Solari board replacement at South Station and Back Bay

[MBTA F40PH-2C 1050]

I heard the announcements and the sounds for the first time today at South Station, and I must say I dislike them. They should have kept the old announcers and the new ticking sound, I laughed when I heard it. It sounds terrible

During normal service, they use the automatic announcement, but during rush hours, the announcements are still being done by a person to prevent confusion because the automatic announcement is almost unintelligible.

Oh, ok, thats better. Also, at South Station, they kept saying over the speakers for passengers to stop looking at the old Solari boards, and to look at the digital one

[acela 2036]

They have them all over the place at South Station, even by the Mcdonalds

[shadyjay]

At least you know, even when at McDonald's, that you're in a fully functional and busy train station.

Did they replace the small solari boards that used to be above the automatic doors leading from the concourse/waiting room/station outside to the platforms? Or do you just have the large new ones outside next to each track?

[jamesinclair]

At least you know, even when at McDonald's, that you're in a fully functional and busy train station.

Did they replace the small solari boards that used to be above the automatic doors leading from the concourse/waiting room/station outside to the platforms? Or do you just have the large new ones outside next to each track?

This is what the station looks like

[Veristek]

They have them all over the place at South Station, even by the Mcdonalds

That kinda looks like an old fashioned TV screen in that photo when you look at it at that angle. As far as I know, the LED displays I've seen at South Station are orange text, not white or green.

[shadyjay]

At least you know, even when at McDonald's, that you're in a fully functional and busy train station.

Did they replace the small solari boards that used to be above the automatic doors leading from the concourse/waiting room/station outside to the platforms? Or do you just have the large new ones outside next to each track?

This is what the station looks like

So it appears that the small solari boards over the automatic doors are still there.

BTW, all those IPOD advertisements are quite gaudy.

[MBTA3247]

That kinda looks like an old fashioned TV screen in that photo when you look at it at that angle. As far as I know, the LED displays I've seen at South Station are orange text, not white or green.

That is a TV screen. Plasma screen, to be specific.

[Veristek]

That kinda looks like an old fashioned TV screen in that photo when you look at it at that angle. As far as I know, the LED displays I've seen at South Station are orange text, not white or green.

That is a TV screen. Plasma screen, to be specific.

Aren't those the ones that can crap out easily?

[MBTA3247]

That kinda looks like an old fashioned TV screen in that photo when you look at it at that angle. As far as I know, the LED displays I've seen at South Station are orange text, not white or green.

That is a TV screen. Plasma screen, to be specific.

Aren't those the ones that can crap out easily?

Yep. I guess they like the burned-in look.

[diburning]

That is a TV screen. Plasma screen, to be specific.

Aren't those the ones that can crap out easily?

Yep. I guess they like the burned-in look.

It will have "On Time" burned in so that when a train is actually late, it will look reall weird saying 2 things at once... Or maybe not. Maybe amtrak is late so much that the right side of the screen actually changes.

[banshee]

Looks like a warranty claim should be in order all ready. As seen on the Track 12 board:

[Veristek]

Broken already? Wow.

[AznSumtinSumtin]

It's not broken; just "out of service."

[Veristek]

"Temporarily Out of Service" more accurately.

"Temporarily Out of Service for the next three years until the MBTA scrounges enough money to buy a new Solari replacement" might be more like it. (chuckle)

[trainhq]

Yeah, I kind of like the old flapping boards too. It seems kind of weird when you're in North Station and
the digital board changes, and they play a recorded flip-flip-flip-flip-flip to get people to look up. It's kind of
like the canned bird chirping they play for televised golf tournaments.