Also mentioning, the oldest train operator in the world operates the blue line. Her name is Helen Antenucci and she is 82 years old. Such a doll! She works mornings. I hear her on the speaker sometimes because I live near wonderland.
I've lived in Boston for years, on the blue line in fact. Not only was it cool to see some coverage of the T that wasn't negative, but that B footage of the third rail sparking at aquarium was a really nice touch. That's one of the only places you can clearly see that and it's always something I show folks when they visit. Edit: another small quirk of the system is that the blue line between maverick and aquarium really likes to interfere with bluetooth connections. If you have headphones or other listening devices, they tend to have strange audio artifacting between those two stations
I take the blue line to the aquarium pretty often and Ive never noticed bluetooth interferences specific to that area, at least from my memory. Next time I take it I'll be sure to keep that in mind though and see if I notice anything because maybe its happened to me without me remembering
I was a touch confused when you mentioned the Blue was “under construction” as I remember taking it in 1972. Nice to know I’m not losing it completely.
Yeah, that had me scratching my head for a moment also, as I remember taking it in the 80’s and 90’s. Such a fun system. Eventually I figured out that the convenient way to visit Boston was to stay at the Cambridge Marriott, which was built right on top of a T station. Literally a couple of steps from the hotel entrance to the T, I never needed a cab.
A Dunkin' fun fact: It was founded in Quincy, MA by William Rosenberg in 1950. In 1955, Bill worked with his brother-in-law Harry Winokur. After Winokur broke his partnership with Rosenberg, Harry went on to create Mister Donut with his son-in-law David Slater that same year. Yes, Mister Donut was founded in the US by the brother-in-law of the founder of Dunkin'! After International Multifoods Corporation bought Mister Donut in 1970, they opened locations outside North America like in Japan, so that's how they made it over to Japan! Mister Donut used to be all over the US, but after Dunkin's then parent company Allied-Lyons acquired Mister Donut in 1990, Dunkin' gave those North America stores the opportunity to convert to Dunkin's, which many did while the Godfrey, IL Mister Donut has remained the exception. So while this happened in North America, Mister Donuts elsewhere started operating on their own, which is why Mister Donut is still around in Asia. In 2020, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, and Mister Donut became part of Inspire Brands. If you're wondering why Wonderland is called such, Wonderland was originally to be named Bath House after the former station, but instead was named Wonderland in 1954 after the now-closed Wonderland Greyhound Park, which operated from 1935 to 2010 after dog racing ended in the state, itself named after Wonderland Amusement Park which operated from 1906 to 1911. Wonderland station was the destination in the 1998 romantic comedy movie Next Stop Wonderland. The CTA Yellow and Purple Lines also used overhead catenary at one point! The Evanston shuttle as it was called before the Purple Line, once had overhead that originally extended all the way to Howard, but in 1963 the wire was replaced with third rail between South Blvd and Howard, so South Boulevard was where the trains switched between overhead and third-rail. The overhead between South Boulevard and Linden was converted to third-rail in 1973, which allowed the CTA to retire the Cincinnati Car Company-manufactured 4000-series cars. By this time, L crews had been reduced to two persons (with only a few exceptions), with the conductor responsible for raising or lowering the poles. However, rush-hour Evanston Express trains at the time were typically four cars long, which would have been a time-consuming (and delay-inducing) job for one person, even though only every other car's poles had to be raised (the 4000-series cars used at the time were semi-permanently paired, with jumpers between the car's traction power systems). So during rush-hour, a platform person was assigned to South Blvd. to help raise and lower poles, typically, the platform person handled the pole on the first car while the conductor handled the pole on the third car. The Yellow Line switched between overhead and third rail the same way New Haven Line trains do, while in motion. That of course changed when the overhead section was converted to third-rail in 2004.
A cool fact about Blue Line rolling stock: While the 700-series cars you rode were built by Siemens and first entered revenue service in 2008 (it was first scheduled for delivery in 2004 but was delayed to 2007 due to manufacturing issues), the 600-series that came before them were built by the former Hawker Siddeley Canada, and were a PA3-type, so it's based on the same model for the former PA-3s on PATH in New Jersey! This is the same model as the old MBTA Orange Line rolling stock as well. Blue Line Hawkers were narrower and shorter than the Orange Line rolling stock since as mentioned, what's now the Blue Line was once for streetcars. The PATH PA3s entered service in 1972, while the Blue Line 600-series and Orange Line 1200-series entered service in 1979 and 1980 respectively. The PATH PA3s retired from service between 2009 and 2011. In 2009, a set of 600-series cars were sent to the Seashore Trolley Museum. Most Blue Line 600-series were retired by 2011 due to severe corrosion from the salty ocean air, and in 2012, a set was placed in the former Broadway streetcar tunnel for use during emergency training. The last 1200-series Orange Line cars exited service in August 2022, began to be sent for scrap the next month, all were processed to remove hazardous materials and be recycled, two were offered to the Seashore Trolley Museum who declined them, and the last pair was hauled away in July 2024. Besides working on rolling stock for PATH and MBTA, Hawker Siddeley Canada also built the former H-series subway cars for Toronto, National Railways of Mexico passenger coaches, the former automated Expo-Express for Expo 67 in Montreal (connected Cité du Havre where Habitat 67 is to La Ronde; trains carried 1,000 each and ran every 5 minutes), Tempo coaches built for Canadian National and once used by Via Rail and the Ski Train, and GO Transit bi-level coaches Series I to II. And as others have mentioned, the doors on the Blue Line rolling stock have buttons because of Bowdoin. Only 4 cars of a 6-car train can platform on the originating outbound platform at Bowdoin, and so this stop is the only place where push to open door buttons on the sides of Blue Line trains are ever used to facilitate not opening doors into an empty tunnel. Bowdoin station and Bowdoin Street above it is named after Governor James Bowdoin II, who was the second governor of MA from 1785 to 1787. He authored a big report on the 1770 Boston Massacre, which was extremely influential in shaping public opinion in the colonies. Bowdoin was also a scientist prominent in physics and astronomy. He wrote several papers, including one on electricity with Benjamin Franklin. From 1775 to 1777, he served as president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress's executive council, the de facto head of the Massachusetts government. He first ran for governor in 1780, losing to John Hancock. After Hancock resigned in 1785, James became governor. Due to large debts incurred from the Revolution, Bowdoin ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility. During his two years in office, the combination of poor economic conditions and his harsh fiscal policy laid down by his government led to Shays' Rebellion. Bowdoin personally funded militia forces that were instrumental in putting down the uprising. His treatment of the rebels contributed to his loss of the 1787 election, when populist Hancock returned to office.
