Author Archives: Oren

Bus Photo of the Month: January 2021

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NovaBUS LFX Artic 5006NovaBUS LFX Artic 5006

Location: South Congress Avenue at West James Street, Austin, TX
Operator of Vehicle: Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Capital Metro)
Date of Photo: January 23, 2020

I’d recommend that any visitor to Austin, Texas take some time to walk through the South Congress neighborhood.  It is an eclectic shopping district that definitely contributes to the “Keep Austin Weird” vibe promoted by small businesses in the city.  One of the attractions of the area is the unimpeded views of the Texas State Capitol building from along the length of the avenue, and for transit fans, this means it is easy to capture the Capitol building and the other parts of the downtown skyline in any photos taken in this area.  Furthermore, one of the two MetroRapid routes operated by Capital Metro serves this corridor, so the photo opportunities come frequently.  

For more photos of Capital Metro buses, please click here.

Looking Back at a Year of “Unexpected Service Disruptions”

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Stretching my legs in Tuscon while riding the eastbound Sunset Limited in January 2020

As 2020 comes to an end, I think it is fair to say that little went as planned after mid-March.  That was certainly the case in my life.  This website isn’t meant to be a wide open door in to my personal life and I’m not changing that now, but I did want to share a few reflections on a year that ended up looking nothing like what I thought it would twelve months ago.  

I expected to have two big trips during 2020, and one of them took place as scheduled.  In mid-January, I flew out to Los Angeles, a good friend of mine and I took the Sunset Limited and Texas Eagle to Austin, and spent a few days there.  I then flew up to Denver where Mrs. Oren’s Transit Page and I attended a wedding.  Those were my only Amtrak and flight segments of the year.  

I had thought I’d mark a significant website anniversary in September, as I have now been running this website for 20 years!  However, there were some significant life changing events in my household each month from May through October.  Some were unexpected, and dealing with those meant whatever I could have potentially planned to commemorate this milestone had to be pushed off.  Building, maintaining, and adding to this website is truly a labor of love.  What started with about 200 photos 20 years ago now has over 11,000 photos from across the United States as well as nineteen other countries.  It has introduced me to transit fans from all over and based on email I’ve received over the years, has been a useful resource to many.

While some of the big life events in the summer and early fall months were unexpected, others were not.  Most notably, Mrs. Oren’s Transit Page and I welcomed an Oren’s Transit Page Baby (AKA Baby OTP) in to the world in May.  I never would have guessed that at age 7 months he is still waiting for his first ride on public transit, but I still hope to have that opportunity with him soon, and he comes to tolerate my hobby at a minimum should he rather not partake in it.  

Baby OTP and his father wait to photograph an approaching bus in Pittsburgh in October 2020.  Until he has agency of his own, Baby OTP will sometimes have to participate in Daddy’s hobby.  It is hoped that he continues to participate out of his own choosing as he grows older.  Photo by Mrs. Oren’s Transit Page.  

One advantage to limited travel opportunities is I did have time to get through my photo queue, which had photos in it dating back to 2017.  In addition, I also went through and created sections for some photos that were uncaptioned and unsorted for a number of years because I wasn’t sure where to place them on the website, and I now had the time to consider those decisions in a thoughtful manner.  As I write this, there are only seven (!) photos in the Uncaptioned and Unsorted Photo Gallery, whereas the number has usually had three digits for most of the past few years.  I look forward to highlighting what I’ve added to the site very soon.  

If I had some degree of confidence about how 2020 would turn out when considering the question on December 31, 2019, I can say with a high degree of certainty I have no idea what will come in 2021.  I hope to be able to travel more extensively than I did in 2020, as Baby OTP has many relatives who have yet to meet him in person.  At the very least, I hope it is safe for him to experience transit beyond his singing cuddle bus toy.  

So here’s to hoping for a less eventful 2021 for everyone!  As hard as it is for people who are likely visiting this site to do this, please avoid traveling and make safe choices (including getting vaccinated as soon as possible) so that we can go back to adventuring, seeing friends in person, and enjoying our passions to the fullest once again.

A photo of a Route 21 bus in Ithaca, NY to welcome us to 2021

Virtual Holiday Vintage Train Ride

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As I wrote about in the December 2020 Bus Photo of the Month post, traditional events organized by transit agencies to mark the winter holiday season look different this year due to Covid-19 pandemic responses.  The New York Transit Museum released this video to “substitute” for offering rides on the R1-9 vintage train that typically runs along 6th Avenue on Sundays between Thanksgiving and New Year’s.

