Where is Xerces Fobe?

[Deleted]

Today I traveled on a 6 car train on a transit system line from a city centre to a place you would find "Alice" The train changed the method of current collection on route?

So where am I?

What are the 2 principal body colours of the train's livery?

How many pantographs where raised and collecting current for part of the journey?

Name of the Transist System and the specific line?


One member of this Forum knows where I am, however please will that gent kindly refrain from giving an answer

Bonus if you can identify the Forum member! ;D

When I next log in I will check if anyone has the correct answer however I am on a hotel so you may have to wait a couple of days good luck.

Xerces Fobe Fobe

[Deleted]

Might be here I think all the answers are on that page.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Line_(MBTA)

[harlesden]

This sentence from the link in the previous post has got me puzzled.

passengers can disembark from all 6 cars at Bowdoin Station, but due to the shape of the platform (which is inside a turn-around loop), passengers can only board 4 cars.

[norbitonflyer]

This link suggests it's an island platform, with the two faces of different lengths. Not sure what the significance of there being a turning loop beyond it, except that it means the platform has a tapered shape.

[Deleted]

Oct 4, 2010 7:06:25 GMT @harlesden said:

This sentence from the link in the previous post has got me puzzled.

passengers can disembark from all 6 cars at Bowdoin Station, but due to the shape of the platform (which is inside a turn-around loop), passengers can only board 4 cars.

Could it be because there is a Spanish solution?

Because the platform lengths are unequal.

[rincew1nd]

Oct 4, 2010 0:29:04 GMT @xercesfobe said:

So where am I?

Umm according to the information under your avatar:

Location: Thames Valley

;D

[Deleted]

Oct 4, 2010 6:57:50 GMT @diana said:

Might be here I think all the answers are on that page.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Line_(MBTA)

Correct - The station is Wonderland There was a trick question regarding the livery of the units as the new Siemens sets a blue and silver opposed to the old Hawker Siddley designed units they were Blue and white.

I saw the new for the first the new units a couple of years ago amazing how similar they look to the old ones. I guess this die for the need for them to be very shorter due the the Blue Line been a former Trolley line and the very tight bend at Bowdoin pronounced Bowdin!

Originally Bordoin station was going to shut when the new trains entered service due to the increase in length of trains to 6 cars. All other station have had their platforms extended however as Boudoin is only open in the peak periods and not that busy and the physical limitations of its location it was not extended. Bowdoin Station is positioned on a return loop so even if it closes the line will still be in use as all Blue Line trains use this route throughout the day.

Will check out the query about boarding/leaving trains at Bowdoin later this week.

So how many pantographs -still to be answered?

Had a great fay at the Seashore Trolley Museum yesterday my 4th visit - a truly amazing place - Get ready for photos and videos on my return.

Xerces Fobe

[Deleted]

Oct 4, 2010 13:25:03 GMT @axewielder said:

Oct 4, 2010 7:06:25 GMT @harlesden said:

This sentence from the link in the previous post has got me puzzled.

passengers can disembark from all 6 cars at Bowdoin Station, but due to the shape of the platform (which is inside a turn-around loop), passengers can only board 4 cars.

Could it be because there is a Spanish solution?

Because the platform lengths are unequal.

Not the case as this is a one platform station on a turnback loop where the trains travel in a anti-clockwise direction.

Xerces Fobe

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2010 11:59:44 GMT @xercesfobe said:

Oct 4, 2010 13:25:03 GMT @axewielder said:

Could it be because there is a Spanish solution?

Because the platform lengths are unequal.

Not the case as this is a one platform station on a turnback loop where the trains travel in a anti-clockwise direction.

Xerces Fobe

Whaaaaat? How does it work that there is one platform, which has differing boarding/alighting limits?

[Deleted]

I was there a few months ago. In fact it was going up to Boston airport that provided the gateway to get back home to London at the time of the Volcanic Ash fiasco, when all the BA flights back from New York were fully booked.

You could have added a few more clues about the place. Such as :

Which metro has what the map claims to be five main lines but one is just a tram route, and another only a bus.

Which city calls their Oyster a "Charlie", of all things (people in Boston love to give you the background to this).

Which metro system has a station called "Airport" that is the furthest away from the airport it purports to serve? Actually it doesn't look that far on the map (maybe a mile in a straight line). But I waited at the station for the shuttle bus for longer than it had taken to get out from the city, and the bus itself then took longer than that even, to get itself to the terminal by a most convoluted system of road loops, gaining height as it went. The drivers must get dizzy doing it all day.

But there's plenty going for the city as well. Unfortunately for those who read here, it's more about good food, nice restaurants, etc. Oh, and on the metro itself, the trains are all painted in the colour of the line, a little more bold than London just doing it to (some) of the handrails in the trains.

[Deleted]

Poor Charlie ;D ;D ;D

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2010 14:56:21 GMT @axewielder said:

Poor Charlie ;D ;D ;D

He is a card! ;D ;D ;D

Xerces Fobe

[Deleted]

Oct 5, 2010 13:00:44 GMT @axewielder said:

Oct 5, 2010 11:59:44 GMT @xercesfobe said:

Not the case as this is a one platform station on a turnback loop where the trains travel in a anti-clockwise direction.

Xerces Fobe

Whaaaaat? How does it work that there is one platform, which has differing boarding/alighting limits?

Opps I got it wrong - I went checked this morning there are 2 platforms the arrival platform can hold 6 cars departure platform cannot; these platforms are on the ends of the turnback loop. It is not a very busy station however the MBTA staff get at little worried if you hang around with a camera from my many previous experiences! - so it was a quick look today

The line at Bowdoin used to carry on to Harvard when it was tramway and there is still a stabling siding in part of the tunnel. There has also been talk of extending the line back to there as the Blue Line has no direct interchange with the Red Line currently.

Xerce Fobe

[norbitonflyer]

There is an MBTA track plan here which should make everything clear

[Deleted]

While we are discussing Boston here, for those of you who are professional drivers on the Underground here you may like to have a look at this on the Orange Line there, if you haven't seen it (I was given the link by the person who told me about the Charlie Card).



Nice bit of skilled braking by the young lady driver.

[Deleted]

Boston MBTA Blue Line 6 train at Wonderland 6 cars and 6 pantagraphs!