One more unique thing about the Blue Line that is worth mentioning. Did you notice the door opening buttons on the train? That is because entire trains do not fit on the inbound platform at Bowdoin. Therefore, it is the only station in Boston, and probably the only heavy rail rapid transit station in the US, where you have to press a button to open the train doors like what is commonplace in Europe.
@@bnywtrains9482 I can relate to that. After arriving at North Station via Amtrak, I've been known to walk to Bowdoin to get on the T, instead of just boarding at North Station, purely to use the push button doors.
@@newenglandskier13 I went to Tufts and when I went home to Maine for breaks, I’d take the red line from Davis to Charles and just walk to Bowdoin and then transfer to OL at State to get to North Station.
On the Boston Revere Beach & Lynn, the road was built as a steam line. It distinguished itself by having a fleet composed entirely of Mason Bogie-type steam locomotives, by being almost entirely double-tracked (an absolute rarity for US narrow gauge) and by using automatic block signals and interlocking towers (the same). When the railroad was electrified in 1928 it did so on the cheap, by just putting trolley poles, controls, and traction motors onto the existing wooden coaches. Some of these passed to the East Broad Top RR in Pennsylvania, where they can be seen and ridden today.
You came at the right time. There has been a massive undertaking of repairs in the last year to finally eliminate the “slow zones” that have plagued the Red and orange lines for some time now. Please revisit us later next year for even faster service. Also you got a great attitude and passion for what you like. Keep it up. You’re always welcome in Boston, lad. :)
about time. god, i'll take any amount of shuttles if they use that construction to optimize those lines to stop constantly needing to stop and slow down and do tiny repairs that will ultimately require more shuttles. also not the train lines' fault specifically but i feel like the alewife roof crash last year was a solid sign that we needed to do some stuff about the MBTA
Watching this and knowing damn near every inch and every stop really amazes me when i get to see people this exited for a train ive ridden on for years and only really stopped when i started highschool so this is really a way to learn things i never noticed, ever about the blue line.
The switch between modes used to happen at Maverick in the 1970s, and the train would go dark for a couple seconds. Sometime since the '80s or '00s this was moved to Airport Station, and the new trains keep the lights and ventilation going during the process. Visiting my grandfather's boatyard in Winthrop in the 1970s we'd pass the Orient Heights yard, and there were a number of much older dark blue, rusty cars from 1928 or 1940s stored at the outer end. My great aunt in Winthrop had a short segment of the old narrow-guage right of way in her back yard (nothing to see but saplings and fallen leaves).
@@Thom-TRA Hmm. Maybe too old for battery backup power to the lights? I remember in the 1970s on the MBTA Orange Line there were 2-3 crossovers and a yard lead, just north of the new Mystic River Bridge, which created a long gap in the third rail. Whatever cabling ran the length of the old trains (traction power, cab signals, door circuitry) apparently did not cover the lights. As northbound trains rumbled through this gap the lights and ventilation in each car would stop for a good 3-5 seconds. Out in the winter darkness the city lights reflected on the inky blackness of the Mystic River, then the lights would turn back on just before the train pulled into the brightness of Wellington Station.
I remember the switch happening at Maverick into the 1990s, but I also remember that sometimes it happened at Maverick, sometimes at Airport. I first learned that pantographs were called pantographs by the signs at the old Airport station that read "raise pantograph" on the outbound side and "lower pantograph" on the inbound side.
"Banana bread" - Bear 2024...such a moving quote 😂 And a man of culture for that Borat joke at the end! The Starbucks and Dunkin' right next to each other at 11:24 is Krusty Krab and Chum Bucket energy. The Blue Line was assigned that color because of that East Boston Tunnel you mentioned, since it's the only line that goes underwater! You can also see trains that change between third-rail and catenary on the Metro-North's New Haven Line. Trains between New Haven and Mount Vernon East follow the Northeast Corridor and uses overhead catenary, while between Pelham and Grand Central Terminal, it uses third-rail. All New Haven Line electric trains change over between third-rail and overhead catenary between Mount Vernon East and Pelham at normal track speed. As they transition, the third-rail shoes stay in the same position both in and out of third rail territory. Both catenary and third rail overlap for a quarter-mile between Mount Vernon East and Pelham to facilitate this changeover. With Penn Station Access, New Haven Line trains following the Hell Gate Line and Hudson Line trains following the Empire Connection will have third-rail shoes capable of using both under-running and over-running third-rail (the M8s on the New Haven Line already have contact shoes capable of operating on both). While the Metro-North uses under-running third-rail, the tracks with third-rail in Penn Station use over-running third-rail because of the LIRR. The Boston cream doughnut was designated the official doughnut of Massachusetts in 2003 (the Boston cream pie itself had already been chosen as the state dessert in 1996). It is one of two official state donuts in the US, with the other being Louisiana's state doughnut, the beignet. The Boston cream pie that the doughnut is based off of was created in 1856 by Armenian-French chef Mossburg Sanzian at the Parker House Hotel. The Parker House Hotel was once home to the Saturday club, which was an informal monthly gathering of writers, scientists, philosophers, historians, and other notable thinkers of the mid-19th century. People like John Greenleaf Whittier (a poet who advocated for the end of slavery) to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow participated. Charles Dickens resided in the Parker House for five months in 1867 to 1868, he first recited and performed "A Christmas Carol" for the Saturday Club at the Parker House. John Wilkes Booth stayed at the hotel between April 5 and 6 in 1865, eight days before assassinating Lincoln. He was in Boston to see his brother, actor Edwin Booth, who was performing there, and John was seen practicing at a firing range near the hotel. Boston Common was once the land of William Blaxton, who was the first European to settle the Shawmut Peninsula of what's now Boston in 1625. He lived there by himself for five years, as he joined a failed Ferdinand Gorges expedition in 1623 and the rest of his fellow travelers returned to Britain. The Anglican Blaxton did not get along with the Puritan leaders of the Boston church and so in 1635, he moved about 35 miles to what's now Cumberland, Rhode Island, also becoming the first European to settle Rhode Island, one year before Roger Williams established Providence Plantations.
Nice video! I lived in East Boston for a year (in 2007) and I was a 10 minute walk from the airport station! It was so convenient because I worked at the BOS airport! My employer gave me an unlimited T pass which was awesome. I loved exploring the trains and city on my days off!
