My Day in Boston

Last Saturday, after a terrible bus trip from NYC, I spent a wonderful day in Boston. After I got off the Dog at South Station, I got on the Silver Line. You guys really need to repave the tunnel, it was wayyy to bumpy. I took the SL1 to the Airport, then took the Massport Shuttle to the Blue Line station. I used my [new] CVS disposable video camera to take shots of the BL's arrivals, the raising and lowering of the pantographs, and rode to Wonderland where I spent about 5 to 10 minutes at the beach across the street from the station. I then rode the BL back to Maverick, where I went down to take a picture of downtown from East Boston. Back on the BL to Gov't Center for the Green Line.

I first rode the GL to North Station, then backtracked to Gov't Center to ride the Lechmere Shuttle Bus on a round trip. Got back on the GL and took a couple of videos of the cars arriving and leaving. Then I hopped on the C [got a Boeing] to Cleveland Circle, rode back to kenmore to get a good look at Fenway, rode to Copley to ride the E to Heath St, took the 39 to Forest Hills, Orange Line to Jackson Sq, 28 bus to Ashmont, round trip on the High-Speed line, got a video of the [original] PCC's [SEPTA has "fake" PCC's now to be running in September on Girard Ave], then I did both the Ashmont and Braintree branches of the Red Line.

After leaving Braintree, I took the Red Line to Harvard to ride the trackless trolleys. I took the 71 out and the 73 in. Got back on the Red Line to Kendall, then walked over the Longfellow Bridge and got videos of trains in each direction. Jumped back on at Cherles-MGH, rode to Park St, strolled in Boston Commons, then walked to Downtown Crossing for the Orange Line. Rode that train to Malden, took the 104 to Sullivan Sq, then back on the Orange Line to North Station for another trip on the Green Line.

I took a round trip on the B line, got off at Park St, rode the Red Line to South Station, then back on the Dog for my looong trip back to Southern New Jersey [Bus to NYC, NJT train to Trenton, RiverLINE to Camden, then bus to home].

Other Observations:

I got my visitor pass at Airport via the new Charlie Ticket Machines. That's much better than the scratch-off pass I got last year. From now on, I will get my pass in this manner [Charlie Ticket] because it is so easy to use and keep.

From what I read on this and other boards, you Boston People are the same as Philly people when it comes to bitching about the transit system. But in many cases you guys have legitimate reasons to bitch. The new Silver Line tunnel is too bumpy, the transit equipment needs some more TLC [especially better paint jobs. It seems to me that the cars are showing a lot of rust.], and I never seen a crowded route like the Green Line.

I will be back in Boston by the end of Summer, so I can ride the D and one of the trackless liness all the way.

What do you mean by fake PCC's in Philly? Yours are the same as ours. I know both people who started the restoration projects on the PCC cars.
Bob Hughes of Philly & Danny Cohen of Boston. Both cities re-built the cars from bottom up. The Boston PCC's were taken down to the shell, replica I say. 3087 lost it's wooden roof for a new metal roof. I say the Philly cars look great but they are no different then Boston's.

Glad you enjoyed your trip to Boston. That was an interesting bus route you choose #28. 39 is cool former E line. 57 or 1 or 77 are good routes to ride. I take out of city fans on the 39, 57 & 86...cross town route.

That tunnel is bumpy, not sure why... I know it is just concrete. Maybe some paving would be good. The Harvard tunnel is still brick until the portal.

I left NYC on the 3:30 am bus and got into Boston at 8:15. I left my home in Collingswood, NJ at 7:15 pm, took the bus to Camden, then the RiverLINE to Trenton [with a stopover for some personal business]. I had a 4 hour layover in NYC, so I hung out there and took the bus. My return trip started at the 12:30 am to NYC, got to PABT at 4:30 am, walked to Penn Station, caught the 5:14 am train to Trenton, then the 6:45 RiverLINE to Camden, then the bus at 8:13 am.

As far as my reply to mb41, I called the PCC2's fake because the trucks and controls are not original, however the Skoda trucks/controls that are used in the cars are actually updated versions of the original PCC designs.

Got ya, now I understand. Did not know they used a different truck/controls. Thanks for the info

mb41 wrote:Got ya, now I understand. Did not know they used a different truck/controls. Thanks for the info

The controls in the PCC2's are the same as the ones used in the Kawasaki cars.