Some info on the new Blue Line cars

I emailed Lisa Bono a couple of months ago and this is the response I got:

Mr. Smith,

My Name is Alfred Ricko, and I am a Supervisor of Transportation for the
Blue Line. Ms Bono, Chief of Blue Line Operations, has asked that I
respond to your recent correspondence.

Two pilot cars for testing are scheduled to be delivered on August 5,
2005. If all goes well with the testing process, the first six car train
will be delivered in February of 2006. The remaining cars are scheduled
to be delivered by October of 2007. As of today there is no date
scheduled for the public unveiling of the new cars.

If you have any other questions or concerns regarding Blue Line service,
please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

And I dug around in TTA's image folders and found this photo that isn't displayed on their site right now: http://www.ttallc.com/newcar/images/newcarpic1.jpg

Why does the rollsign say Beachmont? Not a big fan of those digital yellow letters either. LED would look much nicer. Anyone know if the trains will have recorded stop announcements?

Nice to see that someone did return your letter/email. They will be simular to the 1800's and 3800s with automated anouncements and ADA signs in the car. Im not sure but there was an option on the mock-up with the doors that would allow the pasenger activate the door to enter or exit in certian stations where there is little to no riders. I they ordered this option the mororperson would operate like the regular doors with push buttons that will activate the switches to open the door and will shut them same way they will close all at once. The doors can be opened for normal stops opening all the doors at once per side. The other tiing observed is the pantographs will be on the front end of either car. Nice job on the letter. Let me know if I missed any thing

savebowdoin wrote:I believe that image is a model... it looks too fake to be a pic of the actual car, it could just be the lighting though. Also, I doubt that is the real rollsign/destination display, it looks like just text photoshopped in...
Perhaps why it isn't displayed on the site.


Mike

True. I considered the possibility that this is a model and it seems likely that it is. It's shown from another angle in the mockups section of TTA's site here: http://www.ttallc.com/newcomponents/ima ... Amodel.jpg

It is about as close to the final design as you can get without seeing it in August.

Ands who cares if it's LCD or LED or rollsign destination signs, it doesn't matter. One line, two ways of travel, asl long as the sign says where it's going who cares what make it is.

I wouldn't care if the new cars came with rollsigns (just as long as they include Lynn on them). But I'm sure the T is going to specify electronic signs and in that case, I hope they chose to go with LEDs (light-emitting diodes). I'm not a technology expert, but I find that LEDs are brighter and easier to see from an angle than LCDs (liquid crystal displays). The outside black-on-yellow destination signs on the Type 8's and 1800-series Red Line cars are LCDs. They're difficult to see from an angle. The orange-on-black electronic signs on the new buses are LEDs and they're much easier to see (except when the sun is shining directly on them). One other thing I've noticed about the type 8 and 1800 signs are that "pieces" of the letters are sometimes missing (especially on the 1800s), which makes it hard to tell where the train is going. I've never seen that with LED signs. That's why the new BL cars should have them.

mattster wrote:

savebowdoin wrote:I believe that image is a model... it looks too fake to be a pic of the actual car, it could just be the lighting though. Also, I doubt that is the real rollsign/destination display, it looks like just text photoshopped in...
Perhaps why it isn't displayed on the site.


Mike

True. I considered the possibility that this is a model and it seems likely that it is. It's shown from another angle in the mockups section of TTA's site here: http://www.ttallc.com/newcomponents/ima ... Amodel.jpg

That defintely is an artist's rendering. If it were real, the car bodies would shine in the daylight and you'd be able to see through the windows. But it gives you a very accurate idea as to what the new cars will look like.

The picture is the model of the #5 car taken with and without a background and the destination sign is only a decal put on the front so it just does not look blank. As for what type of display LCD or LED I have to check and get back to you. [/quote]

LCDs have become more sophisticated in that you can view them at angles with less problems, but I love LED displays. They're bright, long-lasting, and more practical. Besides, the Black on Yellow is hard to read, especially when they're not lit.

Here's some concept art from Siemens: http://www.sts.siemens.com/images/Boston-HRV.jpg

To me the signs don't really matter, what really matters is that the new cars have automated stop announcements and signage like the Red Line. Everything else added is just cosmetic. Give me a train with clear announcements, good signage, and excellant lighting and I'll ride it anytime!

StevieC48 wrote: Im not sure but there was an option on the mock-up with the doors that would allow the pasenger activate the door to enter or exit in certian stations where there is little to no riders.

This how the subways and other transit lines in Germany operate, the passengers activate the doors (a button lights up when it is ready to open), and the doors are then closed by the operator.

NealG wrote:

StevieC48 wrote: Im not sure but there was an option on the mock-up with the doors that would allow the pasenger activate the door to enter or exit in certian stations where there is little to no riders.

This how the subways and other transit lines in Germany operate, the passengers activate the doors (a button lights up when it is ready to open), and the doors are then closed by the operator.

I missed that part. A lot of US Light rail systems have gone that route too...a great way to reduce maintenance by reducing unecessary door openings. Does take a moment for new users to figure out, but they quickly get the hang of it.

NealG wrote:

StevieC48 wrote: Im not sure but there was an option on the mock-up with the doors that would allow the pasenger activate the door to enter or exit in certian stations where there is little to no riders.

This how the subways and other transit lines in Germany operate, the passengers activate the doors (a button lights up when it is ready to open), and the doors are then closed by the operator.

They also have that on London and Paris subway trains - in fact, it was retrofitted onto some of London's Underground trains. New Jersey Transit's LRVs have this technology too, but if the new Blue Line cars have it, I think they would be the first heavy-rail subway cars in the US to have them. Could be interesting to see how that would work out on the BL.

Are the riders ready for having to open the door themselves. Unfourtnately some riders are so impatient this should send them through the roof LOL

I hadn't thought of that. I noticed they didn't go for that option on the Bredas, so maybe the MBTA just doesn't want to go there with its riders. After all, the Charlie Card is going to be enough change for most people to handle for the next decade or so!

What are the benefits of a system where the passengers open the doors? Wouldn't it be just as easy to let the operator do it? The operator would still need to activate/close the doors. It might be useful on parts of the green line though.