MBTA in other media (ex-MBTA in the movies)

[bigbronco85]

Red Line in this clip at about 4:48, but I wouldn't watch all of this long clip if you plan on watching the movie on DVD or Netflix, there may be spoilers. This film is so much better when you watch it for the first time without knowing anything that happens. I'll leave out the Turbo Train as well for the same reason, there's no short clip on youtube. Simply put, this movie is too awesome to watch on a computer screen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j41_sCAuQiE

You reposted the Spenser link.

Damn, even after my emotional catharsis on the awesomeness that is Eddie Coyle, I still managed to screw it up...I'm retarded.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js5n8djuUV0


It's at the end of this clip...4:48

[3rdrail]

That's the North Quincy scene. Those Pullman-Standard's were less than 3 years old then. Terrific movie - Eddie Coyle. I just wished they had gotten advice from a real cop. Two examples - No way would you surprise a gang of armed home invaders inside a house with your gun by your side, and even in the 70's, if one policeman said "Do you want to "bust" them ?" to another, the stakeout would be ruined due to the raucous laughter ! Great flick otherwise ! I love the final scene ! That was authentic. As the saying goes, "There's no honor among thieves." (I wondered if that gun buy chat on Memorial Drive was a reference to Patty Hearst and the SLA.)

[R36 Combine Coach]

The South Shore Extension was new at that time, just about a year or two in service. Remember that the 01500/01600s were purchased for the new South Shore Line.

[3rdrail]

Back then. for many years, they were restricted to Quincy service only. You rarely saw an 01400 coming over the Neponset Bridge, and I don't recall ever seeing a Red Line 1 or 2 running to Ashmont. Pullman-Standard was back with their first class production of subway cars with those babies after a slump with the 01400's. The 01500 and 01600's were almost as tough as the 01100's. It's a shame they got out of the subway business. I'll take 1 Pullman over 5 Bredas !

[R36 Combine Coach]

Pullman's legacy of being a famed Chicago coachbuilder lasted a bit longer after the 01500/01600 series. But it all came crashing down in 1978 after the next major transit order, the R46 for NYCTA, which became tainted by truck failures. After the Superliner order and a set of MBTA CTC/BTCs in 1978-79, that was it and Pullman went bankrupt in 1982.

[jaymac]

3rdrail-
Re your 01-24 6:04 pm post discussing the Memorial Drive scene, George V. Higgins died in 1999, so we can't ask him, but even when I saw the movie the first time, I thought TFoEC (1973) was referencing the killing of BPD Ptl. Walter Schroeder (1970) in an anti-war bank robbery.

[3rdrail]

Hi jaymac -
That wouldn't surprise me. I don't know precisely when George Higgins wrote his novel, but I'd bet that it was during that period where there was much activity of supposed "violence in the name of peace". In reality, a lot of the activities of that time in which innocent people were killed and maimed, were perpetrated by sociopathic crazies who found a way to "excuse" their mis-deeds. Katherine Ann Power was one of them and was later captured many years later for the bank robbery-homicide at the State Street Bank in Allston, at which time she pretended to have been "caught up in the time". It wouldn't surprise me if these elements were found in Eddie Coyle and other movies of the time, as they were a very real and pervasive threat to our society. Here's an interesting New York Times article written about P.O. Walter Schroeder, who our Police Headquarters is named after.
http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/17/us/in ... gewanted=1

[jonnhrr]

This is scraping the bottom of the barrel, but years ago PBS channel 2 used to televise the Boston Pops and the opening credits had a shot of a PCC pulling in to Symphony station and a load of concertgoers getting off.

Jon

[jaymac]

3rdrail-
Per Google, the novel was published in 1972, and the 1970 bank robbery and Ptl. Schroeder's killing still would have been very fresh.

jonnhrr-
Scraping the bottom of the tunnel maybe, but not the barrel. The Huntington Ave. tunnel extension had its own challenges: diving under the B&A and then splitting at Mass. Ave. to allow space for the Huntington Ave. underpass, and then merging again before the tunnel mouth at the Y. Northeastern was still pretty much part of and inside the Y at that time. Huntington Ave. was -- to use a Rocky and Bullwinkle reference -- the city's Culture Corner: Symphony Hall, the Opera House, and the Museum of Fine Arts, all within a mile. The Opera House got razed in '60 or '61 to make space for yet another Northeastern dorm and the middle siding at what is now the Northeastern stop got used for breakdowns instead of layover storage for opera traffic.