You can see my photos of these trains from past holiday vintage train runs and other special events by clicking here.  

Bus Photo of the Month: December 2020

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Gillig Advantage 6325Gillig Advantage 6325

Location: Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
Operator of Vehicle: Port Authority of Allegheny County
Date of Photo: December 1, 2019

You’ve probably heard this before, but we are supposed to be preparing for a holiday season like no other this year.  However, a number of transit agencies are planning to go ahead with celebrating the Christmas season this year as they usually do or with some modifications in place.  For example, the CTA Holiday Train and CTA Holiday Bus will operate in Chicago but without passengers.  MDOT MTA’s Holiday Bus will be operating as usual, and per tradition, anyone who manages to catch it will get a free ride.  However, some traditions are on pause this year, such as the New York City Transit’s operation of its vintage train along 6th Avenue.  

In Pittsburgh, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has had a custom of decorating several buses for Christmas (and occasionally for other holidays as well), and one of those decorated buses is featured here.  The wreath and candy canes on the bike rack and the reindeer horns on the rear view mirrors aren’t the only decorations, the rear of the bus and the interior are decked out as well (see below).  However, it appears Pittsburgh’s holiday custom is among those that will not be observed this year.

Do you have any favorite holiday traditions that are observed by a specific transit agency?  Share them in the comments below.

Gillig Advantage Interior
Gillig Advantage Interior
Gillig Advantage 6325

For more photos of Port Authority of Allegheny County buses, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: December 2020

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Bombardier 5300 SeriesBombardier 5300 Series

Location: Rhoon Station, Albrandswaard, South Holland, Netherlands
Operator of Vehicle: RET
Date of Photo: June 4, 2008

Last month, a Rotterdam Metro train made up of Bombardier 5300 Series cars such as these got quite a bit of attention in the international press.  Upon reaching the end of the line at De Akkers, the train overshot the platform and was caught by a large, plastic whale sculpture that was installed beyond the end of the elevated tracks.  Only the train operator, who was not injured in the incident, was on board the train.  Maarten Struijs, the artist who designed the sculpture, was pleasantly surprised that the nearly 20 year old sculpture was able to hold the weight of the train.

Rotterdam is a fascinating city to visit, and transit fans will be wowed by the various architectural styles found in the city’s Metro stations (in addition to the architectural styles and trends in the city itself).  I was only able to spend a few hours there in 2008, and hope to have the opportunity to go back again.  Hopefully, any trains you or I ride in Rotterdam all stay on the tracks!

For more photos of the Rotterdam Metro Bombardier 5300 Series, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: November 2020

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Acela Express Power Car 2019Acela Express Power Car 2019

Location: Halethorpe MARC Station, Halethorpe, MD
Operator of Vehicle: Amtrak
Date of Photo: November 25, 2018

Most years, railfans look forward to Thanksgiving weekend because of all the special services Amtrak runs to take people to and from their holiday celebrations.  For example, in 2018, over 846,000 passengers used Amtrak over Thanksgiving week, and over 160,000 trips were made on the Sunday following the holiday, often Amtrak’s busiest day of the year.  Some years, Amtrak has even chartered commuter rail equipment to operate extra trains, resulting in MARC and NJTransit trains being sighted well outside of their typical territory.  And railfans gather at favorite spots along the Northeast Corridor and elsewhere in the country to see the unique and frequent Amtrak service go by.  In 2018, I spent some time on the Sunday after Thanksgiving at the Halethorpe MARC Station, just south of Baltimore, and this is one of the photos that I took while I was there.

We’ll all be able to travel again sooner if we heed the medical advice, stay home, and celebrate the holiday with loved ones over Zoom. There will be Thanksgiving week railfanning in future years instead.

For more photos of Amtrak’s Acela Express, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: November 2020

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Gillig Phantom 3212Gillig Phantom 3212

Location: 2nd Avenue at Broad Street, Seattle, WA
Operator of Vehicle: King County Metro
Date of Photo: August 3, 2007

On Friday, October 23, 2020, King County Metro retired the last of its diesel buses.  At the time that the first of its “1100 Series” Gillig Phantoms was delivered, there were 1,100 buses in the King County Metro fleet, all of which were diesel powered.  The one featured in this photograph was among them.  Fast forward to today, and with the retirement of the last Gillig Phantom, the KCM fleet is now made up entirely of diesel electric hybrids, electric trolleybuses, or electric buses such as Proterra Catalyst and BYD K9 models.  It is one of the largest bus fleets in the United States that does not have any vehicles to only be powered by diesel.  King County Metro is aiming to have the entire fleet consist of zero-emissions vehicles by 2040.