@@Thom-TRA Washington DC (Greenbelt MD) for a year, Boston (East Boston) for a year, and Chicago for the rest of my adult life. You have lived in some pretty cool areas as well! I would have loved to live abroad!
Mr. Eng is my hero! The Orange Line is running SO much faster now! No more slow zones! The Green Line is improving in stages, too. There’s a lot of work to be done on the Red Line, but it’s slowly coming together. I hope Eng tackles commuter rail next; not sure how much jurisdiction he has there.
ive sketched out a theoretical westward extension following blossom and binney streets and interfacing with the red line at central, then continuing under western avenue and arsenal street to watertown (previously served by the green line a branch)
The Skokie Swift was the last CTA rapid transit line to use overhead power, and the only one to use overhead catenary. The conversion to third-rail electrification was made to: Increase reliability, reduce maintenance costs, and make the Skokie Swift compatible with other CTA rapid-transit lines. The Skokie Swift lost its overhead power cable and was converted to third-rail electrification in 2004.
I hadn’t realised how used to the change in electrification I was, as a regular user of the UK’s Thameslink network! It had truly been an invaluable step here, linking areas north of London (overhead catenary) and areas south of London (third rail), which would have previously only been possible with diesel trains. It’s positive to see it in other parts of the world.
The buses in cambridge used to also be powered by overhead electricity. And harvard Sq still has an underground bus terminal. Worth a visit on your next trip to my hometown. My beach travel growing up was Sullivan Sq to State to Revere Beach. State had fantastic wooden escalators. Fastest airport to dtown in the US.
Didn't the silver line used to be part overhead and part gas? I swear I remember the busses stopping and switching motors soon after coming out of the tunnel near seaport.
I so frequently ride the Blue Line and even the first time I rode it, I remember noticing the pantographs lowering, but never thought much of it. You and a few other creators have really helped explain how unique this is. Also very cool that you and Bear got to meet up and hang out
Good video Thom! I live not far outside of Boston and regularly commute downtown. I was recently inspired by your coach trip from Chicago to LA on Amtrak and did it both ways.
The Metro-North New Haven line does a switch between third rail and pantograph. The switch occurs between the Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations (Amtrak's all overhead NEC switches one station up at New Rochelle before the third rail). It is done at speed. There's some history with Connecticut banning third rail electrification in the 1900s, so it couldn't be used on New Haven Line track, but the New York Central already used it, so that's why they have the rail going in to GCT.
@@Thom-TRA Metro-North is a commuter railroad given the length, but the schedule resembles a proper metro line. The New Haven line is about 70 miles long and takes 2 hours to go GCT to New Haven. Peak trains run every 10 minutes or less and they offer near 24/7 service. NYC transit is just different that way. You can see them make the change from the Pelham station platform. The at speed changes would be the express trains to New Haven (no stop at Pelham), the local trains to Stamford stop at Pelham. Video of the changeover: ruclips.net/video/hMuxucdRPpk/видео.htmlfeature=shared Similarly to the MBTA Blue Line, the reason for the changeover is because historically the NY portion was owned by the New York Central and used third rail the same as on the Hudson and Harlem lines. The CT portion was the New Haven Railroad and had to use overhead.
I have taken the orange and blue this summer and it’s very interesting that the blue line uses the overhead and 3rd rail, love the vids keep up the good work 😁
great photography on Boston and the blue line (which I rode some years ago, but only underground. Bear is a cool addition to your vids. His enthusiasm seems overwhelming
Thank you for this fascinating video ! Nice trains, and your explanation about the change from 3rd rail to overhead was very clear. Initially I was surprised that the overhead catenary only carries 600 volts, but that was essential to avoid dual voltage trains. The tale about Charlie is wonderful, and I did like the connecting buses from Logan Airport !
Well done. You’ve got a lot of good content, information and details about the transit systems and vehicles. I worked for many years on the west coast for the leading vehicle manufacturer (still number 1 or 2 today, I believe) helping to bring light rail to the US in San Diego, Sac, LA MTA, LF LRV’s in Portland, St. Louis, etc. I know my way around the pantograph, the bogies, coupler, articulation, etc. If you ever have any questions, I’m happy to help contribute.
I found this quite an informative video! Now, I know more about the MBTA Blue Line and why it has third rail on some sections (overhead wire cannot fit in the tunnels) and not others. Thanks for the video!
The North Shore Line used to switch from 3rd rail to overhead trolley on the fly near Caldwell Ave. as they proceeded up the Skokie Valley branch from Howard. The CRT/CTA did too until they cut service in 1948.
The Metro-North New Haven Line also switches from overhead to third rail power at Pelham. And Boston cream is the best donut at Dunkin Donuts. Good choice.
@@ItsjustcYou know, if only we treated public transportation more seriously we may not have to rely on cars as much and traffic might clear up. I rode the Commuter Rail to the Orange Line twice last week to go into Boston and did not have a bad experience to and from on either trip.
Excellent overview on the Blue Line and its fascinating history. I remember at one time there were plans to bring it to Lynn and some advocates have called for it be extended over in the vincinity of Boston University. But even the extension to Charles/MGH will be a good step bringing in a triangular transfer. I've also ridden the Green, Red and Orange Lines but have yet to try the Blue Line. I'll have to change that next time I'm in Boston.
I've taken the blue line my fair share of times to get to the airport. 90% of the time in bound service stopped at Govt. Center and I always wondered why Bowdoin wasn't accessible. So I was glad to see what it looked like finally.
If you come back, one of the headhouses of State Station is under the Old State House. There is also an entrance to Orangle Line at State that gets off right at City Hall Plaza.
The Yellow Line in Chicago used to have both third rail & pantograph, there were signs north of Howard telling the motorman where to raise & lower the pan. The Evanston line had overhead and trolley poles, up until 1973. I think the ground level sections of the Lake Street & the old Garfield Park line had overhead as well.
The Class 717 on the Great Northern City Line between London and Hertfordshire are dual electric. A former London underground line converted for National rail (BR as was) in the 1970's. They use 750 dc third rail in tunnel from Moorgate to Finsbury Park then raise a pantograph to 25KV AC on the lines north.
@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45it's at Woodlawn, where the former New Haven RR line diverges from the former NYCRR Harlem Line. Two especially interesting aspects of this switch: First, the switch is made while running at speed, unlike on Boston's Blue Line. Second, the third rail involved is New York Central's unique underrunning version, where the shoe runs beneath the third rail and contacts it from below.
@@harveywachtel1091during service however the switch takes place between mount vernon east and Pelham on the New Haven Lines. I believe for safety reasons.
