new blue line cars

When is the Blue Line supposed to get its new cars from Simens? (i doubt im spelling it right)....And are they gonna be 6 car setups? And will there be a seperate door operator or leave it as it is now?

Six-car trains have to wait until Government Center, State, Maverick, and Orient Heights stations are rebuilt with longer platforms.

WonderlandMan wrote:When is the Blue Line supposed to get its new cars from Simens? (i doubt im spelling it right)....And are they gonna be 6 car setups? And will there be a seperate door operator or leave it as it is now?

If things are on schedule or even close to it the first test sets will be here in a few months and if the T's website is correct I imagine the four remaining four car stations will get their renovations in about a year and a half, if not two years. And if Ted McAulie is indeed correct the Blue Line is still going to have OPTO on the Blue Line thanks to the length of the train being the same as a four car Red Line train so it would be allowed to run with a one person crew.

I can't wait for something to happen, I am on pins and needles for this transformation of the line. BTW, IIRC wouldn't the renovations make the Blue Line the second fully ADA complient line on the T? Buses and Silver Line exempt, I think only the Orange Line can claim that title at this point...

efin98 wrote: I can't wait for something to happen, I am on pins and needles for this transformation of the line. BTW, IIRC wouldn't the renovations make the Blue Line the second fully ADA complient line on the T? Buses and Silver Line exempt, I think only the Orange Line can claim that title at this point...

Actually Ed, not quite. After the Malden project is finished there are still two orange line stations not compliant yet. Chinatown outbound, though I believe thats under construction, and Community College, which I have seen no timetable for.

Also, after the projects at both Charles and on the Dorchester Branch, the Ashmont branch of the Red Line will become 100 Percent Compliant. In fact, not counting the High Speed Line, the only station on the whole Red Line that will be non compliant is Wollaston.

And the ADA compliancy assumes Bowdoin station will be abandonded after everyone else gets dolled up. But I think its a safe bet, even though the T never talks about it.

So basically after the Blue Line stations get fixed, the only heavy rail stations that need to be done are Wollaston and Community College. The T has come a long way over the years.

There is a pair of 0700 shells at TTA Talgo America being assembled as we speak in Kanoa NY. Here is the link to see what the shell looks like from the side and if you go to the home page there is a pic of the front of the car. Also there is a section newcarcomponents where the have mockups and a pic of a 2 car train. Here is the site:

www.ttallc.com/newcar/newcarprojects.php

Please let me know what you think. Thanks Stevie

Well the funny thing about orient heights, its OLD. The platforms, roof, its falling apart, Trains have CRASHED into the platform (yes when coming outta the yard) They just patched it up...

But will they rebuild it? Probably not, they might just add 6 feet or so, and there done (though they COULD squeeze 9 in if the train "overhangs") but knowing the T, it will be the last station to be rehabbed.

And i could See OH being closed, the train stopping on a modified 'wooden' platform in the yard (by the parking lot) and having all buses load on the winthrop side, but that wont happen either of course!
Maverick and GC will be easy, Maverick has a whole nother station beyond the wall, they rehab that, move passengers there, close the current station, rehab that, take the wall down = there done!

Somewhat of the same situation with GC, State will be a pain to do in my opinion. night/weekend closures past maverick im assuming, cuz they gotsa drill into the rock to extend the station, Though on the outbound side (towards east boston) there is that sealed exit to something that they can probably use.

And closing bowdin down in my opinion is a bad idea, people do still use it, and in the cold the walk from GC to bowdin can be really bad on a snowy day, i say just load+unload on the outbound platform, let everyone go around the loop, or if it ever goes to Charles (yeah, like thats gonna happen :/ )

I think thats all of it.. well if i think of more ill add it in.. And the funny part is the yard has been extended for GREATER than 6 months (alot longer actually), i see it right now (i live RIGHT across the street from the barn ) but wheres the cars!!!

When GC is finished it's supposed to have a second, new entrance (actually, a reopened very old entrance) one block closer to Bowdoin.

For more info....

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6222

The 0700 design looks pretty good - roughly the same size and configuration, but with a nice modern look. I guess it's kind of like a Blue Line version of the 01800s, except not as radically different-looking. I'm sure they'll look great once they arrive.

apodino wrote:Actually Ed, not quite. After the Malden project is finished there are still two orange line stations not compliant yet. Chinatown outbound, though I believe thats under construction, and Community College, which I have seen no timetable for.

Also, after the projects at both Charles and on the Dorchester Branch, the Ashmont branch of the Red Line will become 100 Percent Compliant. In fact, not counting the High Speed Line, the only station on the whole Red Line that will be non compliant is Wollaston.

And the ADA compliancy assumes Bowdoin station will be abandonded after everyone else gets dolled up. But I think its a safe bet, even though the T never talks about it.

So basically after the Blue Line stations get fixed, the only heavy rail stations that need to be done are Wollaston and Community College. The T has come a long way over the years.

I was by there last wednesday and Community College is almost done if not already done and as far as I know Wollaston is still a long way off from being renovated, I haven't heard anything regarding it getting renovated at all. I still stand by what I said about the Orange Line.

