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| MBTA pics,. August 19 (13356) | |
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| (13356) | |
MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by AMoreira81 on Sat Aug 20 13:23:00 2005 Click the mural to view all of the pics!
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by Scrabbleship on Sat Aug 20 13:52:22 2005, in response to MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Sat Aug 20 13:23:00 2005. Just out of curiosity, did any drivers hassle your or demand you show your permit when shooting on city streets. I had been out in Boston a month ago and totally shied away from taking what could have been some great pictures out of the fear my permitless self would be accosted.Besides that, some things about the MBTA strike me as bizarre after having ridden the bus part of the system for a fair amount (the rail I always knew was bizarre, having ridden it on several occassions dating back to 01400's and plug-door Boeings). * The doorchimes on the newer buses, if they had been on the RTS's given the incidences of doors closing on people it would have made some sense but on slide-glide door buses such as the Neo's and NABI's... * Their sticking by hard seats in this day and age of vandal-resistant plush seating (outside of the Silver Line buses and the ex-Silver Line C40LF's). * Erratic posting of bus stops in many locations and often having gaps of several blocks between signs (a problem which exists largely in downtown Boston but not in the suburbs; signs were well-placed along the trackless trolley routes in Cambridge and Belmont). Going past the weird downsides: * The Neo 460LF is probably the most underrated low-floor artic out there. Why Neo hasn't pushed it's manufacture further is beyond me given the look is better and the capacity larger than similar products from New Flyer or NABI. Between the DMA and CNG models, the DMA is by far the better of the two given its unique status in the bus world, the speed it gets in the Ted Williams Tunnel, and the change from diesel to electric. * The 440LF's look nice but otherwise are par for the course for a low-floor bus. Sadly didn't get a chance to ride the 440LFT's (got a bonus Flyer ride insted:), but do seats cover their rear wheelwells? One website said they had only 31 seats, given the next lowest bus (Orion VI, 32 seats) had no seats on the rear wheelwells I'm somewhat curious. Maybe the MBTA should have piggybacked onto the Skoda/ETI deals that San Francisco and Dayton did only with the ovbious left door modification. * The wraps on the 440LFT's doing Silver Line Waterfront duty are ugly and awkward. * Leaving The T, anyone want to speculate on what Massport will end up doing in a few years when the AN440CNG's reach retirement. The insides are nice but outside they are starting to show their age. |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by RailBus63 on Tue Aug 23 22:55:43 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by Scrabbleship on Sat Aug 20 13:52:22 2005. Yep, the MBTA is notorious for its paranoia about transit photographers.I just returned from the Boston area, and although I was there for family matters, I had a few opportunties to sneak in some photography. Last Tuesday morning, I took some photos around the Newton Corner area of express buses headed towards downtown Boston. I was in the area for about an hour and got a bunch of photos - mostly TMC and Nova RTS's (some rehabbed, some not), a few brand-new Neoplan low-floors, some NABI CNG's and New Flyer CNG bus #6000. One driver gave me a friendly wave, but most ignored me ... or so I thought. Just as I was finishing up, the driver of an RTS bus stopped right alongside me and opened his doors. "What are you doing?" Taking some bus pictures - I'm a transportation photographer. "Oh, OK. They're calling you in, you know." I thanked him for the heads up, and he went on his way. At least he was nice enough. And I never did see any police show up (although I left a little while later) - I'd like to think they had better things to do than bother a guy taking a few photos on a public street. JD |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by AMoreira81 on Tue Aug 23 23:28:24 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by RailBus63 on Tue Aug 23 22:55:43 2005. You saw the 6000s? (I could not find ANY!) Where? (My photo permit is valid thru Sept. 19.) |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Wed Aug 24 00:03:06 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Tue Aug 23 23:28:24 2005. I saw a C40LF ONCE on Comm Avenue.I've never seen any others... |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by Dr. Casca on Wed Aug 24 00:30:23 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Tue Aug 23 23:28:24 2005. They run them here and there, the majority are at Arborway, for use on local lines along with the NABIs...the rest are over at Southampton Street garage for extra service on the Silver Line when needed...Southampton I believe houses Cabot-bound NABIs until the depot is converted completely to CNG. Not sure if Southampton is fully opened, as when they opened it, it wasn't complete as of yet.But, w/e...the 6000s are out there, all 17 of them (#6000-6016)... |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by RailBus63 on Wed Aug 24 14:01:42 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Tue Aug 23 23:28:24 2005. It was running on an a.m. rush 502 Watertown-Copley run. For some reason, most of the 502 runs were Cabot buses - I saw a few NABI's (including #2220 wrapped for Bank of America) and at least one Albany St. RTS on this route. This may be a recent change, since the weekday 502 was strictly an Albany Street route in recent years, but the MBTA considers Cabot and Albany Street as one 'rating station', so maybe it's not a big deal to run buses from one garage on the other's routes.The 6000's are rare birds - there are five assigned to Cabot, but that was the first time I've seen one in service on a Cabot route since 2003. As noted elsewhere, the rest are still wrapped for Silver Line service and may finally be released to regular routes once all the dual-modes are in and the bugs worked out. JD |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by AMoreira81 on Wed Aug 24 14:10:07 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by RailBus63 on Wed Aug 24 14:01:42 2005. So, I should look on the Silver Line for New Flyers? Thanks. |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by The Port of Authority on Wed Aug 24 19:48:05 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Wed Aug 24 14:10:07 2005. No. Silver Line is exclusively Neoplan. |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by RailBus63 on Wed Aug 24 23:33:44 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Wed Aug 24 14:10:07 2005. Probably not - the 6000's assigned to Southampton are in limbo right now. The MBTA was using them for the Sunday-only airport service earlier in the year, and also for SL2 and SL3 runs back when there weren't enough dual-modes available - passengers had to transfer from trackless trolleys to the NF buses at Silver Line Way. It appears that they have enough Neoplans now, but perhaps the authority is wary and is holding the New Flyers in reserve just in case.JD |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by AMoreira81 on Thu Aug 25 00:03:23 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by RailBus63 on Wed Aug 24 23:33:44 2005. So basically, the New Flyers are a pure backup emergency fleet? |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by RailBus63 on Thu Aug 25 12:22:26 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Thu Aug 25 00:03:23 2005. Yes, for now. The plan is to eventually assign all 17 to Cabot - I believe most of the Southampton C40's are actually painted in the yellow scheme, and are only wrapped with the Silver Line colors.JD |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by AMoreira81 on Fri Aug 26 00:30:51 2005, in response to Re: MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by RailBus63 on Thu Aug 25 12:22:26 2005. Funny thing: I saw a C40LF today on the 504, but I had already left. I did get a picture of 8000 at Davis Square, however. I may need one more trip (before 9/19) to complete my gallery, although I did get in pics of MBTA or other state-owned buses operated privately, including one (DATTCO 7830) that I did see at SJU in Jamaica, Queens, earlier this year, on a charter that I photographed at SJU (and saw today at South Station), and several 102A3s that are fully ADA-compliant.Coming this weekend, they will be posted here. |
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Re: MBTA pics,. August 19 |
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Posted by RIPTA42HopeTunnel on Fri Aug 26 15:45:34 2005, in response to MBTA pics,. August 19, posted by AMoreira81 on Sat Aug 20 13:23:00 2005. Here's everything I took on my trip, 8/18-22:    
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