson said.

Although they are required to wear latex gloves, Wilson said each cleaning worker has been immunized for Hepatitis A and B as a precaution. However, one Salt Lake physician said the most danger rests with Hepatitis C and AIDS, which do not have vaccinations.

"HIV doesn't last very long outside the body, but Hepatitis C can last quite a while," said infectious disease physician Dr. Michael Rubin at the University of Utah Medical Center. Rubin said it's important that workers save the needle if they are stuck.

Another more mundane challenge: chewing gum. But workers have found a simple solution.

"We use stuff called Freeze-it that freezes the gum and then we just chip it off," Wilson said.

Car 1016

Fixing broken things is routine at the depot. From a conked-out air-conditioner to engine work, many things need to be replaced, or rebuilt, within a night to keep TRAX running. But occasionally an automobile and a TRAX train collide, and things get thrown into overdrive.

Take Car 1016 for example. For whatever reason, this particular car has been involved in four separate accidents, Wilson said. "We've thought about treating cars like fighter jets, you know, putting little cars on the side of them," Wilson said, laughing. Given the steep learning curve of some motorists, mechanics have to use some humor.

The TRAX facility boasts a crew of technicians adept at fixing any mechanical or electrical problem. And things can go wrong. In addition to being driven by a high-voltage engine, the trains are controlled by a sophisticated on-board computer that manages braking, doors and speed. If any of them malfunction, the train is shut down.

In addition to the engine, each train has an array of more than a dozen nickel-cadmium batteries, similar to what drives laptops, the size of a car battery. The battery array is tested daily for voltage.

"The tricky thing about these is if they drop below a certain voltage they reverse polarity," Wilson said. "We heard about an incident in Los Angeles where that happened. It blew out the entire side of the car."

In addition, UTA has a full-time body repair specialist, who must rebuild any train part if it is damaged.

"When a train gets into an accident, we can't just order a new bumper; he has to rebuild it," Wilson said.

Car 1016's most recent crash, in the spring of 2000, left it with a huge gash in the side when it was derailed by a car and smashed into a utility pole.

"It's taken about two years to rebuild it," Wilson said.

Sitting in a special body shop, scars of the past accident can still be seen before it is covered with paint.

UTA rail operations manager Paul O'Brien said the behind-the-scenes men and women rarely get a chance to show the public their efforts in keeping TRAX clean and running.

"They're a pretty dedicated group," he said.

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E-MAIL: gfattah@desnews.com