Some Experiments with QGIS with elevation, temperature and other conditions

 

To be explained soon.

Another Anniversary

 Hi Folks:

   Sorry that I did not add any new material to this blog.   This month in 1975 our beloved Culver Shuttle has stopped running.  When I pass Ditmas Avenue on the "F" train, and view 37th Street going west,  I wonder how it would be if the Culver Shuttle survived?  Certainly today there is a lot people going from western Flatbush, Gravesend and Midwood into Borough Park.  A writer at subchat would like to reinstate the Culver Shuttle.  Unfortunately,  the United States has a great deal of problems now and bringing back the Culver Shuttle is below the radar.  The PRW has be built over on 37th Street just leaving the narrow area directly above 37th Street as a path.  The writer mentions perhaps a two tier system with another deck over the Ditmas Avenue Station.  Even if the MTA had billions excess dollars,  a complicated project like this would not be built in 20 years.   And some of us do not have 20 years left.    I would opt for light rail on 37th Street going into the yard and to Ninth Avenue lower level.   At Ditmas avenue,  perhaps a ramp can be constructed from 37th Street going directly to the unused pocket.   The wires added lately, would need to be removed.  Perhaps the Culver Shuttle Light Rail can stop underneath the Ditmas Avenue Station and branch out north to Church Avenue or south to 18th Avenue.  I am not sure about the clearance and the incline angle from 37th Street and Dahill Road to the unused former track at Ditmas Avenue.   We can always dream .

Tramway Null

Will In Motion Charging Bring Back Trolleybuses to the United States?

 Hi Folks:

   Sorry that I did not write any more blogs recently.   I have not been myself since the epidemic began.  It seems that our new administration is stressing battery buses to save the environment.   The problem with battery buses it that they take long to recharge, are heavy and cannot provide sufficient juice in a cold environment and going up hills.  New York City and other large cities stated they are aiming to have high percentage of their fleets as battery buses before a certain year.   A great deal of the down time for thousands of buses could play havoc with scheduling.  A solution would be to wire part of the route and while the bus is under the wire, recharge the batteries.   This solution is not even talked about in New York.   Two trolley bus routes in South Philly were pulled and experiments were done with Proterra? Battery buses.   I think the experiment failed.  Snyder Avenue and Tasker-Morris may still have some of the wires and poles intact and they should consider establishing in motion charging trolley buses.

PS:  Extra electricity generated during braking can even be feed to the wires and be used by another trolleybus down the line.

Ciao:   Tramway - Null.

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.