The Railfan Window Blog

Collect the metroPCS Metrocard

Posted on February 24, 2009 by brian

metroPCS Metrocard

metroPCS wireless service has begun an advertising campaign that includes branded Metrocards.

Beginning on Tuesday, February 17, the company will be launching a fun and unique Metro Card campaign, selling colorful purple MetroPCS reusable Metro Cards at three Bronx locations, Third Avenue and 149th Station (2/5), Fordham Road and Grand Concourse Station (B/D), and Fordham Road and Jerome Avenue Station (4).

In addition to those three stations mentioned above, the metroPCS Metrocard is supposedly available at several other New York City subway stations, listed below. I can verify that as of this morning, the card is available at MVM #0012 at 125 Street (A/B/C/D).

125 2/3
125 and St. Nicholas A/B/C/D
125 and Lex 4/5/6
Jamaica Center
74th and Broadway
82nd Street- Jackson Heights
DeKalb Avenue
Hoyt Street – Fulton St. 2/3
Flatbush Avenue – Brooklyn College.

Remember, out of the 12 stations listed, I’ve only verified one of them.

Good luck!

Source: nycmetrocard yahoogroup

Posted in metrocard | Tagged metro card, metrocard, mta, new york city, New York City Transit, nyc, nyct | Comments Off

New name tablets at 96 Street

Posted on February 23, 2009 by brian

New name tablet at 96 Street

Since at least June of last year, the southern half of the 96 Street station on the (1), (2), and (3) lines sported new white walls tiles, with empty spaces left for the name tablets.

I noticed this morning that the empty spaces have finally been filled in (along the east wall only) – and the new name tablets look like nothing else I’ve seen in the subway system. There is also a new tile band across the lower portion of the wall.

Posted in railfanning, subway | Tagged IRT, new york city, renovation, tiles | 1 Comment

Gloomy Sunday – the Barge of Death returns

Posted on February 22, 2009 by brian

Barge of Death passing under the Broadway Bridge

I awoke to a gloomy Sunday, and the empty Barge of Death waiting patiently for the Broadway Bridge to rise. Last week the Barge had deposited into the ocean its load of retired subway cars, and they sank to their watery grave. The empty barge now floats outside the 207 Street subway yard, waiting to be loaded with about 40 more retired subway cars.

Posted in railfanning, subway | Tagged barge, barge of death | 1 Comment

Metro-North’s Hudson Rail Link receives new bus

Posted on February 19, 2009 by brian

Hudson Rail Link Saf-T-Liner® HDX bus

Metro-North’s Hudson Rail Link feeder bus service has received at least one new bus, and it is now in service. The bus, numbered M0029, was manufactured by Thomas Built Buses, Inc. and is their Saf-T-Liner® HDX bus model.

The Saf-T-Liner® HDX bus features a rear-engine design that is the mainstay of transit-style bus fleets. It has a capacity of 66-90 passengers. The engine is located in the back for ideal weight distribution whether empty and loaded. This also creates a quiet and comfortable ride, with an oversized windshield giving the driver great visibility. Able to tackle mountain roads and city streets in style, this bus features a thermostatically controlled hydraulic cooling system, larger brakes, a steel drop frame, optional air suspension and optional transmission retarders for improved braking.

This is the fourth generation of buses used in Hudson Rail Link service since the operation began in 1991 with five 17-passenger vans. Those vans were replaced by eight transit-style buses in 1995. Increasing ridership led the third generation of buses to be introduced around 2003, with 10 All American Forward Engine buses from Blue Bird Corp.

Hudson Rail Link All American FE from Blue Bird

As a rider of this excellent bus service, I have noticed that the Blue Bird buses are starting to get a little rough around the edges. I don’t know if it is from old age, high mileage, or lack of maintenance, but apparently it has come to the point where a school bus recently had to be substituted in. The new Thomas Built bus should be a welcomed addition to the fleet. However, I don’t know at this time if all of the existing buses are going to be replaced now with the new buses.

The Hudson Rail Link bus service has multiple routes serving the Metro-North train stations at Spuyten Duyvil and Riverdale in the Bronx, NY, and can most likely be credited with significantly increasing train ridership from these stations. The bus service is operated under contract by Atlantic Hudson, Inc.

Additional photos I took today:

Edit (3/6/2009) :: There are at least two new buses : #M0029 that I photographed above, and #M0028 that I’ve seen a couple times recently.

Edit #2 (3/9/2009) :: I rode one of the new buses. What can I say – buses suck. But it still had that new car smell. The engine also sounds waaaaay different from the engine in the old buses.

Posted in bus | Tagged Metro-North Railroad | Comments Off

The officers misinterpreted the rules concerning photography

Posted on February 17, 2009 by brian

The New York Times got to the bottom of the story of Robert Taylor (an employee of an unidentified transportation agency), who was improperly detained and/or arrested for taking photos in the New York City subway system.

The summons for taking photos states that Robert was “taking photos from the s/b plat of incoming outgoing trains without authority to do so.” The summons even cited Rule 1050.9 (c), which, as everyone knows, specifically ALLOWS photography in the subway system. Unbelievable.

