Boston Trolley Bus System is in Danger

 Hi Folks:

  I cannot provide the link to this, but if you google the topics " In Motion Charging " and "trolleybus",  there is an individual that states that the transit authority is considering to end trolleybus service on local streets near Harvard and on the airport line.   The replacement vehicles will be clean diesel or hybrid.  They think that battery buses are almost perfected and that you do not need the wires anymore if you can have full electric service.  Told you that this was coming.   Boston Transit is not interested in "In Motion Charging."  Say good bye to the wires now.  This is what I saw on the web.  Not sure how true it is.  With the perfection of battery buses,  it was just a matter of time before the wires are not needed.

One Source: Streetsblog MASS

The T’s Electrification Plans Get Thrown Under A Diesel Bus

• By Christian MilNeil
• Nov 11, 2020
• 6 COMMENTS

October 31st Again

 Hi Folks:

  Tomorrow is the anniversary for the end of city run streetcar service in New York City.  Since 1979,  there has been some sort of push for streetcar service in New York City but nothing comes of it.   One of the problems is that it takes a long time to build something that some people do not want here in the city.  The years go by and another mayor comes in and the project is stopped.   Here are some projects that I remember that nothing came  about:

• 42nd Street Manhattan:  Two times tried and failed.
• Various Coney Island Routes Brooklyn
• Bronx streetcars near the Grand Concourse
• Red Hook Brooklyn:  City and private attempts by Bob Diamond.   Some track and wire were put in place.
• Recent Regional Plan Association proposals.
• 34th Street and 42nd Street plans, Manhattan
• A proposal for Downtown Brooklyn near the Civic Center
• Waterfront -Queens light rail line.
• Light Rapid Transit on North and West shores of Staten Island.

Probably there are others.  Due to COVID-19,  working from home seems to work for many.  Perhaps we do not need transit after all, and of course,  why would we need streetcars if transit ridership never returns to the pre-COVID levels?

We can always dream, what could have been.

My Best:

Tramway Null(0)

Sixty Years Ago Trolleybus Service ended in Brooklyn and Queens: July 27, 1960

Sixty years ago,  the last remaining trolleybus lines ended service in Brooklyn New York.   Most of the coaches were only twelve years old.   During the years, mainly in the past 30 years, it seemed if a new line would be constructed on First and Second Avenues in Manhattan.  With the development of In Motion Charging, it was hoped that someone would make the connection of good electric service and a possible trolleybus line for New York City.   With the COVID virus that was so unexpected,  it is simply not known to what levels ridership would return in NYC post epidemic.   I saw someplace on the web that since ridership is down worldwide,  various subway systems world wide have excess electric power.   Perhaps that excess electric power can be used for new trolleybus lines using in motion charging!   New York City is not doing so well now and I am not optimistic regarding the future of electric surface transportation .

Things Do not look Bright for the BQX

Hi Folks:

  I came across an interesting article in "Railway Age" titled:  The Federal Transit Man:  Brooklyn's Streetcar Named Desire.   This article was authored by Larry Penner and appeared in the May 18th 2020 edition of "Railway Age".  Sorry but I cannot add a link.

Basically,  in our post virus environment,  which hopefully will come soon, the State and Federal Governments will not be in a position to fund many transit projects that are not essential.   The Brooklyn Queens Connector is such a project.  The planning process pre virus is already behind schedule and with a new Mayor coming in,  a new mayor could not be on board.  {Remember after years of planning,  a new mayor in NYC with a strike of the pen,  killed off the 42nd Street light rail project?}.  There were so many "ifs" pre-March 2020 about the project about planning, funding, efficiency and so on.   We really do not know what rapid transit usage will be after things get back to normal in New York City.  Will millions of New Yorkers  flee New York State and there will be no need for BQX or an extention to the 2nd Avenue subway?    Are we entering a post rapid transit era where car and taxi transportation is coming back?

