PHL - So Long Solari

[ChesterValley]

No they didn't. No clacking, same set up they have at New York Penn Station. I miss the announcers already .

[Suburban Station]

Amtrak has the new board up https://i.imgur.com/UjG5bAv.jpg

Somehow the time is smaller than on the old board, and the new automated PA system is terrible. Someone at Amtrak didn't realize that 30th street is echoy by nature, and the audio system reverbs so much you can't hear any announcement.

agreed, although the trains are much more clearly displayed

[rohr turbo]

I too miss the Solari boards.

Here is a remaining unusual place to get an Amtrak train connection clacked out: the Ferry Building in San Francisco.

[ChesterValley]

Someone found the Solari board just chillin

[penncenter]

Doesn't New Haven still have an operational Solari Board?

[shadyjay]

Negative on NHV, replaced with digital screens a few years ago as part of a larger project that installed new audio/visual systems throughout the station.

[Acela150]

Amtrak has the new board up https://i.imgur.com/UjG5bAv.jpg

Somehow the time is smaller than on the old board, and the new automated PA system is terrible. Someone at Amtrak didn't realize that 30th street is echoy by nature, and the audio system reverbs so much you can't hear any announcement.

I don't know why people bash the current PA system at 30th Street. The current PA system is much better then what it used to be. I have been to 30th Street twice since PIDS was installed and I have had absolutely no issues understanding the announcements. None.

Personally I like PIDS in 30th Street. It's easy to see from anywhere on the Amtrak level. And most importantly it's easy to read the board from anywhere on the Amtrak level as well.

[danib62]

Someone found the Solari board just chillin

That's at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. I saw it there a few weeks ago too. Highly recommend a trip. The Strasburg Rail Road is right across the street as well so you can make it a 2 for 1.

[ExCon90]

Someone raised the question awhile ago whether they saved the control console along with the board. It would make an excellent exhibit if they could mount it in such a way as to show the board in actual operation.

[Bob Roberts]

While its not quite the same context I was pleasantly surprised to see two, nicely restored, Solari boards at he TWA hotel in JFK airport this morning. Once displays historic destinations (and it updates every few minutes — but not frequently enough to bring the 30th Street level of satisfaction). The other (which faces Terminal 5) appears to mostly display hotel brand messages — not particularly interesting but I was surprised by the versatility of the board for this purpose.

[I was so exhausted on arrival last night I didn’t notice them at check in]

[STrRedWolf]

I long for the days of the Solari board. 30th Street Philly replaced it with a grid of 9 screens... and it's a copy of any "modern" display. Ugh. I wished they duplicated what Baltimore did.

[liftedjeep]

30th St Station's Solari Board now on display at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania:

https://rrmuseumpa.org/historic-solari- ... n-exhibit/

Ben

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone: Good to see the 1986-vintage 30th Street Station Solari board on display at RM of PA...

The reason for keeping the board with its last use listings is that it is ON LOAN from Amtrak...

I mentioned the control console that operated this board and wondered if that was included as part
of this exhibit. If the board was donated to RM of PA and was Museum property there perhaps could be
an option to use this board to show how it operated when it was in service. This static display will do
for now while the fate of this board (does Amtrak retain or does the board remain permanently at RM of PA?)
is decided by the two parties. At least we all know preservation is definitely happening...MACTRAXX

[mcgrath618]

Glad to hear it might be coming back to Philly. I’d hope the developer of the redesigned concourse would at least use other flippy boards, if not this original Solari brand. There’s a Philadelphia based company that makes ADA compliant boards that are used in Sweetgreen restaurants (and notably, the Pass and Stow at Citizen’s Bank Park).

[MACTRAXX]

Everyone:

The recently replaced 30th Street Station Solari board dates from the second half of 1985/first half of 1986 time period.

From the mention by BK about the board being installed in 1986 I found information from looking through archived copies
of Philadelphia Chapter-NRHS "Cinders" from that era.

In the October 1985 "Cinders" Frank Tattnall's "Philadelphia Express" mentions this in its Amtrak section: (page 3)
"Amtrak is putting in a new electronic train information board at 30th Street Station in addition to the
recently installed gate departure signs."

What I would like to read is Amtrak NEWS issues from that time period to see if the 30th Street Station Solari board
replacement is mentioned for further clarification...Both "Cinders" and Amtrak "NEWS" were part of the NRHS National
Library collection when it was in Philadelphia up until February 2008...

MACTRAXX