For more photos of King County Metro buses, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: October 2020

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R62A 1946R62A 1946

Location: Times Square Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: March 24, 2017

Later this month on October 27, the New York City Subway will mark the 116th anniversary of its opening.  Since then, the system has grown from a single line within Manhattan to a sprawling system with nearly 500 stations and nearly 6 million passengers on an average weekday (as of 2017).  Although the original route is no longer operated as it was on October 27, 1904, trains continue to ply the route between Brooklyn Bridge and Grand Central on the 4, 5, and 6 trains, Grand Central and Times Square on the 42nd Street Shuttle, and between Times Square and 145th Street on the 1, 2, and 3 trains.  This routing was used until the “H” system was inaugurated on August 1, 1918.  The shuttle platforms that are in use today date back to the original IRT opening in 1904, although the MTA is currently in the process of rebuilding the Shuttle in order to make the line ADA compliant.  Until this project began, it was very easy to see the original IRT construction while standing on the Times Square Shuttle platforms.

For more photos of New York City’s R62A subway cars, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: October 2020

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New Flyer XN40 2992New Flyer XN40 2992

Location: Hayes Street at 18th Street, Crystal City, VA
Operator of Vehicle: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Date of Photo: March 24, 2019

In just a few weeks, there will be a second BRT system operating in the DC area.  On October 14, Montgomery County will launch FLASH on US 29 in Maryland, connecting Silver Spring, White Oak, and Burtonsville.  So while Metroway, a bus rapid transit line connecting Crystal City to Alexandria in Virginia will no longer be the only BRT route in the DC area, it can always claim to be the first.  

Metroway launched on August 24, 2014.  The route stops at designated stations with level boarding, distinct canopy designs, and real time countdown clocks.  However, fare payment is still made on board the buses.  While Metroway buses use dedicated roadways for a portion of the route, there are other segments where they operate in mixed traffic.  The route originally launched with NABI 42 BRT buses, but since December 18, 2016, New Flyer XN40 buses such as this one have served the route.

FLASH will be operated by Ride On and will feature things that Metroway lacks, such as off vehicle payments and bike racks inside the buses rather than on the front.  So not only will the DC area be getting a second BRT service, it will also be introduced to some additional BRT features that are not present in the area just yet.  

For more photos of WMATA’s New Flyer XN40 Buses, please click here.

Bus Photo of the Month: September 2020

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Orion I 387Orion I 387

Location: East Avenue at Tower Road
Operator of Vehicle: Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit
Date of Photo: December 2, 2005

Much has changed for transit systems in terms of levels of service provided, routes, schedules, and more since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic earlier this year.  This is especially true for a transit system that primarily serves a college town, such as TCAT in Ithaca, NY.  TCAT’s Fall 2020 service plan includes an interesting quirk where an old route has been partially revived nearly 15 years after its discontinuation.  Prior to January 2006, Route 84 operated between Collegetown and the B-Lot on Cornell University’s campus.  At that time, the 84 was discontinued and replaced by a modified Route 50 and a new route, the 54.  The 50 and 54 were replaced by during the 2010 Transit Development Plan by the 51 and 53, and those routes have basically remained as is since that time.  However, in order to provide additional capacity on routes serving Cornell’s campus (which is open for in person learning this fall), a new circulator route was created to operate between Collegetown and Central Campus, and it will be known as Route 84.  While it won’t extend all the way to the Vet School, what was old is new again, at least to some extent.

In addition to the differences in alignment between this version of the 84 and its predecessor, the bus seen operating the 84 in this photo from 2005 will not be serving the 2020 version.  This Orion I bus was manufactured in 1989, featured a single panel sliding front door (and was not wheelchair accessible), and was retired in 2007, not too long (relatively speaking) after the 84’s previous incarnation was discontinued.  Given the current makeup of the TCAT fleet, the new 84 is likely to be served primarily by Gillig Advantage low floor buses, which weren’t even a part of the fleet in early 2006.

For more photos of TCAT’s Orion I buses, please click here.