Some of thoughts above was not found in the article. It seems to me the water shed moment was when the 42nd Street streetcar project was destroyed.  The planning process just takes too long with two many ifs.  If a project gets through the planning process and there are funds available,  it takes one stroke of a pen to destroy it.   What happens when the economy and people are in trouble?  In my opinion, the BQX was too complicated and the more complicated a system, the more something could go wrong.   Why build a BQX when there will be no people around anymore?  I believe in the KISS principal,  keep it simple, stupid.   Identify a street that leads to a subway terminal with heavy bus traffic and little community opposition.   Build something very simple, using good second hand equipment in good condition from overseas, and you will see the public use light rail transit in New York City.   Yes LaGuardia, your curse on streetcars is still in effect.

Remembering the Culver Line

Hi Folks:

     The transit related website subchat had this week a great deal of information and photos dealing with the Culver Shuttle.    I would like to list some thoughts about my experiences but I cannot give you written proof of the same:

1.  I remember when the section of the Culver Line was painted from the south of the ramp at Fort Hamilton Parkway to Ditmas Aveue.   It was 1958 and the color was green.   The structure was never painted again.  I remember as a child being in the street  at 13th Avenue and 37 Street and seeing the painters working.  They were very sloppy and a lot of paint drops fell on a wooden track bumper for one of the South Brooklyn RR track sidings right next to the apartment house at the southwestern intersection.  Those drops were still visible years later as the bumper still existed.
2. I do not remember but it was suggested the the Culver Line's south bound (western side of the el) track was shut down for a while and there was a shuttle operation for a few days?  The site states that the TA was getting that track ready for permanent use so the northbound track became the shuttle track.  Of course,  after the snowstorm in 1960? the western track became the only track in use.   I do not remember such a switch because as a child,  a child would not use the subway every day.
3. There were a lot of South Brooklyn track sidings in those years around 13th and 14th Avenues under the el.   There were two basic tracks equipped with trolley wire under the el ,  and sidings parallel to factories specially near 37th Street and Old New Utrecht Road.  One track went under the southwestern stairway to the el and it was equipped with trolley wire.
4. At the location of 37th Street and Old New Utrecht Road from the above staircase,  you could have seen a very basic knife switch to cut of power to the SBRR trolley system.   It was out in the open and not protected.
5. Between 14th and 15th Avenues, on the eastern side of the el, but not under it, was a short stub track that was equipped with trolley wire suspended from the easterly side support pillars of the el.
6. In the 1970's at a university I came across  a "New York City Regional Plan" dated from the 1920's and even at this early date,  there was discussion to extend the IND subway at Church Avenue southward.   But listen to this, if  I remember correctly,  the portal would have been at Eighteenth Avenue!   Remember at this time, the el over Gravesend (McDonald) Avenue was only ten years old.   What would this have done to a Culver Line?
7. Many years ago,  I spoke to someone at ERA headquarters and he was interested in the Independent Subway extension south from Church Avenue.  Hes said that in the underground pocket used for relays south of Church Avenue at the approach of the ramp,  there are signals ( I do not know if they are working or just the shell) facing south.  This would mean that the pocket in some plans could have been extended beyond under the ramp perhaps southward to 18th Avenue.   Were would the new ramp be planned to be?
8.  

More to follow later.