Yup, and they do the changeover on the move, rather than stopped in a station. Amtrak and Metro North also do the mode changes on their P32DMs while on the move as well. Metro North starts the diesel as soon as they emerge from the Park Ave tunnel and Amtrak starts the diesel as soon as they're out of Penn station and into the exit tunnel to the Empire corridor.
Great video on the Blue Line! (my favorite line!) One notable fun (or not so, depending on how you look at it) fact about the line is that it has the only non-accessible heavy rail station on the subway at Bowdoin
I've lived in Boston and have been taking the mbta my whole life so it's not something I give much thought too, so it was nice seeing something so menial to me be such an exciting thing for you :)
That’s interesting how the blue line subway in Boston has both a third rail and overhead electrification. I think I only knew about the overhead electrification since I’ve heard of that train. I like how all the subway trains are different there the way they operate, just like some of them in Philadelphia and even New York.
What a great overview of the Blue Line! I live in Revere and use it fairly often, so I'm glad to see a TRA report on my main line :) definitely hoping to see the extension to Charles/MGH and to Lynn, especially since the Lynn station is already built to accommodate Blue Line trains.
Great video as always, Thom and Bear! In times past, Chicago's L had a few lines where they ran under trolley wires. The purple line in Evanston and Wilmette ran under trolley wire all the way from Howard to Linden. This might have been because much of it ran at ground level with grade crossings. I thought the Brown and Pink lines ran under trolley wire also, in the outer reaches where they ran at ground level, but at Thom's suggestion, I looked at old photos and they didn't--they ran on third rail all the way. But it is true for the Green line, which ran at ground level through Austin, Oak Park, and River Forest. On it, the trolley pole was raised at the last elevated station before the tracks went down to ground level. Also running third rail was the Blue Line Forest Park branch. It ran with third rail all the way to the end of the line, Des Plaines Avenue Forest Park or earlier to Westchester. There is a definite pattern here, because the Pink Line and the Forest Park branch were built by the same company, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated. This may have influenced the connecting Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban, which ran on third rail on the main line all the way to the edge of Aurora, where it ran down the street, so trolley wire was a necessity. The interurban's branches to Elgin and St. Charles never got converted to third rail, so they used trolley wire all the way from where they left the main line. The other exception is the Yellow Line, from Howard to Dempster St. Skokie. It ran on third rail through the cut and elevated sections westward from Howard until (I believe) Gross Point Road in Skokie. There, the overhead catenary took over. In the days of the old North Shore Line interurban, the conductor had to lean out the back window and raise the trolley pole as the train roared along at 70 miles per hour! Coming back to Chicago, he had to lower the pole and hook it at the same place. When the CTA took over, running mostly single cars with one-person crews, on their new cars they replaced the trolley poles with what they called "pan-trolleys" which looked like double trolley poles with a sliding pantograph-style shoe at the top. These could be raised or lowered by a pushbutton on the operator's console. Having three different power collection systems on different lines severely limited the portability of cars from one line to another. That is why the overhead wires have been removed completely. You can still see some of the old frames they hung from on the Yellow Line because many of the frames anchored to electric transmission towers at one end. Remember that at one time, the Chicago Rapid Transit, the North Shore Line, and the electric company had all been owned by the same monopoly.
@@Thom-TRA I looked up the pink and brown lines. They did not appear to have trolley poles and wires, in spite of their having significant portions of their lines at ground level. Perhaps the decision on whether to use overhead wire on ground-level lines was a political one based on the demands of the suburbs that granted the franchises? I don't know.
As I mentioned in the thread for your "coming attraction," the Rockaway line of the A train (NYC's "Blue Line"!) also goes by a horse track (Aqueduct and formerly at Suffolk Downs), an airport (JFK and Logan), and a beach (Rockaway Beach and Revere Beach). No dog track (formerly at Wonderland) in NYC, though...
Awesome 💯 Happy Saturday from Palm Beach Florida! Metro-North MTA New Haven Line makes this third rail to overhead power in between stations around the north Bronx, south Westchester in NY 👌
Blue line trains are similar to the Metro North trains on the New Haven line in CT and NY. They are overhead in CT as a commuter line and have reached the third rail in NY like a Metro train. This is most likely because the overhead allows for higher speed trains and the 3rd rail is better in subterranean applications.
4:50 In South Korea, traditional heavy rail rapid transits are built only with overhead electtification. The third rail is only for rubber tire railways or an AGT system. So some South Koreans tend to have a wrong stereotype that "If you see a third rail, then that is not a heavy rail rapid transit system".
I pretty much only take the blue line to get to the airport, and very occasionally to meet up with a friend who wants to be touristy at the Aquarium stop
If you rake the 88 shuttle to the water transportaion docks, you can take the 3rd public transit route from the airport to the city. The ferry takes 15 minutes, and drops you off at Rowes Wharf in Boston. Last MBTA line, I think not!
well done video! Nice meeting you and Lindsey last Monday! I did make it home safe! Come visit me at the museum next time you are in the area if I am there!
I love the Boston T. I had to move away, but whenever I get back for a game, I ride the trains just for fun. I live in Oceanside CA and am blessed to have the Coaster, the most beautiful route down the coast . During COVID, I amused myself by riding every mile of the San Diego trolley system. It's really nice, but it's not the T.
Too bad you didn’t make it out to Revere Beach. It looks like it was a nice day. All those stations from Wood Island to Wonderland are new since I lived in Revere.
The switch used to happen at the maverick square station until 2008 maybe? Not sure if it still does this but you could tell that the HVAC and lights would turn off for 15-30 seconds or more while the swich over occurred.
I’ve literally never got a RUclips recommendation related to trains before yet I get the video at the top of my feed less than 24 hours after I rode the Boston blue line for the first time ever
The Yellow and Purple Lines on the "L" used to have dual mode electrification too. The purple line converted to third rail in the 1970s but the Yellow Line kept its dual setup until 2004. Overhead wires were used from Dempster to Crawford (aka Pulaski) where it transitioned to third rail for the rest of the route to Howard. I know you mentioned this in your yellow line video but you can still see a ton of abandoned structures that used to carry the overhead wires. Cool to see the T does this too and still does it to this day!
That was before the Linden Ave. branch was called the Purple Line. Until 1955, the North Shore Line used to connect with the Elevated at Linden Ave. in Wilmette. The Purple Line was the Skokie Valley Branch of the North Shore Line until abandonment in 1963. The CTA purchased the tracks to maintain access to their Skokie shops. Rapid transit service resumed from Dempster as the Skokie Swift in 1964.