CJ wrote:Well the funny thing about orient heights, its OLD. The platforms, roof, its falling apart, Trains have CRASHED into the platform (yes when coming outta the yard) They just patched it up...

But will they rebuild it? Probably not, they might just add 6 feet or so, and there done (though they COULD squeeze 9 in if the train "overhangs") but knowing the T, it will be the last station to be rehabbed.

And i could See OH being closed, the train stopping on a modified 'wooden' platform in the yard (by the parking lot) and having all buses load on the winthrop side, but that wont happen either of course!
Maverick and GC will be easy, Maverick has a whole nother station beyond the wall, they rehab that, move passengers there, close the current station, rehab that, take the wall down = there done!

Somewhat of the same situation with GC, State will be a pain to do in my opinion. night/weekend closures past maverick im assuming, cuz they gotsa drill into the rock to extend the station, Though on the outbound side (towards east boston) there is that sealed exit to something that they can probably use.

And closing bowdin down in my opinion is a bad idea, people do still use it, and in the cold the walk from GC to bowdin can be really bad on a snowy day, i say just load+unload on the outbound platform, let everyone go around the loop, or if it ever goes to Charles (yeah, like thats gonna happen :/ )

I think thats all of it.. well if i think of more ill add it in.. And the funny part is the yard has been extended for GREATER than 6 months (alot longer actually), i see it right now (i live RIGHT across the street from the barn ) but wheres the cars!!!

I agree regarding Maverick and Government Center. Orient Heights can be facilitated by working in stages and using half the platform. Of course this means that the cross over is eliminated for a while, but someone can always go one stop in either direction to reach the other side. State Street may well just be closed while the renovations take place, I don't see how it can be avoided without dragging the project on for over a year or possibly two. A connection to the Orange Line can be made at Park Street for those who need to connect and for those going to the area they can walk or take a shuttle bus or even the Orange Line. Bowdoin is a touchy subject, the T just does not feel that it is wise to renovate the station due to the tightness of the curve and or the closeness to Government Center. IIRC there is going to be a newly reopened exit on the far end of the station, that is close enough for most riders to Bowdoin. Also take into account the steepness of the loop. You can't extend to the south without running into Government Center and you can't extend it north because of the loop, the ridership is not enough to justify totally gutting the station and creating a new island station. Best option is to close the station and reopen the former entrance at Government Center.

efin98 wrote:

apodino wrote:Actually Ed, not quite. After the Malden project is finished there are still two orange line stations not compliant yet. Chinatown outbound, though I believe thats under construction, and Community College, which I have seen no timetable for.

Also, after the projects at both Charles and on the Dorchester Branch, the Ashmont branch of the Red Line will become 100 Percent Compliant. In fact, not counting the High Speed Line, the only station on the whole Red Line that will be non compliant is Wollaston.

And the ADA compliancy assumes Bowdoin station will be abandonded after everyone else gets dolled up. But I think its a safe bet, even though the T never talks about it.

So basically after the Blue Line stations get fixed, the only heavy rail stations that need to be done are Wollaston and Community College. The T has come a long way over the years.

I was by there last wednesday and Community College is almost done if not already done and as far as I know Wollaston is still a long way off from being renovated, I haven't heard anything regarding it getting renovated at all. I still stand by what I said about the Orange Line.

Ok, I am a bit confused here. The T's web site does not indicate that Community College is an accessible station, nor do I recall seing any details on the T's web site about a community college renovation. I have not seen any contracts awarded by the T related to this, or anything like that, so I don't understand where you are coming from. Yes there has been construction material on the platforms at the station, but I think this is related to the big dig, and not the station renovation.

You can say all you want to about what you believe, but I would like to see pictures, or documentation from the T indicating this before I believe it.

On a related note, Karl do you know how the Malden project is coming?

Ok, Upon further review. Ed you got me. I found on the T's web site that the community college project was underway. The reason I hadn't seen anything about it was because the contract was awarded by the Big Dig, and not the T. A thousand apologies Ed.

I go to BHCC and they are curently working on the elevator on the Platform you curently get off on. They have the frame set up for the elevator on the unused platform but it looks like they are going to take a while on the other side. Does anybody know if there going to restore the outsidetrack and begin using it when they finish all the work down there?

apodino wrote:Ok, Upon further review. Ed you got me. I found on the T's web site that the community college project was underway. The reason I hadn't seen anything about it was because the contract was awarded by the Big Dig, and not the T. A thousand apologies Ed.

It's been over two and a half years since the conracts were probably awarded, you may have overlooked it initially as being part of something else. Unless one has seen the project up close over time you would never know that it was going on as a seperate project, it looks so similar to the construction on the opposite platform.

Regarding the contractL I think of it as a lump sum project, kill two birds with one stone for a cheaper price on both projects. I suspect the same thing is going on with the Green Line El demolition, the Charlse/MGH construction/old Airport Station demolition and the Airport Station construction/Rt. 1a connector construction just to name a few.

To bring this back on topic: ith so little work being done during revenue hours, the phrase "fly by night" rings a bell. I think most of the work has to have been done during the night causing the project to go one for so long(over two and a half years IIRC). If this is what the Blue Line construction at State is going to be like, the T is better off just closing the station and getting everything done at once. Why impede the station for two years when you can get it done in half that time?