Today is the 45 Anniversary of the Demise of the Culver Line

How time flies!  It has been forty five yeas since  the end of my favorite line. I am not talking about the present day "F" train,  which is fine,  but the section of line between Ditmas Avenue and really 36th Street - Fourth Avenue.    The culver line had it all:  A subway section at Ninth Avenue and the section(s) near 36th Street, a brick lined tunnel from around 1900,  a ramp,  an elevated structure with trolley freight running underneath,   intersections with the Church Avenue trolley,  intersection with the Cortelyou Road trolleybus,  intersection at Ditmas Avenue with the Church McDonald trolley and a trolley turn around loop midblock on the west side of McDonald Avenue,  intersection with the then "D" train at Ditmas Avenue( no track connection), and unused steel girders south of the Ditmas Avenue station on the Coney Island bound side.   Some people will forgot that when the Culver Line became a shuttle in the fall of 1954,  the northern terminal in non-rush hours and week ends was the busy station at 36th Street and Forth Avenue.   In the years after 1954,  the north destination was Chambers Street by way of a loop that returned to the starting point at Ditmas Avenue.  Around 1958-59, there were drastic cuts that made the northern terminal Ninth Avenue.   But at first,   both tracks on the elevated structure were used.    I think that a December 1960 snowstorm shut down the Manhattan bound track for good and the line became a one track on train shuttle between Ditmas Avenue and Ninth Avenue full time.  Be careful what you wish for.   I was happy with the snowstorm because school was closed, but that was used as an excuse by the TA to get the track out of operation.  Who knows,  may be if not for that snowstorm, the second track would still be operating to the end?  Of course, there were other snowstorms after December 1960.   It is making the Culver a one track shuttle that drove away passengers.  If the steel girders south of Ditmas avenue were used to connect the BMT culver to the IND at 18th Avenue,  more passengers on the "D" train could have had a quick and transfer less ride to lower Manhattan,  but it never happened.   We are lucky that we had the Culver shuttle all together.   I do not have proof of this, but I read somewhere that the original plans was once the IND "D"train was extended south to Coney Island,  in the early 50's,  the Culver line section from Ditmas to Ninth Avenue were to be replaced with buses.  This meant that a lot of us would never have known about the Culver Line.
Thanks,
Tramway Null(0)

I Hope Every One is Safe

To all my readers:

   I hope that everyone is safe and special thanks to the doctors, nurses and others that put themselves in harm's way,  including bus and tram drivers and metro personnel worldwide.  This virus was off the radar and we did not see it coming.  It will have very strong effects on the things that are discussed in this blog.  After recovery,   it is hard to predict what will happen in a particular city or country.   For New York City and the subway system, and streetcar proposals for Brooklyn and Queens,  we can ask ourselves the following questions:

1.   Will ridership eventually go back to normal?  Or will people avoid rapid transit because the virus is out there before a vaccine is developed?
2.  Will people who have a choice will avoid living in big cities in order to stay off rapid transit?
3.  With the current crisis in New York State and New York City, will money be available for the new waterfront streetcar and other rapid transit expansion projects?
4. Will millions of commuters switch to bikes and other devices in order to avoid rapid transit?
5. How can we be the advocate for streetcars and light rail if the public is turning away from mass transit usage.
6. Now that millions are able to work from home on their computers, what will this mean for raid transit usage?
7. New York City will do anything to abandon a rapid transit line.  If a particular line has specially weak ridership after recovery, will an outside line be on the chopping block?
8. What will happen to express services and experimental services,   such as the two "F Expresses" that run from Coney Island specially if the ridership is no longer there?
9. Will the proposed expansion of the 2nd Avenue subway be abandoned if ridership levels get very low?

These and other questions I have for New York City.   I wonder what the situation is in other large cities.   Not everyone can run to an isolated area.   Before a vaccine is developed, will New Yorkers that did not get the virus yet pack into crowded subway cars?   And if the state and city are out of cash,  how can the subway be maintained and operated?   Will lack of maintenance cause more passengers to abandon the subway and bus routes?

Well that is all for now.

Be safe everyone

Tramway Null(0)

IRT Brooklyn Line Near the Portal

Hi Folks:  In subchat, there was a conversation about the middle track at the portal east of Utica Avenue.   I found by accident this trackmap published by the New York Division Bulletin from their July , 1991 edition  (Vol . 34 Number 7).  This is from an article titled "IRT Brooklyn Line" by Bernard Linder.    The map appears on page 4 and is shown above in the top right corner.  Notice the the middle track connects with both the upper and lower levels east of Utica Avenue and the stub tracks extends somewhat east of the portal.

Mexico City to invest 4 billion pesos in Elevated Trolleybus Line

  Sorry folks,  I cannot copy the link but the Mexico City government is looking at building an elevated trolleybus line.   The elevated trolley bus line will be of concrete construction over a street and will use a fleet of 35 trolleybus who get their power by overhead wire.   The line will link important transit centers.

