Orange Line questions

[mitch3910]

Forgive me if I have the wrong car number! But on what I beleieve was 01214 there are 8 small rectangular boxs on the ceiling. 2 near either end and 4 clustered in the center door way. Are these Security cameras or something else?
I did not see anything on the other cars in the set I was on. I would also send a picture but have no idea how to send from my phone.

Yep, some OL cars have been outfitted with cameras like a lot of the buses. I haven't seen cameras on any other lines, though.

[3rdrail]

Cameras cutting down on crime on the T is a huge success. With in many cases few clues to go on, Transit Police have had good success with public response in identifying criminals whose photos are broadcasted on the news. The focusing of an individual is a major step in any criminal investigation.

[Finch]

It's worth noting that a heavy rail train is significantly less responsive than a light rail car (or mated cars).

What do you mean by less responsive? Other than emergency braking rates, modern streetcars and heavy rail cars have similar acceleration and braking rates.

Emergency braking rate would be the most important rate in the scenario ThinkBoston suggests - a signal system that is incapable of intervening in the case of an operator error. I will take your word for it regarding normal acceleration and braking rates.

By "responsive" I meant the "rate of rate," if you will. The derivative of the rate. How quickly can the car apply throttle or brakes to reach the intended rate? In my language (though I have heard it elsewhere), a streetcar must be very responsive so the operator can react to the hectic street environment (traffic lights, pedestrians, bad drivers, etc). Or rather, so the vehicle reacts when the operator gives a command. If trains are intended to run as close together as on the Green Line, then they better be responsive enough for the operator to control that distance easily...without having to crawl along at 20 mph for fear of blowing a signal.

[typesix]

There is no difference in response rates between streetcars and rapid cars. If you ever get to see a rapid operator move the controller handle and feel the effect, there is no delay in car reaction compared to streetcars. Plus the rapid car would not want a delay in response during braking. Regarding acceleration and braking rates, most modern streetcars and rapid cars accelerate and brake at max of 3-3.5 mphps(non-emergency braking).

[BandM4266]

Forgive me if I have the wrong car number! But on what I beleieve was 01214 there are 8 small rectangular boxs on the ceiling. 2 near either end and 4 clustered in the center door way. Are these Security cameras or something else?
I did not see anything on the other cars in the set I was on. I would also send a picture but have no idea how to send from my phone.

Yep, some OL cars have been outfitted with cameras like a lot of the buses. I haven't seen cameras on any other lines, though.

I cant remember the car numbers but the Green Line also has 2 cars that have been fitted with cameras, they also have a notice to passengers inside the cars telling them that they are security cars, I did not notice this on the OL car that I was riding in.

[BostonUrbEx]

Here's a question based on this [VERY LARGE] picture I took at the Meet the GM roundtable: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/591 ... 6820_o.jpg

I find the way they display the Forest Hills Yard to be interesting. It appears that there is a slip switch of some sort for the two center yard tracks? And it also appears there is no way from the westernmost track to the easternmost track (or vice versa) without a couple reverse moves using the center yard tracks. Is this so?


Interesting side note: the OCC displays Oak Grove as two side platforms! It's a center. Though technically there is one side as well if you count the commuter rail, but regardless, it is still just one center platform.

[BandM4266]

Here's a question based on this [VERY LARGE] picture I took at the Meet the GM roundtable: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/591 ... 6820_o.jpg

I find the way they display the Forest Hills Yard to be interesting. It appears that there is a slip switch of some sort for the two center yard tracks? And it also appears there is no way from the westernmost track to the easternmost track (or vice versa) without a couple reverse moves using the center yard tracks. Is this so?


Interesting side note: the OCC displays Oak Grove as two side platforms! It's a center. Though technically there is one side as well if you count the commuter rail, but regardless, it is still just one center platform.

From the looks of the picture and the title of the slide it has to do with the actual power grid and not Track switches. If I am wrong someone will be correcting me. It appears that this was drawn up to show were one area ends and the next begins and with the crossovers, so that MOW or other personnel can determine were they need to isolate an area by calling Power Dispactch.

[BostonUrbEx]

Here's a question based on this [VERY LARGE] picture I took at the Meet the GM roundtable: http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6030/591 ... 6820_o.jpg

I find the way they display the Forest Hills Yard to be interesting. It appears that there is a slip switch of some sort for the two center yard tracks? And it also appears there is no way from the westernmost track to the easternmost track (or vice versa) without a couple reverse moves using the center yard tracks. Is this so?