It could be that the third rail is the live and the overhead is neutral. Or it could be that the overhead is the additional live power source, and the running rails are the neutral.
I take the amtrak solo to go to my dads im a minor and I asked one of the conductors and they heard that the new acelas are going to be in service next year
Interesting.The blue line used to switch between overhead wire and third rail at Maverick, the next station after Airport heading toward downtown Boston.
6:24 Another US location where you can see it is at the Pelham station on Metro North's New Haven line in New York. It doesn't happen at the station but you should see it happen from there. It does the switch while moving. 11:50 the nyc mta 6 train does this too at its southern terminus. If you stay on it while it does its turnaround, you will see the very first ever nyc subway station, City Hall. Opened in 1904 and closed in 1945.
You actually don't need to buy charlie cards anymore. Most stations and busses have these tablets on the gates (you can see one 2:56) that you can tap your debit or credit card on. It's still rolling out but its in most places I've seen now.
You know the MBTA better then I, and I live 1 hour from Boston. Lol. I've started going more often to Boston last year because of concerts. We drive to Medford/Tufts station and take those trains in.
Excellent video. I didn't know the line has duel current collection. Boston also has a rich transit history like New York City. I also enjoy the trolley system. Keep up the good videos !
I have taken these trains my entire life and I’ve never noticed that there’s no third rail at Wood Island and that the overhead line actually lowers at the Airport Station! Wow
Hi Thom... As you may or may not remember, I'm an NYCT Train Operator and I wish I could work that Blue Line just so I could deploy the pantograghs on the overhead wires... And besides I like their equipment but I only wish you could've gotten a cab shot just to see the configuration of the controls... Thank you once again for another fun video...
Been to Boston a few times and I love the city. Funny enough the blue line is the only one I haven't been on either, hopefully I'll find an excuse to ride one next time.
Fun fact, the "Blue Line" operates over the trackage of the former Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad. This railroad was unique, in that the interurban railroad, was narrow gauge. Specifically 3 foot narrow gauge. The overhead electrification started then, and there is, reportedly, some of the original catenary poles still in use. Even though the BRB&L was abandoned in the 1940's.
I would argue that third-rail makes.sense underground from a maintenance standpoint while overhead wires work well above ground. It is a unique blend but it seems to work well.
Also mentioning, the oldest train operator in the world operates the blue line. Her name is Helen Antenucci and she is 82 years old. Such a doll! She works mornings. I hear her on the speaker sometimes because I live near wonderland.
That’s so cool! I had no idea
Is she the lady who talks about the aquarium lol heard her all my life didn’t know she’s the oldest
"Have a wonderful day, and remember, be kind to one another!"
I went to St. Lazarus School with Helen Antenucci’s daughter Lisa. SLS class of ‘83
I've lived in Boston for years, on the blue line in fact. Not only was it cool to see some coverage of the T that wasn't negative, but that B footage of the third rail sparking at aquarium was a really nice touch. That's one of the only places you can clearly see that and it's always something I show folks when they visit.
Edit: another small quirk of the system is that the blue line between maverick and aquarium really likes to interfere with bluetooth connections. If you have headphones or other listening devices, they tend to have strange audio artifacting between those two stations
Weird about the Bluetooth thing, I wonder why that is!
I take the blue line to the aquarium pretty often and Ive never noticed bluetooth interferences specific to that area, at least from my memory. Next time I take it I'll be sure to keep that in mind though and see if I notice anything because maybe its happened to me without me remembering
I was a touch confused when you mentioned the Blue was “under construction” as I remember taking it in 1972. Nice to know I’m not losing it completely.
lol, MBTA is just so broken that they just be shutting down entire lines at a time😭
Very interesting system👏🏼
Its the T, it's always under construction.
Yeah, that had me scratching my head for a moment also, as I remember taking it in the 80’s and 90’s. Such a fun system. Eventually I figured out that the convenient way to visit Boston was to stay at the Cambridge Marriott, which was built right on top of a T station. Literally a couple of steps from the hotel entrance to the T, I never needed a cab.
@@Shrek_Holmes For real
A Dunkin' fun fact: It was founded in Quincy, MA by William Rosenberg in 1950. In 1955, Bill worked with his brother-in-law Harry Winokur. After Winokur broke his partnership with Rosenberg, Harry went on to create Mister Donut with his son-in-law David Slater that same year. Yes, Mister Donut was founded in the US by the brother-in-law of the founder of Dunkin'! After International Multifoods Corporation bought Mister Donut in 1970, they opened locations outside North America like in Japan, so that's how they made it over to Japan! Mister Donut used to be all over the US, but after Dunkin's then parent company Allied-Lyons acquired Mister Donut in 1990, Dunkin' gave those North America stores the opportunity to convert to Dunkin's, which many did while the Godfrey, IL Mister Donut has remained the exception. So while this happened in North America, Mister Donuts elsewhere started operating on their own, which is why Mister Donut is still around in Asia. In 2020, Dunkin', Baskin-Robbins, and Mister Donut became part of Inspire Brands. If you're wondering why Wonderland is called such, Wonderland was originally to be named Bath House after the former station, but instead was named Wonderland in 1954 after the now-closed Wonderland Greyhound Park, which operated from 1935 to 2010 after dog racing ended in the state, itself named after Wonderland Amusement Park which operated from 1906 to 1911. Wonderland station was the destination in the 1998 romantic comedy movie Next Stop Wonderland.
The CTA Yellow and Purple Lines also used overhead catenary at one point! The Evanston shuttle as it was called before the Purple Line, once had overhead that originally extended all the way to Howard, but in 1963 the wire was replaced with third rail between South Blvd and Howard, so South Boulevard was where the trains switched between overhead and third-rail. The overhead between South Boulevard and Linden was converted to third-rail in 1973, which allowed the CTA to retire the Cincinnati Car Company-manufactured 4000-series cars. By this time, L crews had been reduced to two persons (with only a few exceptions), with the conductor responsible for raising or lowering the poles. However, rush-hour Evanston Express trains at the time were typically four cars long, which would have been a time-consuming (and delay-inducing) job for one person, even though only every other car's poles had to be raised (the 4000-series cars used at the time were semi-permanently paired, with jumpers between the car's traction power systems). So during rush-hour, a platform person was assigned to South Blvd. to help raise and lower poles, typically, the platform person handled the pole on the first car while the conductor handled the pole on the third car. The Yellow Line switched between overhead and third rail the same way New Haven Line trains do, while in motion. That of course changed when the overhead section was converted to third-rail in 2004.
