Well, I just saw the North Station departures board for the first time, and I gotta say I'm disappointed. Does anyone know if it's the same equipment going in at South Station?
I'm not particularly nostalgic for the mechanical signs (although I do like the fwip-fwip-fwip sound), but the new stuff at North Station is just ugly. The old signs have a little elegance to them that the blaring orange LED lights don't. They look like they should be on the side of a highway telling me ROAD WORK BEGINS TUESDAY EXPECT DELAYS.
I would have preferred the new stuff they have at GCT, NYP, Chicago and other places. They have the same sort of font and backlit look as the old signs and are way classier than what the T seems to have bought.
See here for an example of what I'm talking about.
Railroad Forums
Solari board replacement at South Station and Back Bay
- Discussion relating to commuter rail, light rail, and subway operations of the MBTA.
Moderators: sery2831, CRail
by dbperry
bierhere wrote:I noticed there are no signs over by Tracks 1/2 where the old TV monitor sits. Are they planning something different over there?I really hope they put in a directory of ALL tracks, so that when you come off of Atlantic Ave without going 'indoors' you can see where your train is without having to go from track to track looking for your train.
Those TV monitors are horrible - even if you are 18" from the monitor they are hardly legible.
Dave
by Robert Paniagua
Oh, they are also revamping BBY? I guess they will also need to renovate that station itself too, it's falling apart. I like those new LED signs. Maybe Ruggles will get some too.
by danib62
I wonder how those BBY signs will be used. Will they show the next 3 trains leaving from the tracks they are posted at? If that is the case then they will need a central board that lists all the trains for all the tracks.
"We are running with normal train service on the Red Line. We apologize for the inconvenience."
by dbperry
I asked about the South Station project tonight at the "MBCR Talk to a Manager" night.....they said the schedule is end of May to have everything running at South Station.
Only things I learned....(forgive me if they have already been reported on this thread):
1) The two separate Amtrak / MBTA Solari boards will be combined into one common central display; and
2) They are planning on something that will list all trains near the 'outside' entrances from Atlantic Ave and Summer St (so you don't have to hunt track to track or go inside if you bypass the indoor part of the station); and
3) Audio track announcements will be an automated recording type (rather than a live person) .
Dave
Only things I learned....(forgive me if they have already been reported on this thread):
1) The two separate Amtrak / MBTA Solari boards will be combined into one common central display; and
2) They are planning on something that will list all trains near the 'outside' entrances from Atlantic Ave and Summer St (so you don't have to hunt track to track or go inside if you bypass the indoor part of the station); and
3) Audio track announcements will be an automated recording type (rather than a live person) .
Dave
by sery2831
Fred Rabin wrote:Does that mean we have to endure those stupid announcements like they have in Providence about not boarding the train until it arrives into [sic] the station?How does one board a train before it arrives in the station?
Last edited by sery2831 on Wed Apr 23, 2008 9:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Moderator: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
by acela 2036
sery2831 wrote:Few Things,Fred Rabin wrote:Does that mean we have to endure those stupid announcements like they have in Providence about not boarding the train until it arrives into [sic] the station?How does one board a train before it arrives in the station?
Thats going to be heard at South Station with the automatic announcer for the Purple train, especially during the rush hour commute!
I go to Providence Station all the time
2 things I can think of,
1. he could mean about passengers proceeding to the platform just before the train arrives into the station
2. remaining behind the yellow safety line before the train comes to a complete Stop