Category Archives: Rail Photo of the Month

Rail Photo of the Month: June 2021

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R62A 1750R62A 1750

Location: Grand Central-42nd Street Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: March 24, 2017

Last week, I had a business trip to New York City.  Despite not having been on public transit for over 400 days due to the Covid-19 pandemic, being back on the rails didn’t feel all that different, until I descended in to the subway to take the 6 train to where I was having dinner.  I consider the 6 train to be my “home route” in New York, but after about 15 years of R142As exclusively serving the line, I’m still not used to seeing R62As, such as the one pictured here, on this route.  One might think that this would be an easy adjustment to make, as R62As were the predominant car type from the late 1980s until the introduction of the R142A in 2000.  However, for some reason, I just haven’t gotten used to their reintroduction along the Lexington Avenue Line.  Is there any vehicle assignment and line pairing that just seems out of place to you, no matter how hard you try getting used to it?

Although the sight of an R62A on the 6 still seems unusual to me, I really like this picture because of how the curved platform creates a “snaking effect” for the yellow platform edge and makes it possible to see the front part of the train from the location where I took the photo near the rear end of the platform.   Curved platforms are definitely a relic of older systems such as New York’s and while they pose a variety of accessibility and safety concerns, they can also make for some interesting photography vantage points.

For more photos of the R62A Subway Cars, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: May 2021

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Genesis P42 52Genesis P42 52

Location: Tucson Station, Tucson, AZ
Operator of Vehicle: Amtrak
Date of Photo: January 20, 2020

On May 1, 1971, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (NRPC), better known as Amtrak, assumed operation of most of the passenger trains within the United States.  Prior to this date, passenger trains were operated by railroads, but due to the increasing affordability of automobile and air travel for larger segments of the population, ridership on the nation’s passenger trains decreased significantly in the 1950s and 1960s.  However, railroads could not abandon unprofitable passenger services without the approval of teither a state public service commission or the federal Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), and this permission was rarely granted.  With the railroads facing likely financial devastation if they could not shed their passenger services, Congress began to hold hearings about how the national rail network could be preserved in a sustainable manner for both passengers and freight.

The result of this work was the creation of the NRPC. Key provisions at the time of NRPC’s establishment were as follows: 

  • Any railroad operating intercity passenger service could contract with the NRPC, thereby joining the national system, 
  • Participating railroads bought into the NRPC using a formula based on their recent intercity passenger losses. The purchase price could be satisfied either by cash or rolling stock; in exchange, the railroads received NRPC common stock.
  • Any participating railroad was freed of the obligation to operate intercity passenger service after May 1, 1971, except for those services chosen by the Department of Transportation (DOT) as part of a “basic system” of service and paid for by NRPC using its federal funds.
  • Railroads that chose not to join the NRPC system were required to continue operating their existing passenger service until 1975 and thenceforth had to pursue the customary ICC approval process for any discontinuance or alteration to the service.

The thought was that NRPC would continue to operate intercity passenger trains for about three years, and then due to the continue unprofitability of these services, they would cease to exist.  However, it has been 50 years since it began operations and Amtrak continues to operate to this day.

The official celebration of this anniversary took place yesterday in Philadelphia and was attended by a very prominent railfan, President Joe Biden.  Amtrak is also marking the anniversary in other ways, including through the sale of special merchandise and painting special liveries on six locomotives.  

While I haven’t been on Amtrak in over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, I am looking forward to returning to the rails soon.  While most of my travels have been in the Northeast Corridor, I have had the opportunity to travel on five of Amtrak’s long distance services and several state supported corridor services as well.  Amtrak may not be the fastest way to get from coast to coast, but taking the train gives you the opportunity to see parts of the American landscape that you cannot see from 30,000 feet above the ground while flying.  There are even some places of the country that are only accessible if one travels by train, such as portions of the Colorado River gorge west of Denver that the California Zephyr travels through (aside from the train, the only other way to see this remarkable scenery is by whitewater raft).  Through the “family style” seating in the dining car on long distance services, every meal is an opportunity to meet and converse with other travelers.  It is a truly unique experience that I would recommend to anyone assuming the circumstances are right.

To mark the occasion, I’m sharing a photo from my last Amtrak trip on the Sunset Limited in January of 2020.  Fittingly, the Sunset Limited is one of the routes that Amtrak has operated since its inception 50 years ago.  

For more photos of Amtrak trains and stations from across the entirety of the United States, please click here.

For further reading about Amtrak’s 50th anniversary, check out any or all of the following:

Rail Photo of the Month: April 2021

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Kawasaki 7000 SeriesKawasaki 7000 Series

Location: Union Station, Washington, DC
Operator of Vehicle: Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority
Date of Photo: September 4, 2019

Last weekend, the Washington Metrorail marked its 45th anniversary.  Metrorail opened on March 27, 1976.  For the second year in a row, ridership on anniversary day did not resemble the crowds that excitedly rode the trains between Rhode Island Avenue and Farragut North on day one of operation.  However, there is much to look forward to despite the hardships of the past year.  For one, vaccines for Covid-19 are becoming more readily available in the Washington area (please get yours when it is your turn and continue to abide by CDC guidelines and recommendations both before and after receiving your shot so we can truly get back to normal).  In addition, WMATA announced about two weeks ago that Hitachi Rail has been selected to build the 8000 Series cars, expected to arrive starting in 2024.  The base order is for 256 but up to 800 cars could be ordered if all options are exercised.  The cars will improve upon the 7000 Series cars like the one seen here, and will replace the 2000 and 3000 Series cars.  Metro as it looked 45 years ago is not going to be the look of Metro for much longer.