Dang, what did America run on up until 1949?
@@Thom-TRA War
You answered a question I didn't know I had (why is Mister Donut still a thing in Japan?)
@@Thom-TRA Gumption, moxie and Yankee know how
@@MattMcIrvin I absolutely love mister donut!
A cool fact about Blue Line rolling stock: While the 700-series cars you rode were built by Siemens and first entered revenue service in 2008 (it was first scheduled for delivery in 2004 but was delayed to 2007 due to manufacturing issues), the 600-series that came before them were built by the former Hawker Siddeley Canada, and were a PA3-type, so it's based on the same model for the former PA-3s on PATH in New Jersey! This is the same model as the old MBTA Orange Line rolling stock as well. Blue Line Hawkers were narrower and shorter than the Orange Line rolling stock since as mentioned, what's now the Blue Line was once for streetcars. The PATH PA3s entered service in 1972, while the Blue Line 600-series and Orange Line 1200-series entered service in 1979 and 1980 respectively. The PATH PA3s retired from service between 2009 and 2011. In 2009, a set of 600-series cars were sent to the Seashore Trolley Museum. Most Blue Line 600-series were retired by 2011 due to severe corrosion from the salty ocean air, and in 2012, a set was placed in the former Broadway streetcar tunnel for use during emergency training. The last 1200-series Orange Line cars exited service in August 2022, began to be sent for scrap the next month, all were processed to remove hazardous materials and be recycled, two were offered to the Seashore Trolley Museum who declined them, and the last pair was hauled away in July 2024. Besides working on rolling stock for PATH and MBTA, Hawker Siddeley Canada also built the former H-series subway cars for Toronto, National Railways of Mexico passenger coaches, the former automated Expo-Express for Expo 67 in Montreal (connected Cité du Havre where Habitat 67 is to La Ronde; trains carried 1,000 each and ran every 5 minutes), Tempo coaches built for Canadian National and once used by Via Rail and the Ski Train, and GO Transit bi-level coaches Series I to II.
And as others have mentioned, the doors on the Blue Line rolling stock have buttons because of Bowdoin. Only 4 cars of a 6-car train can platform on the originating outbound platform at Bowdoin, and so this stop is the only place where push to open door buttons on the sides of Blue Line trains are ever used to facilitate not opening doors into an empty tunnel. Bowdoin station and Bowdoin Street above it is named after Governor James Bowdoin II, who was the second governor of MA from 1785 to 1787. He authored a big report on the 1770 Boston Massacre, which was extremely influential in shaping public opinion in the colonies. Bowdoin was also a scientist prominent in physics and astronomy. He wrote several papers, including one on electricity with Benjamin Franklin. From 1775 to 1777, he served as president of the Massachusetts Provincial Congress's executive council, the de facto head of the Massachusetts government. He first ran for governor in 1780, losing to John Hancock. After Hancock resigned in 1785, James became governor. Due to large debts incurred from the Revolution, Bowdoin ran on a platform of fiscal responsibility. During his two years in office, the combination of poor economic conditions and his harsh fiscal policy laid down by his government led to Shays' Rebellion. Bowdoin personally funded militia forces that were instrumental in putting down the uprising. His treatment of the rebels contributed to his loss of the 1787 election, when populist Hancock returned to office.
One more unique thing about the Blue Line that is worth mentioning. Did you notice the door opening buttons on the train? That is because entire trains do not fit on the inbound platform at Bowdoin. Therefore, it is the only station in Boston, and probably the only heavy rail rapid transit station in the US, where you have to press a button to open the train doors like what is commonplace in Europe.
Ah, you’re right, I missed that! Bowdoin station honestly deserves its own video in the future
I just took my gf to Bowdoin last weekend to show this to her lol
@@Thom-TRA Yes, it's such a quirky and unique station
@@bnywtrains9482 I can relate to that. After arriving at North Station via Amtrak, I've been known to walk to Bowdoin to get on the T, instead of just boarding at North Station, purely to use the push button doors.
@@newenglandskier13 I went to Tufts and when I went home to Maine for breaks, I’d take the red line from Davis to Charles and just walk to Bowdoin and then transfer to OL at State to get to North Station.
On the Boston Revere Beach & Lynn, the road was built as a steam line. It distinguished itself by having a fleet composed entirely of Mason Bogie-type steam locomotives, by being almost entirely double-tracked (an absolute rarity for US narrow gauge) and by using automatic block signals and interlocking towers (the same). When the railroad was electrified in 1928 it did so on the cheap, by just putting trolley poles, controls, and traction motors onto the existing wooden coaches. Some of these passed to the East Broad Top RR in Pennsylvania, where they can be seen and ridden today.
You came at the right time. There has been a massive undertaking of repairs in the last year to finally eliminate the “slow zones” that have plagued the Red and orange lines for some time now.
Please revisit us later next year for even faster service. Also you got a great attitude and passion for what you like. Keep it up. You’re always welcome in Boston, lad. :)
Thank you!!
about time. god, i'll take any amount of shuttles if they use that construction to optimize those lines to stop constantly needing to stop and slow down and do tiny repairs that will ultimately require more shuttles.
also not the train lines' fault specifically but i feel like the alewife roof crash last year was a solid sign that we needed to do some stuff about the MBTA
Watching this and knowing damn near every inch and every stop really amazes me when i get to see people this exited for a train ive ridden on for years and only really stopped when i started highschool so this is really a way to learn things i never noticed, ever about the blue line.
The switch between modes used to happen at Maverick in the 1970s, and the train would go dark for a couple seconds. Sometime since the '80s or '00s this was moved to Airport Station, and the new trains keep the lights and ventilation going during the process. Visiting my grandfather's boatyard in Winthrop in the 1970s we'd pass the Orient Heights yard, and there were a number of much older dark blue, rusty cars from 1928 or 1940s stored at the outer end. My great aunt in Winthrop had a short segment of the old narrow-guage right of way in her back yard (nothing to see but saplings and fallen leaves).
Sometimes the lights on the older DC metro trains will still turn off and I have no idea why
@@Thom-TRA Hmm. Maybe too old for battery backup power to the lights? I remember in the 1970s on the MBTA Orange Line there were 2-3 crossovers and a yard lead, just north of the new Mystic River Bridge, which created a long gap in the third rail. Whatever cabling ran the length of the old trains (traction power, cab signals, door circuitry) apparently did not cover the lights. As northbound trains rumbled through this gap the lights and ventilation in each car would stop for a good 3-5 seconds. Out in the winter darkness the city lights reflected on the inky blackness of the Mystic River, then the lights would turn back on just before the train pulled into the brightness of Wellington Station.
