I ride the Metrorail at least 2-3x a week, looking at videos from its inaugural day in 1984 & other videos of the trains from the 80s, 90s, 2000s & now, the interior has looked the exact same for 30+ years now lol, besides cleaning up trash there have literally been no changes. The new fleet is quite needed but I'll miss the old reliables.
Awesome video! :) I had good memories riding on the metrorail, especially on the Budd Cars. I stop usually at Northside, Government Center, Brickell, and University. That being said, I hope they expand the rail lines soon in the future.
One last update: they made their last in service passenger runs on July 14th and now (unofficially but basically) retired. 4 cars are now work units, the rest unknown status but they don't run. The highest Hitachi car #436 is on property and will start service soon, sealing the fate for those Budds once so. I really will dearly miss them although only riding them a handful of times, those and the PA-4s will always be the most memorable to me. The sister Budds in Maryland are still very much alive and in service! Their first Hitachi replacements expected to come in sometime this year! Although the Maryland Budds are rebuilt and run very smooth and clean compared to the screechy authentic original straight from the 80s Miami Budds. Was fun while it lasted 😃
About near two months ago or so after midnight saw cars 109-110-175-176 heading northbound on the southbound track between overtown and culmer. Don't know if those are the current work cars.
The designated work pairs are 173-174 and 175-176 (currently coupled as 173-174-176-175) and occasionally runs at night after hours. Cars 109-110, 151-152, 163-164, etc. are alternate cars available.
I loved the Metrorail. I could go to Target at Dadeland North and load up my bike with groceries, roll it on the train and get off at the Grove and ride the half mile to my home. I miss the convenience. The only thing that ever got me upset was when the elevator was out and you had to go to another station.
Damn trainluvr you get around eh? This is my hometown. You can find the storage yard on NW 72nd ave and 74th street or so. Tho in actuality, the lot is huge and stretches from NW 58th Street all the way to 74th. Adjacent to the lot on 74th street you will see a smaller fenced lot that houses the retired fleet of Metrobuses. They got some there from the 80's and 90's. We also have the Metromover, which connects different parts of downtown Miami. That one is not to shabby. All in all, coming from NYC, let's just say the public transport here is a slip-n-slide in comparison 😆
17:30 I was most likely on that northbound train at that very moment going to work lol, 234-233 was the lead pair and I was on 234. Awesome video, loved every second of it!
Wow! I got quite a few good rides on that pair, I didn't see it the first few weekends I was there and wondered why it seemed it wasn't used in a while. Keeping an eye out on these cars, they're only around until all the Hitachis are in and working however last weekend 0 ran with only one Sunday morning run the weekend before.
@@trackwerkOG they're now officially retired. The few that's still in the yard are either going to be shipped out or preserved. I would love for at least one train set to make a final run before permeant retirement but I doubt that will happen.
This is awesome! There are only 14 operable cars left in service and they usually run on weekends. 120 and counting Hitachi cars in service. I love the Budds and nothing rides like those.
@@trainluvr I hope so too! I spoke with someone who shared some interesting info on why the Budds still run on weekends as Hitachi sets are worked on with the many technical glitches they have. Apparently the Hitachis aren't ATO compatible with the system (the Budds are) and keep having software glitches (such as the console and announcements freezing and resetting randomly). Although they're holding onto a few pairs at the moment and last retired a pair in early May, there was a plan to hold 40 cars for extra service however there's no more than 16 operable cars at the moment. Unknown how many are still on property. A few were or are supposed to be donated to a museum somewhere in Florida. Apparently there's a "out with the old, in with the new" mindset when it comes to public transportation and also a lot of tug of wars between political and management influence on operations (such as the 27th Ave extension was ordered to be completed and for years there's been cones in the empty lots near the Northside curve where construction was supposed to be begin, and the downtown Tri Rail extension waiting for PTC however they may just run it temporarily without it yet at the same time there's opposition to run service there). Hopefully some Budds will get into the right hands and become preserved.
I just remembered something funny about the Metrorail. In 2009 when I first moved to Miami the Metrorail didn't have Easy cards yet and you would give a man next to the turnstile, your bills and change. He had a long piece of metal to stuff the bills in the hole where the money was collected. I called those guys "the dollar bill stuffers!" How archaic!
Unfortunately no. I miss the convenience of the Metrorail. I lived in Silver Bluff (near the Grove) and could easily ride my bike to the Coconut Grove station and go to Dadeland North to Target. Load up my bike with groceries and head back home.
In my opinion, they do not need to replace the old existing cars, but remodel them and change the mechanics. These cars lasted over 35+ and can last a lot more if they properly maintain them and provide adequate maintenance, which they didn't. These cars were treated horribly, what's to say the same outcome isn't going to happen to the new fleet. I know that Budd Company doesn't exist anymore, but I am sure that there are companies out there that would create parts for this to fix the old cars and remodel them to their old glory!
I ride the PATCO from New Jersey to Philly on Budd cars older than these. The trucks of the cars of a life span of over 100 years. The PATCO simply remodeled and updated the mechanics and the PATCO cars are good to go for another 40 years. Guess what it was cheaper than buying new cars.
Jonathan Chirino they never overhaul them back in 2017 before the new trains came the county was struggling to keep like 50 of them active because they kept breaking down while majority of them were sitting in the yard and about half of them are retired now
Surprisingly there's still a few of these cars in active service between 16 to 20 cars or soo. I'm happy they've made it to 2020 but sadly I dont know how much longer we're going to see these run because now I see the new cars are everywhere now and they have up to cars 403-404 testing before it hits revenue service. 435-436 should be here later this year. I know unfortunately within the coming months these cars will most likely be retired
I remember riding those Budd trains yet as Hitachi has replaced them, I bet CRRC of China had knocked it off and probably more modern. In a way please do the trains in Calgary, Canada on the Alberta trains.
William Erazo where tho and how? Instead of those stupid bus ways they built all across US1, they should have extended the tracks all the way to at least Cutler Ridge courthouse. But city ain't got no money for that.
There are some plans to keep and fully overhaul 40 cars, but nothing has been set in stone at this time. But with more transit friendly politicians starting to win office, it could happen.
Bruce Tharpe I'm pretty sure some have been retired but their still running even though majority of them are sitting in the yard in Hialeah not going anywhere
That train has kept people in the game for decades. Not for that train a person under 35 k which is 80 percent of Miami has to buy a car. Then it's over financially.