For more photos of the WMATA 7000 Series cars, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: March 2021

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S70/Avanto LRV 211S70/Avanto LRV 211

Location: Mall of America, Bloomington, MN
Operator of Vehicle: Metro Transit
Date of Photo: April 9, 2017

Advertising wraps on transit vehicles can be controversial among transit enthusiasts.  Some argue that they are ugly, make it difficult to see out from inside the vehicle, and there’s already too much advertising on transit properties.  Others argue that they change things up and make an otherwise uniform fleet of vehicles have some variety among them.  I think some wraps look good, and others I could do without.  However, who doesn’t like Pacman?  This wrap, advertising a new Minnesota lottery scratch-off game in 2017, features Pacman and the ghosts from the eponymous video games.  I certainly think it is an eye catching design since these characters are so well known (who hasn’t heard of Pacman?).  The train itself is at the Mall of America station, the southern terminus of the METRO Blue Line, which was renovated in 2019.  

Are there any transit advertising wraps that you particularly like or dislike?  Share your answer in the comments below!

For more photos of the Metro Transit Light Rail, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: February 2021

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Alstom Citadis 302 008Alstom Citadis 302 008

Location: HaDavidka Station, Jerusalem, Israel
Operator of Vehicle: Citipass
Date of Photo: December 16, 2013

Despite the trend of milder winters in the Washington, DC area, scenes such as the one I featured in the Bus Photo of the Month for February 2021 aren’t all that uncommon.  You’ll find plenty of photos of DC transit operations in the snow on this website (as well as others).  On the other hand, significant snow in Jerusalem is a much more uncommon occurrence.  Like Washington, Jerusalem has had more mild winters recently.  Usually, the city would get one dusting of snow each winter, which would grind the Israeli capital to a halt as the city’s snow removal infrastructure borders on non-existent.  After several winters with no snow accumulation at all, there were significant snowstorms in both January and December of 2013.  In this photo, the light rail right-of-way through the center of the city has been cleared to allow train service to resume, mostly by pushing it to the sides of the tracks.  As a result, the accumulation appears to be much larger than the actual 16 to 28 inches (40 to 70 centimeters) that actually fell, but regardless, this photo captured a sight one rarely sees most winters in Jerusalem.  

For more photos of Jerusalem Light Rail Rolling Stock, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: January 2021

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Silverliner V 4064Silverliner V 4064

Location: Union Station, Denver, CO
Operator of Vehicle: Regional Transit District
Date of Photo: January 24, 2020

If you follow Oren’s Transit Page on Facebook, you may recall that back in January, I posted a then and now photo comparison from Denver Union Station.  In 2014, I took the westbound California Zephyr from Denver about two weeks after the station was rededicated.  At that time, much of the surrounding area was undergoing construction projects of various sorts and the only train serving the station was the twice daily Amtrak service to Emeryville and Chicago.  Fast forward to 2020 and this area, both inside the station and out, has changed dramatically.  Many of the buildings that were under construction in 2014 around the area of the station are now complete.  RTD Commuter Rail service began in April of 2016 with the opening of the A Line to Denver International Airport.  The completed construction combined with commuter trains coming and going every few minutes (the A Line operates every 15 minutes much of the day) means that the station area, both inside the headhouse and outside of it, is much busier than it was six years ago.  It is fascinating to see how the reconstruction of the historic terminal combined with the new, majestic train hall has revitalized this part of Denver.

The RTD Commuter Rail fleet is made up entirely of Silverliner V cars, identical to those used by SEPTA.  However, there was never a plan to have a half width cab on the RTD version of these railcars, and no front facing railfan window is available, even from a few rows back (on SEPTA, the area is blocked off due to safety concerns, but one still has a semi-decent view from the first open row).  

For more photos of RTD Commuter Rail, 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.

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.

Rail Photo of the Month: September 2020

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B92 Stock 69

B92 Stock 69

Location: Poonton Dock, London, England
Operator of Vehicle: Transport for London
Date of Photo: May 20, 2008

Given the significance of the London Underground in transportation history, it is understandable that other rapid transit systems in Greater London do not have nearly as much attention paid to them.  However, they should not be overlooked entirely.  Yesterday, the Docklands Light Railway marked its 32nd anniversary.  It initially opened on August 31, 1987 with 8 miles of track, and has rapidly expanded to its current size of 24 miles of track with several additional extensions being proposed as well.  Passenger traffic on the system has often exceeded expectations.  When the system was designed, the Docklands area of London were largely undeveloped and hard to get to.  While DLR was meant to address the latter issue, development boomed as the area around Canary Wharf became a financial center; the population of the Docklands area has doubled in the past 30 years.  

Much of the DLR runs at grade or on elevated structures, as seen in this photo of a train approaching Poonton Dock station, with views of the Docklands developments and the City of London from many locations.  Trains are automated but have a staff attendant on board to check fares and take over operations in emergencies.  There has often not been enough rolling stock to cope with demand.  The B92 stock seen here was delivered in the mid-1990s and is expected to be retired upon the delivery of new cars built by CAF starting in 2023.

For more photos of the Docklands Light Railway, please click here.