Interesting side note: the OCC displays Oak Grove as two side platforms! It's a center. Though technically there is one side as well if you count the commuter rail, but regardless, it is still just one center platform.

From the looks of the picture and the title of the slide it has to do with the actual power grid and not Track switches. If I am wrong someone will be correcting me. It appears that this was drawn up to show were one area ends and the next begins and with the crossovers, so that MOW or other personnel can determine were they need to isolate an area by calling Power Dispactch.

Indeed, but crossovers are shown as a box/diamond, which is present here only to get to the two middle tracks.

[AznSumtinSumtin]

I find the way they display the Forest Hills Yard to be interesting. It appears that there is a slip switch of some sort for the two center yard tracks? And it also appears there is no way from the westernmost track to the easternmost track (or vice versa) without a couple reverse moves using the center yard tracks. Is this so?

http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/docum ... 202009.pdf
According to the track schematic on page 23 of the 2009 Blue Book, there is indeed no way to move a train from the eastern or western most tracks without passing over the crossover immediately north of the station.

[MBTA3247]

I find the way they display the Forest Hills Yard to be interesting. It appears that there is a slip switch of some sort for the two center yard tracks? And it also appears there is no way from the westernmost track to the easternmost track (or vice versa) without a couple reverse moves using the center yard tracks. Is this so?

http://www.mbta.com/uploadedfiles/docum ... 202009.pdf
According to the track schematic on page 23 of the 2009 Blue Book, there is indeed no way to move a train from the eastern or western most tracks without passing over the crossover immediately north of the station.

This brings up the question of why anyone would want to make such a move.

[MBTA1016]

Hi All,
I have been riding the orange line for some time and have generated a few questions I cant quite figure out.

1) What is the third track between Wellington and Community College used for, and what was it intended to be used for? I think I have heard it called the test track on here before, but I have never seen it used for anything and considering it has platforms at all stations in between, it must have been designed for some purpose. What happened?
2) I was wondering what happened to the old north station complex when the new one was built, it seems the old station was closer to the portal then the new one, does it still exist?
3) Why is there a platform on the commuter rail line at Oak Grove? Was this ever used or planed to be used for commuter rail stops?

Thanks in advance for all the answers, I have always found this forum to be very informative.

I can answer only 3, it's not a normal commuter rail stop at all, it's for when there's no service on the orange line

[The EGE]

...do you realize you just answered a 5-year-old post, with 17 pages of discussion in between, that thoroughly answered the question?

[BostonUrbEx]

Don't know where else to put this.

[BostonUrbEx]

Does anyone know what is going on with the Orange Line lately? Headways are continuing to get longer and trains are getting more and more crowded.

My girlfriend couldn't get on a train at Malden at 10AM because it was too crowded from Oak Grove. I regularly see tweets from people who have to wait for 3 to 5 trains at Sullivan Square in the morning before they can eventually squeeze on. Every time I take the Orange Line from Downtown Crossing at 7PM (my Wednesday schedule usually results in this) I just barely miss a train, find a 15 minute headway, and I am then greeted with a packed-to-the-gills train. These aren't just rare occurrences, either, it seems to be all the time lately.

Seriously, what is going on? I understand record ridership plays it's part, but something else must be going on here. It has never been this bad so consistently, never.

EDIT: Someone had suggested it was because of OPTO before. I just want to state that everything is going beautifully on the Red Line, despite OPTO there. So that's no excuse.

[bozepravde15]

This doesn't really answer most of your question, but according to the data the T puts out for use with apps etc, the headways on the Orange Line during the times the shuttle bus between Oak Grove and Sullivan is operating is 12 minutes instead of 10. There's a chance I'm wrong on this, I'm tired and haven't slept yet, but I remember seeing it on the OpenMBTA app one night when the Orange Line was particularly late. I don't think it's OPTO, the number of people riding has just become unreasonable. I usually couldn't get a seat until about 9pm up until about a year ago, but since then, it's hard to get a seat towards Malden getting on at any stop after Downtown Crossing until 11pm. In the morning, it's a complete mess, and luckily, working at night, I don't have to deal with it much, but when I do, I go from Malden to Medford to get the 325 or head to Linden Square to get the 426/428, they're just so much faster and more comfortable. Evening Rush Hours aren't *as* bad in my experience as morning, but pretty bad nonetheless.