Phase I of the Silver line open

[realtype]

I'm planning on taking the very first westbound Silver Line train from Metro Center (I'm taking the Red Line in), but it's been kinda difficult to pinpoint which one that is. According to the Trip Planner the first "official" WB Silver Line train (end-to-end) departs LTC at 12:03pm and Metro Center at 12:32pm, but it doesn't show the Orange Line trains that will switch to Silver (and carry passengers all the way to Wiehle).

Based on the information from the Wash. Post posted by YOLO I'm guessing that the first train to switch over and carry passengers is the one leaving Metro Center at 12:08pm and arriving EFC at 12:26pm, just before the EB is scheduled to arrive.

[JackRussell]

were the LEDs on the faregates even working? couldnt see anything on the display

The ones we were using all seemed to be operating correctly.

As I look through my photos, it looks like some of the PIDs were glitchy, but I was wondering if that was an artifact of having a fast shutter speed. I didn't notice anything when I was looking at them with my eyes..

[JDC]

were the LEDs on the faregates even working? couldnt see anything on the display

The ones we were using all seemed to be operating correctly.

As I look through my photos, it looks like some of the PIDs were glitchy, but I was wondering if that was an artifact of having a fast shutter speed. I didn't notice anything when I was looking at them with my eyes..

All PIDs I saw were working, as were the LEDs on the faregates. Although at Tysons Corner station I came across 2 broken faregates.

[TheOneKEA]

I waited at Ballston for the train that was likely to reach East Falls Church before 12:30, and was thus able to stand in the front of unit 5612 and get an excellent view of the N Route past K&N Junction. The train even stopped on the viaduct east of McLean for a lengthy period, making it easy to get lots of photos of the Tysons Corner skyline. Everyone in 5612 clapped when the train diverged onto the westbound N Route.

Everything appeared to be working normally at Wiehle Avenue and Tysons Corner. The new faregates look fantastic and I hope they, and some of the new signage, spread to the rest of the network.

It also looked like the diverging turnout to the N06 pocket track is locked in the reverse position most of the time.

[jkovach]

I was on 2031, not 5612... looks like I got the second or third train then. C'est la vie. I wonder if the crowd at East Falls Church was mainly passengers returning from the inaugural train out of Wiehle.

The Post reports that trains signed for the Silver Line didn't start leaving Largo until around 12:30:

At the Largo station – the eastern end of the Silver Line – about 30 people waited around noon to be among the first to ride in the western direction. A groan of disappointment rose from the group every time a non-Silver Line train pulled into the station. The first official Silver Line train was scheduled to arrive and leave at 12:03 p.m. Metro station officials told the crowd the ceremonies were running long in Tysons, and they were waiting for permission to switch arriving Orange or Blue Line trains to Silver as they left the station.

Finally, around 12:25 p.m., Metro officials directed people to board an Orange Line train, promising that it would switch to a Silver train down the line. Three minutes later, train passengers clapped and cheered “Yay!” as the red digital display inside the train changed to “Silver Line.”

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/liv ... fd3d62c7e3

[YOLO]

5612? did you mean 5012 or is it some other reference?

I passed thru the silver line stations way later in the day, so chances are it did not happen right away. the glitchy PIDs were on the Tysons corner outside unit. I definitely did see one of the Greensboro PIDS completely off.

Now onto phase 2! Cant wait until we can go to Ashburn...

[JackRussell]

I was on 2031, not 5612... looks like I got the second or third train then. C'est la vie. I wonder if the crowd at East Falls Church was mainly passengers returning from the inaugural train out of Wiehle.

It is hard to know with certainty - the announcements that they made ahead of time seemed to only be a rough guide for what was really going to happen.

We were sitting at the restaurant in Clarendon and ordering lunch at 12:30, so we must have passed through EFC around 12:10 or so. Does that mean that we were truly on the 1st train that was moving and carrying passengers, or was there yet another one ahead of us? There may well have been another train ahead of us - there were very few people on the platforms wanting to board our train until we got to EFC.