I remember the switch happening at Maverick into the 1990s, but I also remember that sometimes it happened at Maverick, sometimes at Airport. I first learned that pantographs were called pantographs by the signs at the old Airport station that read "raise pantograph" on the outbound side and "lower pantograph" on the inbound side.
"Banana bread" - Bear 2024...such a moving quote 😂 And a man of culture for that Borat joke at the end! The Starbucks and Dunkin' right next to each other at 11:24 is Krusty Krab and Chum Bucket energy. The Blue Line was assigned that color because of that East Boston Tunnel you mentioned, since it's the only line that goes underwater! You can also see trains that change between third-rail and catenary on the Metro-North's New Haven Line. Trains between New Haven and Mount Vernon East follow the Northeast Corridor and uses overhead catenary, while between Pelham and Grand Central Terminal, it uses third-rail. All New Haven Line electric trains change over between third-rail and overhead catenary between Mount Vernon East and Pelham at normal track speed. As they transition, the third-rail shoes stay in the same position both in and out of third rail territory. Both catenary and third rail overlap for a quarter-mile between Mount Vernon East and Pelham to facilitate this changeover. With Penn Station Access, New Haven Line trains following the Hell Gate Line and Hudson Line trains following the Empire Connection will have third-rail shoes capable of using both under-running and over-running third-rail (the M8s on the New Haven Line already have contact shoes capable of operating on both). While the Metro-North uses under-running third-rail, the tracks with third-rail in Penn Station use over-running third-rail because of the LIRR.
The Boston cream doughnut was designated the official doughnut of Massachusetts in 2003 (the Boston cream pie itself had already been chosen as the state dessert in 1996). It is one of two official state donuts in the US, with the other being Louisiana's state doughnut, the beignet. The Boston cream pie that the doughnut is based off of was created in 1856 by Armenian-French chef Mossburg Sanzian at the Parker House Hotel. The Parker House Hotel was once home to the Saturday club, which was an informal monthly gathering of writers, scientists, philosophers, historians, and other notable thinkers of the mid-19th century. People like John Greenleaf Whittier (a poet who advocated for the end of slavery) to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow participated. Charles Dickens resided in the Parker House for five months in 1867 to 1868, he first recited and performed "A Christmas Carol" for the Saturday Club at the Parker House. John Wilkes Booth stayed at the hotel between April 5 and 6 in 1865, eight days before assassinating Lincoln. He was in Boston to see his brother, actor Edwin Booth, who was performing there, and John was seen practicing at a firing range near the hotel. Boston Common was once the land of William Blaxton, who was the first European to settle the Shawmut Peninsula of what's now Boston in 1625. He lived there by himself for five years, as he joined a failed Ferdinand Gorges expedition in 1623 and the rest of his fellow travelers returned to Britain. The Anglican Blaxton did not get along with the Puritan leaders of the Boston church and so in 1635, he moved about 35 miles to what's now Cumberland, Rhode Island, also becoming the first European to settle Rhode Island, one year before Roger Williams established Providence Plantations.
I’m not weird, I’m just an Official donut of Massachusetts connoisseur!
Cumberland is also the namesake for Cumberland Farms
Nice video! I lived in East Boston for a year (in 2007) and I was a 10 minute walk from the airport station! It was so convenient because I worked at the BOS airport! My employer gave me an unlimited T pass which was awesome. I loved exploring the trains and city on my days off!
Wow, you’ve lived all over!
@@Thom-TRA Washington DC (Greenbelt MD) for a year, Boston (East Boston) for a year, and Chicago for the rest of my adult life. You have lived in some pretty cool areas as well! I would have loved to live abroad!
I sincerely hope the Blue Line is extended to Charles/MGH and eventually up to Lynn. Peter Eng has been a massive savior of the MBTA.
Mr. Eng is my hero! The Orange Line is running SO much faster now! No more slow zones! The Green Line is improving in stages, too. There’s a lot of work to be done on the Red Line, but it’s slowly coming together. I hope Eng tackles commuter rail next; not sure how much jurisdiction he has there.
ive sketched out a theoretical westward extension following blossom and binney streets and interfacing with the red line at central, then continuing under western avenue and arsenal street to watertown (previously served by the green line a branch)
Watching this video while on the Blue Line. Shout-out to Maverick, my home stop!
YAY! blue line finally! My favorite mbta line!
The Skokie Swift was the last CTA rapid transit line to use overhead power, and the only one to use overhead catenary. The conversion to third-rail electrification was made to: Increase reliability, reduce maintenance costs, and make the Skokie Swift compatible with other CTA rapid-transit lines. The Skokie Swift lost its overhead power cable and was converted to third-rail electrification in 2004.
I hadn’t realised how used to the change in electrification I was, as a regular user of the UK’s Thameslink network! It had truly been an invaluable step here, linking areas north of London (overhead catenary) and areas south of London (third rail), which would have previously only been possible with diesel trains. It’s positive to see it in other parts of the world.
The buses in cambridge used to also be powered by overhead electricity. And harvard Sq still has an underground bus terminal. Worth a visit on your next trip to my hometown.
My beach travel growing up was Sullivan Sq to State to Revere Beach. State had fantastic wooden escalators.
Fastest airport to dtown in the US.
Didn't the silver line used to be part overhead and part gas? I swear I remember the busses stopping and switching motors soon after coming out of the tunnel near seaport.
@@toothgnashisn't that still true lol?
I so frequently ride the Blue Line and even the first time I rode it, I remember noticing the pantographs lowering, but never thought much of it. You and a few other creators have really helped explain how unique this is.
Also very cool that you and Bear got to meet up and hang out
Good video Thom! I live not far outside of Boston and regularly commute downtown. I was recently inspired by your coach trip from Chicago to LA on Amtrak and did it both ways.
Wow, both ways! That’s impressive
The Metro-North New Haven line does a switch between third rail and pantograph. The switch occurs between the Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations (Amtrak's all overhead NEC switches one station up at New Rochelle before the third rail). It is done at speed. There's some history with Connecticut banning third rail electrification in the 1900s, so it couldn't be used on New Haven Line track, but the New York Central already used it, so that's why they have the rail going in to GCT.
But it’s not a metro line is it? And you can’t see it happen can you?