[3rdrail]

3rdrail-
Per Google, the novel was published in 1972, and the 1970 bank robbery and Ptl. Schroeder's killing still would have been very fresh.

...which would have placed it just about at the same time. Manuscript to movie can be two years (or more) unless it's a screenplay. Not to abuse the O/T, which John has graciously allowed, but just to sum up P.O.Schroeder's contribution (beyond the obvious), Boston Police since then are given expanded training in how to approach alarm calls as a result of that horrible incident. I recall seeing a great chilling video in the police academy just prior to hitting the streets which was an alternating bank and street video footage of an actual armed bank robbery in progress on Westland Ave. It showed the culprits in the bank, alternating with the cruiser's and officer's approach outside in real time. The officers did everything right, as they were trained, and it probably saved both of their lives. Thank you, Walter.

Anybody mention that old TV show "Charles in Charge". I remember seeing the pilot of that one in 1977. It showed a young guy striking out on his own and travelling throughout the MBTA of that time. I remember extensive shots, particularly at Park Street Station. And I would be remiss if I didn't mention one of the best short films on the subway that I have ever seen produced by our pal Mattster here on Railroad.net. (If anyone has a link to it, please put it up here, as it certainly would be suitable and is a really dramatic subway flick !)

[sjd0356]

Channel 5 used to have a locally produced show called "Park Street Under" and I recall seeing a few red lines(I believe 1500/1600s) entering Park Street

[jaymac]

3rdrail-
With all that they had taken from them, it's amazing just how much the Schroeder family continues to give.
Also, the time in between novel and movie does seem very compressed, but it's possible that Higgins and his agent and/or publisher marketed it around while the novel was being written because IMDB.com lists Higgins as one of the screenwriters.

sjd0356-
Your mention of Park Street Under triggered memory of another show not too far away, at least geographically. Boston Common, according to IMDB, ran 1996-7 and featured a fair number of Boston scene-setters, including at least some T stuff. It's already had a syndication re-run, so it'll probably be some time before it resurfaces, unless it's on dvd.

[RailBus63]

Back then. for many years, they were restricted to Quincy service only. You rarely saw an 01400 coming over the Neponset Bridge, and I don't recall ever seeing a Red Line 1 or 2 running to Ashmont.

They did briefly run in Ashmont service prior to the opening of the South Shore line in September 1971. I remember taking a train ride into Boston during the holiday season and riding brand-new Silverbirds on the trip back to Ashmont (I assuming that was Christmas 1970). After that, the 01500/01600's were strictly used in Quincy-Braintree service until late 1980 when the first cab signal 01400's began running on the South Shore and a few trains of Silverbirds migrated to Ashmont service.

The old patterns were broken permanently in June 1981 when the Ashmont line was shut down south of Columbia for reconstruction and the 01400’s were needed for extra service on the Braintree line. By the time the renovated Ashmont line reopened for service in January 1982, all active 01400's (both blue and red) were cab signal equipped and the fleets were mixed on both lines. The 01500 and 01600’s had also had their original 2 x 2 commuter-style seating replaced by transit-style seating in 1980 and this also served to make the fleets more uniform and compatible for both lines.

[sery2831]

Lets not drift too far off topic, please.

[MTD]

Anybody mention that old TV show "Charles in Charge". I remember seeing the pilot of that one in 1977. It showed a young guy striking out on his own and travelling throughout the MBTA of that time. I remember extensive shots, particularly at Park Street Station....

I firmly believe you are referring to the 1977-78 NBC series James at 15, not Charles in Charge which was a 1980s show and never had any Boston scenes. The intro here on YouTube from James shows the production was made in the city, at least the outdoor locations. I do remember that one scene in the pilot that James (the title character) travelled all over the T's rapid transit system, starting at the Green Line's Park Street station. It was a lengthy montage, where, if you were a Boston viewer, you knew James got totally lost and almost became the modern day "Charlie!" I think Paul, thats what you may be remembering.