[drwho9437]

I went to Vienna station because I had never been out to the very end of the Orange line and cycled up the Washington & Old Dominion trail to make the silver line at about 11:50. The line was very long and I politely went to the end after snatching a pennant. Then the people helping just told everyone to go in no matter where they were in line. An official told me I would need to secure my bike. Someone else had locked one to the railing, but I had no lock. Puzzled I said: ummm this is a Saturday, I can wait a bit if you need me too. They thanked me, but then the cyclist blob increased and they let us in. I think I was on the last car of the second train. I saw the 7000 series car at Foggy Bottom.

I feel like there was more flange rubbing (squealing) on the silver line than in most places in the system. There are a number of low radius turns to do the Tyson's jog. The noise level also increases somewhat once it is elevated for some reason.

A red-line customer at my exit station asked if it was opening day. I said, yes, no major glitches and they replied mockingly. Some people don't know how good they have it...

I would say a lot of territory around these stations needs to adapt to pedestrian traffic though. There was a tweet about the sidewalk's end in Greensboro. I also was surprised by the lack of sidewalls a few blocks from the Wiehle in the office parks. Unfortunately, heavy rail isn't pixie dust but given that Tysons doesn't have a lot the same sort of entrenched residential population other places have, there is some hope for real redevelopment. I feel that massive highways to cross though... well that might mean it never gives way to urban like. The upper shady grove branch's upper section doesn't feel pedestrian friendly after 30 years where 355 is 6+ lanes.

[tommyboy6181]

they definitely cant write it all out, no room ... I think that's why trains say Largo instead of Largo Town Center

Maybe Wiehle Reston or Wiehle R East or something shortened

maybe we'll see silver or white LEDs on the 5k/6k but everything below 5k series is supposed to get scrapped in the near future, I don't think they want to spend the time or the money to install LEDs

The 7000-series test train made an appearance today, and has Wiehle-Reston showing AND 'silver' LEDs on the side displays. https://twitter.com/fairfaxcounty/statu ... 84/photo/1. So, as more and more 7000-series cars are put into service, we'll finally see silver LEDs on the trains. But it looks like we might never seem them on the 2000, 3000, 5000, or 6000 series cars.

The 5000/6000 series could likely get them as they will both undergo a midlife rebuild within the next 5-10 years. The 2/3k will probably never get them as they will eventually be scrapped for the 8000 series cars that will replace them. However, anything is always possible. After all, if the 2/3/5/6k cars can already display the color of the other lines, it could simply be something as programming the LEDs if it's possible on what they already have.

[tommyboy6181]

they definitely cant write it all out, no room ... I think that's why trains say Largo instead of Largo Town Center

Maybe Wiehle Reston or Wiehle R East or something shortened

maybe we'll see silver or white LEDs on the 5k/6k but everything below 5k series is supposed to get scrapped in the near future, I don't think they want to spend the time or the money to install LEDs

The 7000-series test train made an appearance today, and has Wiehle-Reston showing AND 'silver' LEDs on the side displays. https://twitter.com/fairfaxcounty/statu ... 84/photo/1. So, as more and more 7000-series cars are put into service, we'll finally see silver LEDs on the trains. But it looks like we might never seem them on the 2000, 3000, 5000, or 6000 series cars.

The 5000/6000 series will likely get them as they will both undergo a midlife rebuild within the next 5-10 years. The 2/3k will probably never get them as they will eventually be scrapped for the 8000 series cars that will replace them. However, anything is always possible. After all, if the 2/3/5/6k cars can already display the color of the other lines, it could simply be something as programming the LEDs if it's possible on what they already have.

[Sand Box John]

My understating is, WMATA opened the entrances at 4 stations in Tysons at 1130 and opened the faregate at noon. Wiehle- Reston East was opened some time later to allow those there to board the first eastbound train.

I enter at Greensboro purchased a Silver line SmarTrip card shortly after 1135. At noon went through faregates and descended to the platform. No one was allowed to board any of the trains until the first train out of Wiehle- Reston East arrived. The first train carrying westbound passenger did not leave East Falls Church until the first eastbound train arrived there.

