Rail Photo of the Month: August 2020

Posted on August 7, 2020 by Oren

Bombardier Mark II Car 204

Location: VCC/Clark Station, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Operator of Vehicle: British Columbia Rapid Transit Company
Date of Photo: August 7, 2007

SkyTrain is certainly one of the most unique transit systems I’ve been on. At one time, it was the longest fully automated driverless system in the world, but it has since been surpassed by systems in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur (though it is still the longest rapid transit system in all of Canada). The mostly elevated system averages speeds of 28 MPH (45 KPH) including stops, significantly faster than standard buses or even the B-Line buses I wrote about for the August 2020 Bus Photo of the Month. The system includes what was the longest cable-supported transit-only bridge in the world from 1990 until 2019, aptly named SkyBridge, and also uses the Dunsmuir Tunnel in Downtown Vancouver, originally constructed in 1932 for use by the Canadian Pacific Railway from 1932.

I rode the entire system in 2007 during my only visit to Vancouver. Since then, the Canada Line and Evergreen Extension have both opened, and the Expo Line and Millennium Line use a type of rolling stock that was only ordered and delivered in the past four years. I hope to visit Vancouver and explore its transit system again at some point in the future, and certainly encourage others to do the same, as Vancouver is a delightful place to visit.

For more photos of Skytrain, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: July 2020

Posted on July 2, 2020 by Oren

Siemens SD-400 4251

Location: Station Square, Pittsburgh, PA
Operator of Vehicle: Port Authority of Allegheny County
Date of Photo: November 29, 2019

There are a number of noteworthy items of interest for a transit enthusiast in Pittsburgh, one of which is the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel. Following the removal of buses from the Downtown Seattle Transit Tunnel, the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel became the only transit tunnel in the United States to serve both buses and light rail trains, though the Mount Washington Transit Tunnel does not have any intermediate stations (whereas the Seattle tunnel did). The tunnel opened in 1904, significantly improving access from the south to Downtown Pittsburgh by allowing transit vehicles to avoid the hilly topography on Mount Washington. The natural geography and convergence of several transit lines made South Hills Junction a logical point for a tunnel to Downtown to be built. In 1977, the South Busway, the first of Pittsburgh’s three busways, opened; this bus corridor ends at South Hills Junction and then the buses continue through the tunnel to Downtown. At the north end, the tunnel originally allowed streetcars to proceed in to downtown via the Smithfield Street Bridge, and buses still do this today. PCC Streetcars have solely used the Panhandle Bridge to cross the Monongahela River since 1985 (the PCC streetcars were mostly replaced by modern light rail vehicles in 1987).

Needless to say, it is quite fascinating merely to watch the buses and trains enter and leave the transit tunnel at either end, and riding through the tunnel is quite the experience as well!

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

Rail Photo of the Month: June 2020

Posted on June 1, 2020 by Oren

R46 5984

Location: Smith-9th Streets Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: August 6, 2002

Last month, I posted about the retirement of the R32 subway cars. In conjunction with the launch of the redesigned New York section of this site, it seems appropriate to use the Rail Photo of the Month post for June to highlight what is now the oldest subway car class in New York City, the R46. I’m not going to mince words; these are not my favorite NYC subway cars. However, they do have a certain character thanks to their wood paneled windscreens and the New York seals on their interior walls. Their LCD side destination signs also give the impression to some they are newer than they actually are, as these cars were manufactured starting in 1975 and are now 45 years old (two cars even had special red, white, and blue stripes and stars to commemorate the U.S. Bicentennial, shortly after their delivery).

For many years, the R46 was a mainstay on the Queens Boulevard Line, including the F and G lines. Therefore, many railfans have photos of these cars at the Smith-9th Streets Station, the highest elevated station on the New York City Subway. The backdrop of photos of trains approaching from the north is Lower Manhattan and before 9/11 this included the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. With the upcoming installation of CBTC on the Queens Boulevard Line, the R46 has been shifted to other lines and the R160 has become the most common train type on the F while the G is now operated by R68s. However, the R46 will remain an active car type for the New York City Subway until the arrival of the R211s, expected in the early 2020s.

