Rush-hour track work on Green Line main???

I just came outbound Boylston to Hynes on the Green Line, and there was a track crew (one flagman and one track crew) working just outbound of Boylston, right before the curve.

At 6:30 PM?!?

30 min. before a Sox game?!?!?

I couldn't see from the platform what was being done, but each train was held about 60 sec. before being flagged through (if you call it that when it's a flashlight wave).

What on earth could have needed work during one of the biggest peak periods (a game night) ?

Thanks, all!


-- Stefan

Just a guess, a broken rail. These things happen at times, regardless of the time of day or if there's a Sox game!

Diverging Route wrote:Just a guess, a broken rail. These things happen at times, regardless of the time of day or if there's a Sox game!

The only other thing I can think of is that it is related to the new fare gates being installed at Boylston soon. They have had electricians there the past several days running conduit and wiring to connect to the MBTA's network. If that's the case I would definetely say bad planning, but its probably more likely to be track related.

JS

Diverging Route wrote:Just a guess, a broken rail. These things happen at times, regardless of the time of day or if there's a Sox game!

Interesting possibility... I hadn't thought of that. Thanks!

So it's possible to have track problems that - although serious - aren't so bad that the line has to be completely suspended...?
I had always thought track issues were all-or-nothing, or at least would just mean reduced speed until after the end of service at night when full repair could be done.

-- Stefan

Has anyone noticed the painting being done at Boylston? Doesn't look like a very good job either.

mattster wrote:Has anyone noticed the painting being done at Boylston? Doesn't look like a very good job either.

In order for it to be a good job they'd have to tear that station apart and rebuild it. Right now they are painting on all kinds of odd surfaces that aren't really that happy to be painted. I'm just glad they are doing something to brighten the perhaps worst looking station on the green line.

JS

sabourinj wrote:

mattster wrote:Has anyone noticed the painting being done at Boylston? Doesn't look like a very good job either.

In order for it to be a good job they'd have to tear that station apart and rebuild it. Right now they are painting on all kinds of odd surfaces that aren't really that happy to be painted. I'm just glad they are doing something to brighten the perhaps worst looking station on the green line.

JS

So why not tear it apart and rebuild it? Did they even remove the old peeling paint first?

As far as the work that's been done inside the tunnel, I think the AFC work is probably right as I saw them running large cables tonight.

mattster wrote:
So why not tear it apart and rebuild it? Did they even remove the old peeling paint first?

As far as the work that's been done inside the tunnel, I think the AFC work is probably right as I saw them running large cables tonight.

I would imagine since there are already either construction or plans for upgrades of Symphony, Copley, Arlington, Gov't Center (possibly more, I don't remember) it probably just hasn't made it to the list yet. Overall I think the new paint that's been appearing all over has helped to brighten up some stations and hopefully at a minimal cost. Yes it's a band-aid fix, but the MBTA is taking on so much at the moment I'm not sure I blame them. As a result of their recent settlement with people with disabilities I suspect we'll see a lot more construction happening soon.

JS

From somewhere far back in the deepest recesses of my mind comes a recollection that Boylston on the Green Line was selected (by the T or, more likely, by an historical commission or group) to be the one station on Boston's and our nation's oldest subway which would be kept as originally designed and built.

Of course, since 1897 when it was first opened to the public, Boylston station has undergone a number of changes, including to its lighting. The present light fixtures were, I believe, installed sometime during the 1960s or early 1970s, and were quite modern, being fed from ac sources. These 1960's fixtures replaced the station's original lighting, which consisted of numerous 36- or 56-watt incandescent street railway bulbs which cast a dim, yellowish light. These bulbs were used to illluminate all of the Boston Elevated Railway's stations and subway tunnels, and were wired in groups of five in series, each group fed by the 600-volt dc traction current . When one bulb in a series of five burned out, the other four would go dark as well. This fact caused maintenance personnel a lot of extra work to figure out which one of the five bulbs in a series was bad, so that they could replace it. Now all the tunnels and stations on the T are lit by fluorescent fixtures fed by commercial ac power rather than from the dc traction power.

If my memory is correct that Boylston was set aside to be preserved in its original condition, I am glad. It is commendable, very interesting, and most worthwhile to keep at least one of Boston's historic subway stations in as close to its original design as possible.

What is NOT commendable is that the T has allowed Boylston station to get into the very terrribly shabby, dirty and run-down condition it is in today. Slapping one more coat over the existing multiple dirty, peeling layers of paint and rusted metal may "brighten things up a little" but won't last very long or fool anyone into thinking that the place has been properly restored.

To do the job right, the entire interior of the station will have to be sandblasted clean down to the original metal, all deteriorated and severely rusted areas repaired and/or replaced with the same design and kind of material as was used originally, followed by a proper paint job based on research into the correct original color used. Then Boylston would look great.