The NYPD was quick to turn around and admit that the summons was incorrect, but they did not say that the officers would be disciplined or retrained.

In the case of Mr. Taylor, the “officers misinterpreted the rules concerning photography,” said Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman. “The Transit Adjudication Board is being notified that summons was issued in error, resulting in its dismissal.”

I guess it’s possible these officers had copies of the old rulebook (20+ years old) in which 1050.9(c) says photography is NOT permitted. Don’t laugh, I know someone who saw a cop show him the old rule in his rulebook only a few years ago.

Source

Posted in railfanning, subway | Tagged mta, nyc, nyct, nypd, subway | Comments Off

Valentines Day BARGE OF DEATH

Posted on February 14, 2009 by brian

The Barge of Death set sail at noon today, this Valentines Day. It was followed up the canal shortly thereafter by the Barge o’ Trucks. The Shelby pushed the Barge of Death and the Vera K. pushed the Barge o’ Trucks.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged barge, mta, reef, subway | Comments Off

There’s a hole in the platform at the 231 St station

Posted on February 12, 2009 by brian

The 231 St station on the (1) in the Bronx was recently rehabbed. All new station house, elevators, and paint.

But the concrete platforms were only patched – they were not completely replaced. When the station reopened, you could clearly see all the patches along the platforms.

Since then, besides getting hit by a couple trucks, the station seems to have been faring pretty well. However, last week I noticed a some wood nailed to a spot on the platform. I assumed it was a developing crack that would be addressed soon. It hasn’t been yet, but that’s not why I’m writing this post.

This morning, a few feet past the wooden band-aid, I saw a small hole in the platform that you can see straight through down to the street.

It appears that the hole formed within one of the “patch job” areas from the rehab, but I could be wrong. I’m not qualified at the moment to make a judgment on this, but maybe the entire concrete platforms should have been replaced during the rehab, and not just patched? It’s only been a couple years since the rehab… We’ll see if the platforms continue to deteriorate.

More photos:

Posted in safety, subway | 2 Comments

SEPTA Philadelphia Beer Week day pass revised again and again

Posted on February 12, 2009 by brian

Last night is seemed this was all over and done with. A corrected version (showing the Philadelphia skyline) of the SEPTA day pass had been posted the SEPTA online store.

However, it looks like Phillyskyline.com’s criticism (Feb 11) of the Philadelphia skyline photo chosen was heard and has been acted upon:

Given that this whole conversation stems from Philly Skyline’s regular skyline inspections, it would be inappropriate if I did not point out that the new graphic’s skyline photo is old enough that it does not include Comcast Center. You know Comcast Center — the place where Beer Week ceremoniously kicks off with the Opening Tap, the official Philly Beer Week Keg Hammer of Glory.

Tell you what, Septa. Since I know you’re reading this, how ’bout this. I will provide you with a recent image of the skyline — with Comcast Center, the Ritz-Carlton, 10 Rittenhouse, Murano, whatever you like — in exchange for a Beer Week pass for every day of the event. It’ll be like our own little Billy Ripken ’89 Fleer legacy. Gimme a yell — blove AT phillyskyline DOT com.

Either they took him up on his offer, or they found a better photo on their own. Here’s what appeared at the SEPTA online store a short while ago:

SEPTA Philly Beer Week 2009 pass - 3rd version

You can see that besides the use of what looks to be a more recent photo, the “missing comma” error was also corrected.

Then I refreshed the website a few minutes later and a slightly different pass showed up, this time named “Beer Week Sample Pass final.jpg”:

SEPTA Philly Beer Week 2009 pass - 4th version

Will it really be the FINAL design? Stay tuned…

Posted in railfanning | Tagged septa | Comments Off

SEPTA Philadelphia Beer Week Day Pass screwup

Posted on February 12, 2009 by brian

This past Sunday I posted about the SEPTA Philadelphia Beer Week Day Pass, and how awesome it will be for railfans. Well it seems the pass had a big error, one that slipped by me and almost everyone else. Except for Brad Maule of phillyskyline.com. He noticed that the background image on the pass was of the New York City skyline, and not the Philadelphia skyline.

Hilarity ensued.

A spokesperson for Beer Week went as far as to try to convince a Metro reporter yesterday that the image was of Philadelphia and that it featured City Hall.

“Until we talk to the graphic artist, I’m not going to be able to tell for sure,” said Jerri Williams. “I don’t really recognize [anything] in the background.”

Wow.

Read all about it on Brad’s website from the link above. (He doesn’t have permalinks to individual posts so you’ll just have to scroll down until you find it.)

Here’s the incorrect pass:

SEPTA Philly Beer Week 2009 pass

And here’s the corrected pass:

**corrected** SEPTA Philly Beer Week 2009 day pass

But the fun doesn’t have to end there. In an article on the subject by MSNBC, while referring to the incorrect pass, a claim is made that “You can clearly see the Empire State Building in the background.” Really, now. Because I clearly don’t see the Empire State Building anywhere in that photo. In fact, the photo is of lower Manhattan, not midtown. Way to go, MSNBC…

In case MSNBC edits the article, here’s a screen shot: