Hello my deir friend I am here always watching more excellent Works from your wonderful Channel. Have a happy weekend my Brother. We are together Strong hug from Brazil
It's all different now... The -2c's are completely gone, most of the classic GP40's are being rebuilt or overhauled, getting LED's, fresh paint, and ebells. The south side is dominated by bilevels, only a couple sets have flats left. The north side is following suit, with only one flat cab car in service as of today. See the common, before it becomes uncommon. One thing I will say, is we are getting a couple of the rebuilt GP40MC-3 rebuilds in heritage units, so come see em while they are fresh and shiny!
It’s amazing how many young railfans are out there with the cameras. That was unheard of when I was your age but I met so many young railfans today and hang out with a few in New Jersey mostly and one on Long Island. Yes it was good to meet you and your mom and I had a wonderful day as you can see.
I just saw a video from RM transit, Downie Live, and simply Railway from Toronto that the MP54-ACs used by GO transit are the most powerful diesel locomotives used a passenger train in the world at the moment once again, that is GO transit in Toronto. Something you might want to check out those puppies have 5400 hp
@@3985uprr yeah, they need that power for the 10 to 12 car trains that they push pull. And those are double-deckers too, so that is some weight also note the Maple leaf from NYC to Toronto is running now
If I remember correctly, the older locomotives aren't allowed in the Southwest Corridor or Old Colony tunnels due to air quality issues... but occasionally you will see a GP40 on the Fairmount Line, both with the Readville locals and the few Forge Park or Foxboro trains that run via the Fairmount Line in both directions. But yeah, I'm not a fan of the HSPs either mostly because they're so loud with the open side ventilation. Also unfortunately they don't let you just hang out on the platforms at North Station anymore, due to "safety reasons"...
I have to agree with you about F40 being the best looking locomotive. I also have to agree with you on the MPI about looking nice. You are right about MBTA buying 20 MPI's and that was 20 too many. Thanks for the GREAT videos
I want to say I am pleased that you pronounced my hometown correctly. Haverhill is a difficult name for many people not familiar with the area. ;-) I grew up taking the Budd Liners (RDCs) from Bradford (Haverhill) and lived in an apartment that overlooked the old Bradford yard. This sparked my interest in railroads that I've never outgrown. When I was a kid, we would arrive at the old North Station, and I remember seeing the old CNR trains from Montreal and sometimes the old B&M E units for trains for Troy before that line was abandoned. Currently, it appears that the northside is the old stepchild for the MBTA and we keep all the old equipment while the southside gets all the new upgrades. This might not be true, but it sure seems that way. I'm glad you featured North Station as well because of the older equipment and its stark difference from South Station. We don't see the double deck cars too often on the Haverhill line due to a clearance issue near Wellington Circle Orange Line station. The double deck trains have to take the parallel freight line instead of the tunnel that burrows under the flyover for the now mostly abandoned Medford Branch. I recommend looking up Sullivan Square elevated station. The old Boston Elevated ran from Everett Square down to Forest Hills and had a beautiful glass trainshed and terminal at Sullivan Square. Sadly, all that is gone now. The old Forest Hills station was unfortunately demolished even though there protests about it, was similar to the old stations on the NY Westchester and Boston. There was also a trolley line, the line from Heath Street, that ran down Centre Street through Jamaica Plains to Forest Hills. That line was abandoned 10 years ago with lots of protests due to the "T" siding with the NIMBYs who said trolleys make noise. (Not kidding!) When I was a kid, we took the trolley from Lechmere on the north to Forest Hills to visit a friend in the area. In the late 1960s, my dad brought me for a ride on the Elevated. That was an experience I'll never forget because I got to look out the motorman's window. You can see I enjoyed your video. There's really a lot I want to say, but I don't want to write a book! Thank you!
I’m a Long Island Red Sox fan. I love to hang out there in Boston. I try to pronounce the towns correctly. Lots of history on the Boston rail scene. There was a soda fountain at the old Sullivans Square orange line station. I had lunch there one day in 1970 gazing out at the distant skyline
@@3985uprr That is quite a memory to hold on to. The old Sullivan station was a classic structure. Old Beantown is a nice small city to hang out in. I used to work in the city for a bit and enjoyed the small size and convenience of getting around. I didn't appreciate it when I was younger but being able to walk from North Station to work was a pleasure. I spent quite a bit of time out on Long Island. My dad came from the Bronx and moved up here in 1948. I used to visit my great aunt and uncle in their apartment in the Queens and later on when I was older out in Hampton Bays. My other aunt and uncle owned the famous Camp Crestwood in Plainville, but the family sold that a long time ago. During the New York World's Fair, my aunt took me for a ride on the New York Subway system. I was about 3-1/2 going on 4 at the time and still remember the trip over the EL! Much later in 1975 I took the United Aircraft Turbo down to visit them. This was during the sad PC years and Amtrak was still a child. There was quite an assortment of old New Haven washboards, electrics and even PRR GG1s in action. Thank you for the great memories.
What's with all the e-bells these days? I don't get what's wrong with the old metal bells that diesels used to have... Still, though, an awesome video of an awesome commuter operation, one I used to ride whenever I'd visit my grandparents in Reading, Mass. when I was little. It was a long trip, not gonna lie (I live, as I did back then, in Virginia), but worth that trip every time.
