couple green line questions.

Just a couple questions i have had about the green line for a while, but just now got to registering. Where does the tunnel (the on where the old trains are on. I see it goes down and then under the track in which the green line rides on.) at boystol go? Also, what is the train thats parked between boystol and arlighton doing? Its been there for a long time.

Thanks everyone!

I'm assuming you mean the rail at Boylston outbound? You cand find a bunch of information about abandoned subway tunnels at http://members.aol.com/eddanamta/abando ... nstas.html

As for the train between Boylston and Arlington, it's a maintenence/emergency car that they use for a variety of reasons. It's quite an unusual sight with it's white pain scheme.

The tracks you saw lead to a portal at Broadway and Tremont St. This was last used by the North Station - Lenox St. line that ran on Tremont St. in the South End and was abandoned in November 1961. For a short while there was a shuttle using double ended "Dallas" PCC's that ran to the portal, until April 1962.

The Pleasant St portal (later Broadway) was part of the original Tremont Street subway. It was the second part of the subway to open, after the Public Garden incline was opened to Park St.

The plans for the Silver line call for reusing this tunnel section. Those that want to see the Silver line converted to light rail (myself included) would like to see the tunnel reused and connected to Washington St as possible F branch of the green line.

The car between Arlington and Boylston is a re-railer maintenance car - it's Boeing LRV car 3417.

MBTAFan wrote:The Pleasant St portal (later Broadway) was part of the original Tremont Street subway. It was the second part of the subway to open, after the Public Garden incline was opened to Park St.

The plans for the Silver line call for reusing this tunnel section. Those that want to see the Silver line converted to light rail (myself included) would like to see the tunnel reused and connected to Washington St as possible F branch of the green line.

i would seriously love to see this happen.

hynespb wrote:

MBTAFan wrote:The Pleasant St portal (later Broadway) was part of the original Tremont Street subway. It was the second part of the subway to open, after the Public Garden incline was opened to Park St.

The plans for the Silver line call for reusing this tunnel section. Those that want to see the Silver line converted to light rail (myself included) would like to see the tunnel reused and connected to Washington St as possible F branch of the green line.

i would seriously love to see this happen.

No, unfortunately most of the Silver Line plans call for new tunnel construction that will destroy some or all of the remaining Tremont St. tunnels. The MBTA long ago determined that the old streetcar tunnels don't provide sufficient clearance side to side for unguided vehicles (i.e., buses).

octr202 wrote: No, unfortunately most of the Silver Line plans call for new tunnel construction that will destroy some or all of the remaining Tremont St. tunnels. The MBTA long ago determined that the old streetcar tunnels don't provide sufficient clearance side to side for unguided vehicles (i.e., buses).

Well I thought that was obvious - they just want to use the same route and allow a transfer at Bolyston. I'd much rather seem them reuse it as a streetcar tunnel, but like you said.. that will never happen.

What they should do is take the Bolyston station design and rebuild Copley that way to get rid of the damn bottlenecks of where the E line branches off. Doubt that will ever happen either. Boggles my mind how they can design something better in 1897 than in 1941. All 4 tracks at Bolyston were still in full use when they designed the Huntington Ave subway too! Maybe money was an issue?

MBTAFan wrote:

octr202 wrote: No, unfortunately most of the Silver Line plans call for new tunnel construction that will destroy some or all of the remaining Tremont St. tunnels. The MBTA long ago determined that the old streetcar tunnels don't provide sufficient clearance side to side for unguided vehicles (i.e., buses).

Well I thought that was obvious - they just want to use the same route and allow a transfer at Bolyston. I'd much rather seem them reuse it as a streetcar tunnel, but like you said.. that will never happen.

What they should do is take the Bolyston station design and rebuild Copley that way to get rid of the damn bottlenecks of where the E line branches off. Doubt that will ever happen either. Boggles my mind how they can design something better in 1897 than in 1941. All 4 tracks at Bolyston were still in full use when they designed the Huntington Ave subway too! Maybe money was an issue?

Sadly, not many new stations can rival the design logic that was at work in the original system, although the new North Station isn't bad.

octr202 wrote:

No, unfortunately most of the Silver Line plans call for new tunnel construction that will destroy some or all of the remaining Tremont St. tunnels. The MBTA long ago determined that the old streetcar tunnels don't provide sufficient clearance side to side for unguided vehicles (i.e., buses).

So does that mean there is a renovated boylston station somewhere in the not to distant future?

MBTAFan wrote:

octr202 wrote: No, unfortunately most of the Silver Line plans call for new tunnel construction that will destroy some or all of the remaining Tremont St. tunnels. The MBTA long ago determined that the old streetcar tunnels don't provide sufficient clearance side to side for unguided vehicles (i.e., buses).

Well I thought that was obvious - they just want to use the same route and allow a transfer at Bolyston. I'd much rather seem them reuse it as a streetcar tunnel, but like you said.. that will never happen.

What they should do is take the Bolyston station design and rebuild Copley that way to get rid of the damn bottlenecks of where the E line branches off. Doubt that will ever happen either. Boggles my mind how they can design something better in 1897 than in 1941. All 4 tracks at Bolyston were still in full use when they designed the Huntington Ave subway too! Maybe money was an issue?

I had read somewhere that originally when the Huntington Ave. Extension of the Central Subway was designed, it was supposed to have something along the line of the bellmouth fly-over/under which would have eliminated the diamond crossing after Copley. However, as the Huntington Ave extension (and I think the Kenmore Square Extension as well) was built under the WPA in the late '30s just as this program was begining to wind down, money became tight and the decision was made to go with the diamond junction/level crossing. I also seem to remember that the decision was made as well because it was found to be far more important to have the three lines (Watertown/Comm Ave were considered two seperate lines, and Beacon St.) that diverged at Kenmore Square be seperated by a bellmouth type of system for traffic congestion management, rather than the two lines (39 Arborway and the short-turn Heath St. line) at Huntington. Please correct me if I am wrong. I just wish I could remember the web site where I read that.

-A