  I think that this is just great!   As a transit buff, as a child,  I always wondered what an elevated line for street cars and or trolleybus would look like?   Various cities in the United States,  had short streetcar elevated lines.  Boston has a small section and I believe there we several out west like Kansas City.   These were traditional wooden platform and steel elevated lines.   What about a elevated trolleybus line?   Would it look like the Third Avenue El in Manhattan with instead of having tracks it would have wooden boards as a floor supported by iron work?  The Mexico City line looks like a modern grade separated elevated highway with supports for the trolleybus wires.
It looks interesting.   I believe that Mexico City is getting their fleet renewed with Chinese trolleybuses as well.   I wish them lots of luck and in New York City you hear crickets about interesting plans.

Tramway Null ()

Berlin to Experiment with a new In Motion Charging Trolleybus System

Hi Folks:

 Sorry for being away.  Not much happening in New York City.   I came across in  Urban Transort Magazine  that the City of Berlin is about to build a brand new trolleybus system with overhead wires using the concept of "In Motion Charging".  Berlin currently does not have a trolleybus system and I believe that this is significant.   The article was an editorial and was dated March 3, 2020.   The conversion of some diesel bus lines will be in the Spandau district.   This is significant because it recognizes that some busy bus lines cannot depend on battery power alone at this stage of technology.  These trolleybus discussed for Berlin will have at least 50% of their route under wire and the rest in battery mode.  For some reason,  I could not copy the link or any pictures from this magazine to show you.

Here in New York City the picture is not pretty.   The subways and other public places have been taken over by the homeless and crime is increasing.  Despite having a city agency to deal with the homeless, the problem is getting worse.  Crime is beginning to increase again.  No new subway routes are under construction and the plans that do exist, do not get implemented.  New subway cars are planned or under construction but they will be R-160 or R-179 look a likes. Some units being built will have open gangways.  Basically, the cars have fewer seats and of course, no seats near a widow.   When the R-46 and R-68 cars are retired,  there will not be a single car left in the system with a seat near a window.   No cars being built will feature a railfan window.  The new cars being built, I believe the R - 210 will be very similar to the R-160 or R-179,  The front of the new cars may show a destination sign,  something that was missing and taken away from subway cars for many decades.   The R- 32 and R-38 had destination signs,  but they were eliminated in a re-building process.  In the 1970's and 1980's,  in many car classes, the brains at the TA covered up or eliminated the front destination sign.  Any side destination sign made from plastic that was back lighted were also eliminated during the period or the bulbs were not replaced after burning out.  Remember when many IRT and BMT car classes had green lighted signs at first like the R-27-30, R-32, R-38, R-16, R-14 and all of the IND  R1-9's?   As the R1-9's were retired, years before, the TA simply did not replace the light bulbs in the destination and  route cabinets on the sides of each car.

So long for now.

Tramway Null(0)

Some Comments about Various Topics

Hi Folks:

 No  so much has been going on in the New York City regarding the topics mentioned here in this blog.  Regarding Route 15 Girard Avenue in Philadelphia, I found out the the reconstructed PCC cars running there  are 15 years old and that parts are wearing out.  The parts are unique and are hard to replace.  This may give SEPTA the excuse to pull the plug.  If standardized cars are ordered from a manufacturer, the problem of parts become less problematic.  Regarding in motion charging for trolleybuses and battery buses in cold environments,   I read today in subchat that the recovery time to recharge a battery bus in cold weather is much longer than in warm weather.  If a transit authority orders pure battery buses and in cold weather recovery time is longer, more buses are required and it becomes inefficient.  Of course, trolleybuses do not have this problem  It would be ironic that the battery buses replacing the trolley coaches in south Philadelphia could not function as well.  I believe the remaining trackless trolley lines in north Philadelphia are also in danger.   There does not seem to be an idea in the transit management field world wide that trolleybuses with in motion charging is superior to pure battery buses.   I do not see many brand new in motion trolleybus systems being established.   What happened to planned systems in Montreal Canada and Spokane, Washington?


A reader asked if CAD files can be used in making climate maps.  I never worked with CAD files before but in ARCGIS mapping programs,  geo-referencing another map into an target map,  CAD files can be used, according to their literature.

Ciao:

Tramway Null(0)