Boarded the first eastbound train at Greensboro got off at East Falls Church and boarded the first westbound there and got off at McLean.

When I turn off Chain Bridge Road on to Leesburg Pike around 0830 I noticed a westbound train stopped between Greensboro and Spring Hill, After pulling in to McDonald's for breakfast I noticed the rear end of a train in the Spring Hill Station. The rear of the train looked odd, turned out to be an 8 car train of 7k cars.

Took 826 pictures of Greenbelt yard, the test track, progress on phase II and the new stations.

Hope to publish some of the pictures took today with the normal progress essay and the rest of the pictures sometime this week.

Left home around 0430, got home around 2130, my feet were tired, took a shower went to bed.

[JDC]

Took 826 pictures of Greenbelt yard, the test track, progress on phase II and the new stations.

Hope to publish some of the pictures took today with the normal progress essay and the rest of the pictures sometime this week.

Left home around 0430, got home around 2130, my feet were tired, took a shower went to bed.

Looking forward to it, John!

[JDC]

Some random thoughts and observations:

First, per Metro's twitter account, more than 32,000 people used the new Silver Line stations. https://twitter.com/wmata/status/493398810719428610. That seems a healthy figure for an opening day crowd and Metro personnel seemed very capable of handling the crowds and all of the minor technical glitches that occurred.

Second, has anyone else noticed the new 'neighborhood' maps in the Metro stations (the backlit ones next to the regular Metrorail maps)? Metro has been updating them to show the Silver Line, but has also started using a new format. The Metro lines, which used to be in the color of the line, are now solid black, and instead at each Metro station there is a large circle divided into the colors of the lines serving that station. This mirrors Metro's new bus maps, which show Metrorail lines in black and than a circle divided into each color at the stations. See for example: http://www.wmata.com/pdfs/bus/DC_System_Map.pdf?. It makes sense for the bus map, which uses colors for the bus lines, but I am not sure I like it on the neighborhood map as much....but then again, if you're already at a station looking at the neighborhood's amenities, having 3 lines representing B/O/S running in the middle may be a bit distracting from what you're searching for. What I do like, however, is that the new maps (if I recall correctly) do a better job of indicating that a station has multiple entrances/exits and where they are in relation to the streets.

I also want to point out something else that caught my eye: the new neighborhood maps being used downtown (I can specifically recall those at L'Enfant) are otherwise identical to the existing neighborhood maps: they use the same color scheme and style, for instance showing schools or museums in different colors. If you walked past in a hurry you might not even notice they are new, since only the black lines and circles for stations are new features.

For the new Silver Line stations, however, Metro has completely revamped the neighborhood map. It also uses the black line to represent the Silver Line and a circle at each station showing it's serviced by the Silver Line, but the style and presentation are completely different than the neighborhood maps used in the other stations. See for example this pdf of the McLean Station neighborhood map shown online, which is exactly the map that is backlit at the station side by side with the Metrorail map. http://www.wmata.com/rail/evacuation/Mc ... _FINAL.pdf

[queensdee223]

Metro posted the video from Wiehle-Reston E. back to Ballston, but in real time (20 minutes): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hnn1OTa ... e=youtu.be.
Here is the video from Ballston to Wiehle-Reston E., but in time lapse: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNWJh6cm ... 65q5mquq8Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Thanks for posting this. Is the sound in the normal speed video what it sounds like in person? I had to turn the volume up high to hear it. The motor sounds at the first stop in the video reminded me of newer New York subway cars. I saw rails between the running rails in the video. There are two in frame in the first station stop. Are they to keep the train in place in the event of a derailment? I also got a kick out of the optical illusion that the ties and brackets were going by much slower than they really were, or even backwards.

Thanks again to all the posters. I've really enjoyed watching this from afar and look forward to riding the silver line sometime.

[Sand Box John]

First batch of pictures posted:

Test Track Greenbelt Test Track and Commissioning Facility
Silver line opening DCMP 07 26 2014