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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Sat May 12, 2012 9:13 pm Post subject: Boston (5/11/12) |
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I visited Boston Friday to ride and photograph the "T". The MBTA operates a variety of equipment, and I was able to catch quite a bit of it.
Orion VI #5000 in storage at Everett.
Nova LFS shell at Everett. This was intended to become a magnetic induction battery bus, but the project was never completed.
GM TDH-4512 #2600 at Everett.
Neoplan DMA LF (dual-mode) #1110 at Silver Line Way.
New Flyer D40LF #0811 on Summer Street at Atlantic Avenue.
Neoplan AN460 LF #1001 at Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street.
NABI 40LFW #2013 and #2182 at Dudley Station.
Crystal Transport New Flyer DE40LF #638 at JFK / U Mass Station.
New Flyer DE60LFR #1202 at Mattapan Station.
Pullman-Standard PCC #3260 at Mattapan Station.
Neoplan AN460 LF #1029 at Forest Hills Station.
Kinki-Sharyo Type 7 #3665 on South Huntington Avenue at Heath Street.
Boston University Nova LFS #2125 on Commonwealth Avenue at Kenmore Street.
Neoplan AN440 LF/ETB #4118 on Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge at Cambridge Street.
Nova RTS T80206 #0377 in the Harvard bus tunnel, lower level.
Neoplan AN440 LF #0591 at Wellington Station.
More pictures can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billonthehill2001/sets/72157629699526266/
Bill |
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RailBus63 Moderator
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1063
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 9:30 am Post subject: |
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Excellent shots, Bill! Beautiful weather and you really made the most of your day. The Orions and the LFS shells (they are not a true 'bus' because they have no powertrain) have been photographed by few in recent years, so nice catch there. The LFS is one of two shells and the other one was actually painted in the MBTA's standard yellow scheme.
Jim |
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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Sun May 13, 2012 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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RailBus63 wrote: | Excellent shots, Bill! Beautiful weather and you really made the most of your day. The Orions and the LFS shells (they are not a true 'bus' because they have no powertrain) have been photographed by few in recent years, so nice catch there. The LFS is one of two shells and the other one was actually painted in the MBTA's standard yellow scheme.
Jim |
Thanks, Jim. The day did go quite well. My goal was to visit several bus hubs as well as a few other locations. The day started with a visit to a colleague who works at Everett. I then parked at Wellington Station, purchased a day pass and off I went. The journey went as follows:
- Orange Line from Wellington to Downtown Crossing with photo stop at Haymarket
- Red Line from Downtown Crossing to South Station
- Silver Line (SL2) from South Station to Silver Line Way and return
- Silver Line (SL4) from South Station to Dudley
- 41 Bus from Dudley to JFK / U Mass
- Red Line from JFK / U Mass to Quincy Center
- 215 Bus from Quincy Center to Ashmont
- Mattapan Trolley from Ashmont to Mattapan
- 31 Bus from Mattapan to Forest Hills
- 39 Bus from Forest Hills to Heath St
- Green Line (E) from Heath St to Arlington
- Green Line (D) from Arlington to Kenmore
lunch break
- Green Line (D) from Kenmore to Government Center
- Blue Line from Government Center to Bowdoin
walk from Bowdoin to Charles / MGH via Cambridge St
- Red Line from Charles / MGH to Harvard
- Red Line from Harvard to Park St
- Green Line (C) from Park St to North Station
- Orange Line from North Station to Wellington
Everything went smooth, with no delays or issues. I used my day pass 14 times without jamming any fareboxes or fare gates, and certainly got my money's worth.
I believe that the second LFS shell is at Charlestown.
Bill |
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timecruncher
Age: 73 Joined: 23 Dec 2008 Posts: 456 Location: Louisville, Kentucky
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Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2012 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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Nice pix. Especially like the Neoplan low floor TC's. Rare as hen's teeth and unique to Boston due to those wierd driver-side doors!
timecruncher |
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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 5:25 am Post subject: |
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timecruncher wrote: | Nice pix. Especially like the Neoplan low floor TC's. Rare as hen's teeth and unique to Boston due to those wierd driver-side doors!
timecruncher |
Thanks!
It is interesting that MBTA insisted on the left hand door for the TC's, while at the same time running diesels through the Harvard bus tunnels and having passengers board and exit against the wall. And the extra engineering expense was the last thing that Neoplan needed at the time.
Bill |
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RailBus63 Moderator
Joined: 16 Apr 2007 Posts: 1063
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 9:06 am Post subject: |
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Bill D wrote: | timecruncher wrote: | Nice pix. Especially like the Neoplan low floor TC's. Rare as hen's teeth and unique to Boston due to those wierd driver-side doors!
timecruncher |
Thanks!
It is interesting that MBTA insisted on the left hand door for the TC's, while at the same time running diesels through the Harvard bus tunnels and having passengers board and exit against the wall. And the extra engineering expense was the last thing that Neoplan needed at the time.
Bill |
Neoplan originally stated that a left-hand door could not be provided and the pilot bus had right-side doors only, but the MBTA insisted (and sweetened the deal, I believe) and the buses were re-engineered to accomodate it. New Flyer has built BRT buses with left-hand doors and I suspect that they could provide a diesel bus with left doors if the MBTA requsted it.
From what I've been told, what did Neoplan in was the dual-mode buses. I believe they initially had a European design they were going to use but then Neoplan USA was spun off and on its own. The TC's and dual-modes ended up with Skoda electrical gear, which was not a bad outcome in my opinion, but I suspect they ended up spending a lot of money on a design that was unlikely to be sold to any other North American agency.
Jim |
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Bill D
Joined: 17 Apr 2007 Posts: 332 Location: Waterbury, CT
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Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2012 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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RailBus63 wrote: |
New Flyer has built BRT buses with left-hand doors and I suspect that they could provide a diesel bus with left doors if the MBTA requested it. |
While I agree that New Flyer could supply a bus with the left hand door, I doubt that the MBTA would go for the additional expense, based on the limited number of routes that would require it. Given the fact that they have been running diesel buses into the tunnels without issues, I was surprised that they insisted on the left door for the trackless coaches.
Quote: | From what I've been told, what did Neoplan in was the dual-mode buses. I believe they initially had a European design they were going to use but then Neoplan USA was spun off and on its own. The TC's and dual-modes ended up with Skoda electrical gear, which was not a bad outcome in my opinion, but I suspect they ended up spending a lot of money on a design that was unlikely to be sold to any other North American agency.
Jim |
It is too bad that a diesel - electric hybrid bus based on the dual mode design wasn't developed. The two powered axles allow the dual modes to run circles around the other buses in the snow. The typical single drive axle (pusher) articulated bus is a nightmare waiting to happen in slick conditions.
Bill |
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