For more photos of the R46, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: May 2020

Posted on May 1, 2020 by Oren

R32 3521

Location: 125th Street/St. Nicholas Avenue Station, New York, NY
Operator of Vehicle: MTA New York City Transit
Date of Photo: December 23, 2018

There is to be no suggestion that a subway car is somehow a Covid-19 “victim.” However, the retirement of New York City’s oldest subway cars and the oldest subway cars in operation anywhere in the United States came unexpectedly as a result of modified fleet requirements to provide essential service in response to the ongoing pandemic. Due to needing fewer cars to maintain peak service right now and the arrival of the final R179 cars, the R32s were officially retired on April 27, 2020. This photo, which I took in December 2018, was one of the last ones I would ever take of this car type in revenue service.

A total of 600 R32 cars were built and delivered in 1964 and 1965. These cars are actually older than the MTA itself, as New York City Transit was not a part of the former agency until 1968. Over the course of their service lives, these cars operated on just about every B Division (lettered) line at one time or another. In their final years, they could be found on the A, C, J, and Z lines. They outlived the R38, R40, R42, and R44 cars, all of which were built after the R32.

The retirement of the R32 sadly also marks the end of an era on the New York City Subway, as these were the last cars in service to have a true railfan window at the front of each train. I have fond memories of standing at the front of the Redbirds and other New York City subway cars, feeling the dank breeze coming through the storm door and watching the signals and other trackside signage go by. Unfortunately, that is is an experience that can only live on as a memory now.

Rail Photo of the Month: April 2020

Posted on April 2, 2020 by Oren

3200 Series 3274

Location: Quincy/Wells Station, Chicago, IL
Operator of Vehicle: Chicago Transit Authority
Date of Photo: July 9, 2014

As of this writing, the Chicago Transit Authority is the largest transit system in the United States that is still running normal weekday service despite the Covid-19 Health Crisis. Ridership is down 82 percent on CTA trains and about 76 percent on CTA buses according to local news reports. Transit workers are considered essential employees, so despite the “stay at home” order in place in Illinois and many other US states, they are still reporting to work in order to help other essential workers, such as doctors, nurses, paramedics, firemen, and police officers to their jobs. Determining how much service ought to run in light of lower ridership numbers and the desire to maintain social distancing protocols is a challenge that agencies will be wrestling with as this crisis continues. However, regardless of how much service is operated in Chicago or wherever you are, be sure to thank the transit employees and other essential employees for their service, especially in these times (assuming you yourself have essential business, otherwise, please stay home). Being a transit employee is challenging enough in normal circumstances as it is, so your thanks will be even more appreciated now.

For more photos of CTA’s 3200 Series trains, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: March 2020

Posted on March 1, 2020 by Oren

Budd Frota A 1287

Location: Paraiso Station, São Paulo, Brazil
Operator of Vehicle: Companhia do Metropolitano
de São Paulo
Date of Photo: July 24, 2010

Last week, I saw a video of all the various rolling stock types on the São Paulo, both past and present. After watching the video, it became clear that there is now quite a bit of equipment that had not been built when I was in São Paulo nearly ten years ago. In addition, some of the trains I rode in 2010 have been fully modernized. The Frota A (or A Stock), seen here, was the inaugural fleet for the São Paulo Metro. It entered service in 1974. Starting in 2009, the trainsets were gradually withdrawn to be rebuilt in to the modernized Frota I and Frota J types. These rebuilt trains have AC traction CBTC signalling, a full width cab, improved internal circulation for passengers, and air conditioning, among other features. However, they still retain their slanted fronts, which remind me of the front ends of the R40 Subway Cars that used to operate in New York City.

For more photos of São Paulo Metro Rolling Stock, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: February 2020

Posted on February 2, 2020 by Oren

Genesis P40 824

Location: North Station, Boston, MA
Operator of Vehicle: Amtrak
Date of Photo: August 29, 2002

If you follow this website on Facebook, you may have noticed I took a trip on Amtrak from Los Angeles to Austin last month. During our service stop in Tucson, AZ, I discovered that one of the two engines pulling our train was Genesis P40 824. That number seemed familiar to me, as I thought this engine might have been on the lead end of the California Zephyr when I took that train in 2014. It turns out my trip on the Zephyr was pulled by 823, but I had crossed paths with 824 on at least one other occasion. In August 2002, I did a daytrip on the Downeaster, which had only started service about 9 months prior. While I’m not sure if 824 was the engine on my train in either direction (it could have been 810 based on my photos), I did get photos of it back on this rainy August day in 2002. At this time, 824 was painted in the “Phase IV” scheme and was a few years away from being put in long term storage. 824 is one of about fifteen P40 locomotives that was refurbished using stimulus funds made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, at which time it was repainted in the “Phase V” livery that it currently wears.

