First time visit to Boston, I have some questions...

I'll be there this Saturday.

Can't really do much railfanning, but I will be at the JFK UMass station(the convention center nearby).

I want to pick up some CharlieCards at one of the Blue Line stations. Any suggestions to a good station where I wont be questioned for buying like 4 CharlieCards?(Just worried I'd get a look of sorts).

Do they stop you from taking photos at JFK UMass, AIRPORT stations, and are they safe stations?(Any other stations is welcome.)

Since I will be alone, any spots I should not go to?

Also back to the fare media which is my main basis of the trip currently in my short time...

Do they still sell tokens by the roll? And how much?

How does the token to CharlieTicket conversion take place?

Can I convert a token to CharlieCard?

If I want to purchase multi. CharlieCards/Tickets, do I have to do a separate transaction? Or can I pay for 1 transaction but enter a number of tickets?

Any minimum amount for CharlieCard/Ticket? Is 5 dollars good enough?

All help is welcome, Thanks.

Wonderland or Revere Beach stations are good places to pick up Charlie Cards. They're near the beach(not that you would be going to the beach in this weather).

You need a permit to take pictures on MBTA property(note: they can't stop you if you're across the street from the station)

Most of the system is pretty much safe. I would avoid the southern portion of the Orange Line(Mass Ave to Forest Hills) at night. Same goes for the Red Line(Savin Hill to Mattapan). Don't worry about what some people say about the E line on the Green Line. Most of it goes through a safe area. I recommend a little caution when riding on the Washington Street portion of the Silver Line.

I don't believe they sell tokens by the roll. But try to buy them anyway. Tokens are $1.25 each.

I haven't visited a Blue Line station in a while. I'm not sure if the vending machines can convert tokens into tickets(the cards aren't available yet).

To buy multiple tickets you need to enter seperate transactions. The tickets are like debit cards. You don't get 100 debit cards with $1 on each of them do you?

The minimum amount you can have on a Charlie Ticket is $1.25. The most you can store is $2.50. But I am sure once the cards come out the maximum you can store will be much higher. $5 can get you 2-4 cards.

The token to CharlieTicket conversion doesn't exist. The new gates/turnstyles on the blue line accept CharlieTickets, tokens, and existing monthly passes so there is no need to convert them.

The Charlie Card (the plastic smartcard) isn't out yet. Only the Charlie Tickets, which are the paper version. they're fed thru the turnstiles much like the faregates on the Washington Metro, rather than being the "tap and go" smartcards.

So the new turnstiles/faregates can directly accept tokens? I thought, from going thru Airport (I have a pass so I didn't need to make any transactions) that the faregates didn't have a token slot, but were requiring riders with tokens to use them at the vending machine to buy a Charlie Ticket. That should speed the process up a lot if they've made the faregates accept them.

If you're going to be on the T all day, get a Visitor's Pass from one of the Charlie Ticket machines as I did at the Airport. It's $7.50 and you can ride all modes [but the Commuter rail is limited to the first 2 zones].

I did this in June and had a hell of a good time. Managed to ride all of the rapit transit lines, and a couple of bus lines too.

Don't listen to the above poster in regards to the Orange Line, it is safe, even at night.

As for buying a roll of 10 tokens and getting a free entry at the time of purchase, I asked about this last year and was told that program had been gone for some time.

As for railfanning: By day, I would suggest taking the Red Line's Ashmont line outbound and check out the Mattapan Line with the old PCC's if you can.

As for night or day JFK is only 3 stops from South Station where you can see MBTA commuter rail and Amtrak equipment in the station. (If you want to see the AMtrak yard get off at Andrew Station and walk around the corner onto Southampton Street and you will be at the South end of Amtrak's Southampton Street Yard.

JFK is also served by the Kingston/Middleboro Commuter Rail Lines and also CSXT local B733 (but only Sunday-Thursday nights).

The charlie ticket turnstyles don't accept tokens, however if you enter a token into the charlie ticket machine itll accept it and give u a charlie ticket. thats basically where the conversion takes place

"Wonderland or Revere Beach stations are good places to pick up Charlie Cards. They're near the beach(not that you would be going to the beach in this weather)."

Sounds good. I'll look into it.

I'll be leaving around 4/5PM so I won't be around at night, though, it makes my railfanning extremely short. :/

"To buy multiple tickets you need to enter seperate transactions. The tickets are like debit cards. You don't get 100 debit cards with $1 on each of them do you?"

That's what I figured. :/ Didn't hurt to ask, right? lol

"The token to CharlieTicket conversion doesn't exist. The new gates/turnstyles on the blue line accept CharlieTickets, tokens, and existing monthly passes so there is no need to convert them."

AFAIK and read, they do not accept tokens. Nor was the ability integrated... Did they lie?

"The Charlie Card (the plastic smartcard) isn't out yet. Only the Charlie Tickets, which are the paper version. they're fed thru the turnstiles much like the faregates on the Washington Metro, rather than being the "tap and go" smartcards."

