In this particular question, who is the person who pushes the button or throws the lever that makes the switch(es) move to the desired position?
Forty years ago, there was a button on Green Line trains that the operator would push if (s)he wanted to go to the right at a switch. I believe that now the operator sets a dial as to his/her destination and a trackside reader automatically sets the switch as the operator passes near the trackside reader. I assume these are placed only where scheduled trains normally diverge (e.g. Boylston, GovCen, NorthStation (eastbound), Park, Copley, Kenmore, and Beacon Junction(westbound).
How about seldom used switches? For example, during baseball games, they usually run a car from Blandford to Park. Is the switch into the pocket track at Blandford automatic or is it manually controlled from trackside? Are yard switches all manually controlled at trackside? What about the Kenmore loop?
During normal operations(?) at Cleveland Circle, someone manually flips the switch with a crowbar(?) twice for each train, once when the train enters the tail track, and again as the train leaves the tail track. This switch is moved more than the outbound switch at Beacon Junction. Shouldn’t this be automated?
What about a Red Line train heading to Alewife. The operator has no a priori knowledge as to which (if any) platform track is vacant. Also, it’s possible that two Ashmont trains arrive consecutively, so the departure is not necessarily first-in-first-out.
What about trailing switches? My recollection is that 50+ years ago, the trains on n Green Line merely pushed the switch as it went by if necessary. Is this still done? Was that the case on other lines?
Forty years ago, there was a button on Green Line trains that the operator would push if (s)he wanted to go to the right at a switch. I believe that now the operator sets a dial as to his/her destination and a trackside reader automatically sets the switch as the operator passes near the trackside reader. I assume these are placed only where scheduled trains normally diverge (e.g. Boylston, GovCen, NorthStation (eastbound), Park, Copley, Kenmore, and Beacon Junction(westbound).
How about seldom used switches? For example, during baseball games, they usually run a car from Blandford to Park. Is the switch into the pocket track at Blandford automatic or is it manually controlled from trackside? Are yard switches all manually controlled at trackside? What about the Kenmore loop?
During normal operations(?) at Cleveland Circle, someone manually flips the switch with a crowbar(?) twice for each train, once when the train enters the tail track, and again as the train leaves the tail track. This switch is moved more than the outbound switch at Beacon Junction. Shouldn’t this be automated?
What about a Red Line train heading to Alewife. The operator has no a priori knowledge as to which (if any) platform track is vacant. Also, it’s possible that two Ashmont trains arrive consecutively, so the departure is not necessarily first-in-first-out.
What about trailing switches? My recollection is that 50+ years ago, the trains on n Green Line merely pushed the switch as it went by if necessary. Is this still done? Was that the case on other lines?