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PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015

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I spent three days photographing the new Charlotte CityLynx streetcar line, which runs east from Charlotte Transit Center/Time Warner Cable Arena (CTC/Arena) on Trade Street, out E. Trade and Elizabeth Avenue to Hawthorne Lane, where the line turns north and goes a half block to the terminal at Presbyterian Hospital.

Part One covers pullout operations. Both cars pull out of the New Bern light rail facility at about 5:45AM and head to Uptown (which is downtown in just about every other city), where they leave the main line and loop around the Arena via 5th and Caldwell, then turn right onto Trade to CTC/Arena.

On the first morning, August 20, I drove from my motel to East/West Blvd. Station to shoot the pullout.


Second inbound train of the morning, and the first from I-485. The vintage cars will follow this train into town.


First pullout car, followed in rapid succession by the next car.




And away it goes! The building outlined in light is Duke Energy Center, built 2010. It was wonderful to hear those Milan Peter Witt motors and gearsets get up to speed!

The next morning, August 21, I again drove to East/West, but this time I decided to ride that inbound LYNX train into Uptown and shoot the cars running through CTC/Arena, then maneuvering from the main line around the Arena and onto Trade Street.


I got off at 3rd Street/Convention Center Station, which has this unusual platform lighting (unique to this station). From here, it was a 2-block walk to CTC/Arena.




Car 91 arrives CTC/Arena.


The motorman of 91 has just gotten the diverge signal and will now pull 91 off the main line.


Car 91 begins its loop around 5th Street and the Time Warner Cable Arena.


Car 92 begins its loop around. The Arena parking garage is behind the streetcar.


At 5th & Caldwell. 5th Street turns to the left here. The trolley will continue on Caldwell.


Turning from Caldwell onto Trade Street.


At the Trade Street Stub, ready to begin service. An outbound LYNX train's in the station above.

Both cars will stay out until 11:00 at night (midnight on Fridays and Saturdays).

Hope you enjoyed this set! Comments welcome.

Part 2: Scenes around CTC/Arena.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun Aug 30 23:10:24 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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very nice photos

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:38:41 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Sun Aug 30 23:10:24 2015.

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Thank you mucho, Salaam!

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(1364665)

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Aug 30 23:48:11 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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nice coverage, sir.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by WillD on Mon Aug 31 00:08:33 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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Excellent photos, but ugh, why? Did they learn nothing from Portland's early attempt to make a "streetcar" line with their undersized heritage trolleys before finding a formula that worked with Skoda 10Ts? There are so many manufacturers attempting to get a U.S. streetcar product introduced they probably could have gotten a good deal on a modern, low floor car from Kinki, Alstom, or CAF.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Aug 31 01:07:17 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by WillD on Mon Aug 31 00:08:33 2015.

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IIRC, they had three cars left over from a vintage trolley project that ran on their light rail mainline until budget cuts suspended that service during the recession. If they actually follow through on the extensions and run actual levels of service, then they may actually have to buy some cars...

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 02:01:22 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by AEM-7AC #901 on Mon Aug 31 01:07:17 2015.

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Exactly. The funding and the politics behind these extensions are still up in the air.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 02:02:12 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jackson Park B Train on Sun Aug 30 23:48:11 2015.

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Grazie, signore...

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by Dave on Mon Aug 31 07:02:37 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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Excellent photos, Peter!

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 08:31:11 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Dave on Mon Aug 31 07:02:37 2015.

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Thanks, Dave!

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by ChicagoMotorman on Mon Aug 31 09:47:58 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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Very nice!

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 10:48:09 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by ChicagoMotorman on Mon Aug 31 09:47:58 2015.

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Danke...

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by chud1 on Mon Aug 31 14:54:46 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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5 drooling stars out of 5 drooling stars for these pictures.
chud1.
:).....

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by Jon Bell on Mon Aug 31 15:17:48 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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Those night shots look great! I've never been there at night or really early a.m. because I'm not keen on a two-hour drive in the middle of the night. Sometime I'll have to cough up for a hotel.

As the first stage of the "dance", #91 surely preceded #92 into the Trade Street pocket track, but then reversed and headed out to Hawthorne. The junction at Trade & Caldwell has only one side of the possible T-junction, towards the Arena, so cars can't pull in/out directly to/from Hawthorne.


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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 17:46:21 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jon Bell on Mon Aug 31 15:17:48 2015.

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That's right. 91 turned onto Trade and went right to the Trade Street Stub, then reversed ends, and went outbound. After 91 did that, 92 arrived. There's no switch from north (Caldwell)to east (Trade Street).

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Mon Aug 31 17:49:31 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jon Bell on Mon Aug 31 15:17:48 2015.

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That's right. 91 turned onto Trade and went right to the Trade Street Stub, then reversed ends, and went outbound. After 91 did that, 92 arrived. There's no switch from north (Caldwell) to east (Trade Street).

It's possible, however, that 91 could have reversed at the outbound CTC/Arena platform instead. That would have save some time.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by Jon Bell on Tue Sep 1 14:43:58 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jon Bell on Mon Aug 31 15:17:48 2015.

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I see streetcar service begins on Sundays at 9:00. I can manage that, sometime. How much earlier do they leave the maintenance center?


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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by Jon Bell on Tue Sep 1 14:48:01 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jon Bell on Tue Sep 1 14:43:58 2015.

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Oops, never mind... I see your first post says 5:45 for a 6:00 start according to the CATS web site. 15 minutes early.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Tue Sep 1 20:30:40 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by Jon Bell on Tue Sep 1 14:48:01 2015.

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Best is to park at East/West Blvd., on the street that parallels the line, where there's plenty of parking and the meters don't operate on Sundays, and then catch a train to Uptown/7th Street that gets to that station about 8:30 or so. If you decide to hang out at East/West, the trolleys have to make a mandatory stop for the motorman to set the gates to come down.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by kp5308 on Tue Sep 1 20:55:57 2015, in response to PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:08:25 2015.

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Most excellent night shots!

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Tue Sep 1 20:58:22 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Sun Aug 30 23:38:41 2015.

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did you use a tripod ?

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Tue Sep 1 21:13:55 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Tue Sep 1 20:58:22 2015.

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No. All hand-held, this time.

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by milantram on Tue Sep 1 21:14:43 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by kp5308 on Tue Sep 1 20:55:57 2015.

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Thanks, Sir Painter!

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Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1

Posted by salaamallah@hotmail.com on Tue Sep 1 21:22:40 2015, in response to Re: PHOTOS: Charlotte, Part 1, posted by milantram on Tue Sep 1 21:13:55 2015.

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ok thanks

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