You sure? I e-mailed them and the person said they are available at all Blue Line "Automated Teller Machines"...

"If you're going to be on the T all day, get a Visitor's Pass from one of the Charlie Ticket machines as I did at the Airport. It's $7.50 and you can ride all modes [but the Commuter rail is limited to the first 2 zones]. "

Time's a virtue, so I can't ride the RR, sadly. Nor make stopovers. :/

"The charlie ticket turnstyles don't accept tokens, however if you enter a token into the charlie ticket machine itll accept it and give u a charlie ticket. thats basically where the conversion takes place"

That's what I thought. Thanks.

CSX Conductor and Others, Thanks for the info, though for the most part, I can't "railfan", as more of a ride to get my tickets and back. Hopefully when I do get a real chance to railfan, I'll be sure to use your and everybody else's info.

Thanks everybody for the info. But now I have to admit I'm even MORE lost in some spots. :/

Some say CharlieCards do and do not exist yet, and so on. The MBTA site and e-mail said they do at this time via Blue Line machines.

Any "hardcore" facts? :cries at the confusion:

Charlie Tickets do exist, but not the cards. Remember, the MBTA is well know for its lies, very late projects, and spending over $200,000 on a bus stop. But I prefer saying "card" over "ticket" because its a syllable shorter. Since your time here will be short, just hop on the Ashmont Line and take the Mattapan trolleys. I assumed the southern portion of the Orange Line wasn't safe at night 'cuz everyone in Malden says that there are lots of gangs in Roxbury. Same goes for Ashmont.

"Charlie Tickets do exist, but not the cards."

:Sigh: I'll still get it anyways. It is faremedia for my collection afterall.

"Remember, the MBTA is well know for its lies, very late projects, and spending over $200,000 on a bus stop."

I can't remember something I never been on. lol

"But I prefer saying "card" over "ticket" because its a syllable shorter."

I see. But there lies the confusion. Now the question is, did the reply from the MBTA person do the same? Maybe they are out on short release?

It's like, you guys are saying they aren't out, but it's like I'm not willing to give up. lol

Plus this also screws up my planning on how to distribute the cash between cards.

Speaking of which, does the faregate "eat" the ticket apon last fare?

"Since your time here will be short, just hop on the Ashmont Line and take the Mattapan trolleys. I assumed the southern portion of the Orange Line wasn't safe at night 'cuz everyone in Malden says that there are lots of gangs in Roxbury. Same goes for Ashmont."

Well I'll have to be back at JFK UMass by 4/5, so I would not like to find out by staying longer. lol I'll see how the time holds up to decide to ride the trolley or not. :/

The Day Pass($7.50) does not ALLOW travel to Zone 2 on the commuter rail!
It is only good to Zone 1B.

"The Day Pass($7.50) does not ALLOW travel to Zone 2 on the commuter rail!
It is only good to Zone 1B."

I won't be buying one anyways. Not enough out of station riding to justify one for me. Thanks for the extra info though.

:quietly waits:

I hope you have fun when you come uphere.

Also, another route I suggest you use, Mr. 7-Main St, is the Braintree Red Line, the southernmost and furthestmost RT line out of Boston, it's a nice area, safe, and you could use your camcorder around the Braintree Red Line and Commuter Platforms and capture all Cadigan Yard Red Line, MBCR Commuter trains, and even CSXT freights thru Braintree. But there are NO Amtrak trains that way though, so don't look for one this way.

Yay, another reply. Whee.

"and you could use your camcorder around the Braintree Red Line"

That I do not plan to do at this time. I'm only taking my digital camera(though I got a 1gb card and a 256mb, so its all good.)

But I thought you needed a permit? Are these locations not enforced? If so, that would work well, JFK UMass has a RR station next to it according to the map.

Anyway's, looks like everybody right, there is no CharlieCard at this time. I had to go through various pdf's and such to get the info. Just wish the MBTA E-mail was more truthful. :/

So now the questions I need answered are:

How many tokens in a token pack? And how much?

Are the CharlieTickets one time use, or after their final use, they get kept in the turn style?

To reconfirm a past question, on the CharlieTicket, the minimum was 1.25, correct? Because if they are multi. use cards, I was going to convert half a roll or so to CharlieTickets so I don't have to deal with cash anywhere past JFK UMass. (Mainly for collection, hence why)

...(I could have sworn I had another 1 or 2 questions... bah, forgot them now. lol)

Yay, another reply. Whee.


Yup, you got one from me....

That I do not plan to do at this time. I'm only taking my digital camera(though I got a 1gb card and a 256mb, so its all good.)

Ok, that's just as good as gold, especially down in that area, and you can even publish your pictures online too to share with us!

But I thought you needed a permit? Are these locations not enforced? If so, that would work well, JFK UMass has a RR station next to it according to the map.

Yeah, you still do, and those areas are also enforced by the Braintree Police Department so you best have your photo pass with you.

I wish you the best while you're uphere...