Don't get me wrong, I like some of the new railcars coming out soon, but I wish we didn't switch to these silly e-bells. I mean, couldn't we 3D-print traditional railroad bells?
E-Bells are easier to maintain. The real bells tend to crack in cold weather. Alaska Railroad I think was the first railroad to use electronic bells and you know it gets cold there
I must say, Boston has a robust commuter rail network. It’s more impressive than NYC’s considering the size of the two metropolitan areas. So why do you loathe the HSP46s? They’re similar in basic design to most of the latest passenger diesels, including the Genesis, Charger, F125, and PL42AC. There was a time when railfans were complaining about the F40PH because they preferred the bulldog noses of the E8s. I think the Alco PA is the best looking cab unit ever.
The HSP’s are not attractive and they have been loaded with mechanical issues. I am not alone up there in that opinion. Far from it. Part of it is my age I guess and esthetic preferences and the ideal that beauty or ugliness is in the eye of the beholder. I find most of the other locomotive types you noted more attractive and I love the ACS64’s. Color also plays into it. Oh well
@@3985uprr I go back and forth on the aesthetic appeal of the HSP46. Busy styling, boring trucks. I remember when the Genesis first hit the rails in ‘92, many railfans, nostalgic for EMD bulldog noses, hated them. After nearly 30 years of operation, attitudes have evolved. Hard to believe they’re being retired. The Siemens Chargers in their new Amtrak livery look great. I also like the F125. Cesar Vergara designed the P32/40/42 and the Alstom PL42AC. Lucky man!
@@3985uprrafter becoming a 4-day a week commuter since March, I can say I’ve only been in one train that’s broken down and it was power by an HSP, and if we happen to be delayed by a broken down train, it’s always been an hsp.
Particularly amused by your dislike of the HSP46. Must be with the design of the front end and cab which I would agree is kind of ugly! Also of interest is that I can not find a model of it anywhere on DTG and RWA websites. Also nothing on Steam. Hard to believe no one has modeled this loco yet. I was looking to repaint it in MBTA livery. If you have Train Simulator Classic (TSC) I would highly recommend the Boston and Albany route which is superbly done from South Station to Springfield in the 1960's. I have added MBTA F40PH's, bi-level , Comet and Cab Cars at Union Station in Worcester.
Just discovered your great video's. Particularly relevant to me as I rode The Old Colony Line as a kid back in the 1950's rail fanning the NH&H Alco Dl-109's and the RDC Buddliners. I have never ridden the current MBTA Commuter line either out of or into South Station on the Old Colony Line so your trips from the South Shore let me see the changes that have taken place over the lasyt 70 years. I have ridden the Worcester line as that is my current city of residence. I rely on my PC Simulation Train Sim Classic for entertainment. Thanks again for the wonderful memories.
Afternoon RR! Loving the vids, so much familiarity, yet so many differences to enjoy between the Scottish/UK rail scene and our Transatlantic friends! A quick question if I may - I notice many of the departing trains accelerating, and then braking, before again accelerating. Is this a standard brake test or some other reason? Many thanks for brightening this grey afternoon with some lovely loco-hauled colour! Gaz.
@ 10:43 he is heading eather to S&I tracks 1 2 or 3 (fuel stand) or front yard. ( my dad was working around 2 ish these past 2 days he is a loco engineer down here for keolis
And you also didn’t get government center for green line action museum of science parking garage is a good spot as well As you can see red line cars going over the Longfellow bridge and viaduct wear green line cars go over it you would’ve had to go to East Boston or Revere to get blue line action
Nice! I love the MBTA! I’m hoping to go back to Boston soon. However, it is boring mostly seeing the HSPs on the south side though. The north side has been getting all of the good power recently.
It’s another train train if you haven’t checked it out already it’s during the summer time the T operates the Cape flyer. And sometimes you’ll really get lucky and see some real antique iron pulling it To be specific an F9 in New haven livery there’s also the Cape Cod scenic Railroad which has 2F9’s that are painted in that livery
I really enjoy your videos from the east coast. We don't really have anything like that here in Arizona. Question though. Why do some trains have both single level and bi-level cars? Does that just make up the consist or are there other factors, not including cab cars? Noticed this also on NJ Transit.
The cars are interchangeable and they pretty much treat one car like another and some trains are solid double-deckers but I see very few solid single level trains. MBTA is unusual in that sense
@@3985uprr On the MBTA you will see at least one bilevel car on every train part of the reason I do this is because the bilevel cars have a lavatory on them where are the single levels do not and the MBTA is gradually phasing all of them out in favor of bilevels I live in Lynn Massachusetts and used Newburyport Rockport line quite frequently
@@3985uprr ya they are heavy but the advantage of those is on off peak hour trains you can run fewer of them plus those have a lavatory and more bike storage they are 1/3 more capacity for people as well so instead of 6 cars of the old single level you can run 3 or 4 of the bilevels they are made by either Kawasaki Or Hyundai Rotem
@@3985uprr also you missed a shot at a Ride on a PCC Streetcar from the 40s From South Station you take the Ashmont branch to Ashmont station and then you can hop on a PCC streetcar to Mattapan from there It’s amazing that 1940 technology is still running