For more photos of Amtrak Genesis Diesel Locomotives, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: January 2020

Posted on January 1, 2020 by Oren

CLRV 4016

Location: Spadina Avenue at King Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Operator of Vehicle: Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
Date of Photo: March 11, 2007

It is the start of a new (Gregorian) year and decade, but some transit vehicles will not be seeing revenue service in either one. There are several vehicle retirements one could choose to profile here, but today, we are looking at the Canadian Light Rail Vehicle (CLRV) fleet that made its final run this past Sunday, December 29. These cars, and their articulated ALRV counterparts, were designed and ordered when the TTC’s fleet of PCC streetcars were at or near the end of their useful lives. The first CLRV arrived on TTC property on December 29, 1979, exactly 42 years to the day before they would be retired.

The CLRV was designed with the intention that it could be used as a standard streetcar design across all of Canada. However, like similar attempts to design a universal transit vehicle in the United States, this did not prove to be a successful venture. Although the MBTA in Boston leased three CLRV cars to test on their Green Line, they ultimately opted not to purchase CLRVs. Ultimately, the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority was the only agency to purchase light rail vehicles from the Urban Transportation Development Corporation that built the CLRVs. Due to the specialized parts on the CLRV that were not mass produced due to the fact no other systems operated these cars, the TTC found these cars increasingly difficult to maintain over time.

As the CLRVs approached retirement age, the TTC opted to replace them with Bombardier Flexity Outlook streetcars rater than refurbish the CLRV cars. The last ALRV was removed from service on September 2, 2019, and the final CLRV was removed from service this past Sunday. The TTC is retaining some cars for inclusion in a historical fleet, selling a handful of cars to transit museums, and scrapping the remainder.

I had the opportunity to ride these cars in 2007, which is the only time I’ve been to Toronto (though I’d like to go back some day). It also turns out I got a photo of CLRV 4046 during that trip; 4046 is the only streetcar of this type to have air conditioning installed (it was done as a trial that was not carried over to any other cars).

To see a news report from the CBC about the retirement of these cars, click here.

For more photos of the TTC’s CLRV streetcars, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: December 2019

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Oren

CAF 8000 Series 8007

Location: Mar de Cristal, Madrid, Spain
Operator of Vehicle: Metro de Madrid
Date of Photo: June 10, 2008

Mrs. Oren’s Transit Page is soon heading off to Spain for vacation, leaving me all alone at home to continue going through my seemingly never ending photo queue and other website related projects.

(OK OK, I’ll miss her.)

However, it seemed like a fitting occasion to share a photo of my favorite Madrid Metro car class, and the car class most likely to greet her upon arrival at the Madrid Airport. The 8000 Series cars debuted on Line 8, which connects the airport to Nuevos Ministerios. I really like their sleek exterior design, and if memory serves correctly, they had a great railfan window behind the full width cab when I was first in Madrid in 2005 (I believe this was no longer the case in by 2008). These trains feature open gangways and provide a smooth ride while reaching speeds in excess of 62 MPH (100 KPH) at several points on their journeys to and from the airport. In addition to operating on Line 8, these trains can also be found on lines 9, 10, 11, and 12.

For more photos of the CAF 8000 Series cars, please click here.

Rail Photo of the Month: November 2019

Posted on November 2, 2019 by Oren

La Brugeoise PCC Tram 7824

Location: Rue Royale at Place des Palais, Brussels, Belgium
Operator of Vehicle: Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company
Date of Photo: November 21, 2013

Six years ago this month, I made my second visit (and first planned visit) to Brussels. The story of my first visit to Brussels is probably best told in its own post, but the short version is that I had 90 minutes to kill due to a missed connection between the Thalys and ICE trains there in June 2008. This made my second visit seem like an eternity in comparison, a whole eight hours between flights when traveling from Portugal to Israel. As a result of having such an extended period of time in which to explore the city, I was able to see more than just the trams that happened to pass through the area by Gare du Midi. Here is one of the photos I took that day, of a PCC tram built by La Brugeoise, a Belgian train manufacturer, in the 1970s. Although La Brugeoise has since been bought out by Bombardier, these PCC trams continue to serve the Belgian capital today.

If all goes to plan, I will make two additional posts about my visits to Brussels later this month.

For more photos of trams in Brussels, please click here.

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