@@Thom-TRA Metro-North is a commuter railroad given the length, but the schedule resembles a proper metro line. The New Haven line is about 70 miles long and takes 2 hours to go GCT to New Haven. Peak trains run every 10 minutes or less and they offer near 24/7 service. NYC transit is just different that way.
You can see them make the change from the Pelham station platform. The at speed changes would be the express trains to New Haven (no stop at Pelham), the local trains to Stamford stop at Pelham. Video of the changeover: ruclips.net/video/hMuxucdRPpk/видео.htmlfeature=shared
Similarly to the MBTA Blue Line, the reason for the changeover is because historically the NY portion was owned by the New York Central and used third rail the same as on the Hudson and Harlem lines. The CT portion was the New Haven Railroad and had to use overhead.
@@kengrayatgmaildotcom the metro north is more similar to a European regional/intercity railway than a rapid transit line.
I lived near Boston all my life and never realized the story behind the Charlie Card. That's really interesting, thanks.
The song is worth a listen!
Very cool intro video to help give newcomers a quick visual recap of the T Blue line's early history. Beth 😊
I have taken the orange and blue this summer and it’s very interesting that the blue line uses the overhead and 3rd rail, love the vids keep up the good work 😁
What a story. Boston always has been a city ahead of its time. Looking forward to more videos from there.
great photography on Boston and the blue line (which I rode some years ago, but only underground. Bear is a cool addition to your vids. His enthusiasm seems overwhelming
He’s fun to have along!
Meer Bear!
Thank you for this fascinating video ! Nice trains, and your explanation about the change from 3rd rail to overhead was very clear. Initially I was surprised that the overhead catenary only carries 600 volts, but that was essential to avoid dual voltage trains. The tale about Charlie is wonderful, and I did like the connecting buses from Logan Airport !
I had a Boston Cream Donut on my way to the Path train to NY Comic Con. It was worth it and it was on a train, which is awesome.
That is awesome!
Well done. You’ve got a lot of good content, information and details about the transit systems and vehicles. I worked for many years on the west coast for the leading vehicle manufacturer (still number 1 or 2 today, I believe) helping to bring light rail to the US in San Diego, Sac, LA MTA, LF LRV’s in Portland, St. Louis, etc. I know my way around the pantograph, the bogies, coupler, articulation, etc. If you ever have any questions, I’m happy to help contribute.
From what I can tell, said company has been having some pretty good years!
I found this quite an informative video! Now, I know more about the MBTA Blue Line and why it has third rail on some sections (overhead wire cannot fit in the tunnels) and not others.
Thanks for the video!
Glad it was helpful!
The North Shore Line used to switch from 3rd rail to overhead trolley on the fly near Caldwell Ave. as they proceeded up the Skokie Valley branch from Howard. The CRT/CTA did too until they cut service in 1948.
Every day I have a moment of silence for the north shore line
The Metro-North New Haven Line also switches from overhead to third rail power at Pelham. And Boston cream is the best donut at Dunkin Donuts. Good choice.
The T is such an interesting system! Thanks for covering the Blue Line!
This Blue line maybe be shorter and smaller, but it’s an awesome line!!! Thanks for exploring and showing this awesome train!!!
The CTA Yellow line used to have mixed power, but was converted to all third rail to simplify logistics
Great video! You got some really great shots of the city and trains
Thanks so much!
You are the only person who has ever uttered the phrase "I'm excited to ride the Blue Line"
Must suck to be so cynical all the time
@@Thom-TRAnah it sucks to live near and rely on the MBTA. I’m grateful for all life has to offer, except the MBTA.
@@Itsjustc then move
@@ItsjustcYou know, if only we treated public transportation more seriously we may not have to rely on cars as much and traffic might clear up. I rode the Commuter Rail to the Orange Line twice last week to go into Boston and did not have a bad experience to and from on either trip.
Excellent overview on the Blue Line and its fascinating history. I remember at one time there were plans to bring it to Lynn and some advocates have called for it be extended over in the vincinity of Boston University. But even the extension to Charles/MGH will be a good step bringing in a triangular transfer. I've also ridden the Green, Red and Orange Lines but have yet to try the Blue Line. I'll have to change that next time I'm in Boston.
I've taken the blue line my fair share of times to get to the airport. 90% of the time in bound service stopped at Govt. Center and I always wondered why Bowdoin wasn't accessible. So I was glad to see what it looked like finally.
Recently moved from Lynn,MA caught the blue line everyday lol I miss it
the baby pantographs and short cars remind me of TMB barcelona metro lines. They take advantage of their features to take tighter curves
I used to live off of airport station. I loved the blue line and the neighborhood in Eastie.
Hope you had a good visit to Boston. As the MBTA goes, the Blue Line is shockingly reliable and efficient.
If you come back, one of the headhouses of State Station is under the Old State House. There is also an entrance to Orangle Line at State that gets off right at City Hall Plaza.
The Yellow Line in Chicago used to have both third rail & pantograph, there were signs north of Howard telling the motorman where to raise & lower the pan.
The Evanston line had overhead and trolley poles, up until 1973. I think the ground level sections of the Lake Street & the old Garfield Park line had overhead as well.
The Class 717 on the Great Northern City Line between London and Hertfordshire are dual electric. A former London underground line converted for National rail (BR as was) in the 1970's. They use 750 dc third rail in tunnel from Moorgate to Finsbury Park then raise a pantograph to 25KV AC on the lines north.
Enjoyed the video. Trains switch from third rail to overhead on Metro North going from New York to Connecticut.
Yep, at Pelham I believe
@@ninyaninjabrifsanovichthes45it's at Woodlawn, where the former New Haven RR line diverges from the former NYCRR Harlem Line.
Two especially interesting aspects of this switch: First, the switch is made while running at speed, unlike on Boston's Blue Line. Second, the third rail involved is New York Central's unique underrunning version, where the shoe runs beneath the third rail and contacts it from below.
@@harveywachtel1091during service however the switch takes place between mount vernon east and Pelham on the New Haven Lines. I believe for safety reasons.
@@davidmadrid6126 I didn't realize the third rail ran that far.
Yup, and they do the changeover on the move, rather than stopped in a station. Amtrak and Metro North also do the mode changes on their P32DMs while on the move as well. Metro North starts the diesel as soon as they emerge from the Park Ave tunnel and Amtrak starts the diesel as soon as they're out of Penn station and into the exit tunnel to the Empire corridor.
It’s always fun when Bear is a guest!
There’s more of him coming!
Great video on the Blue Line! (my favorite line!)
One notable fun (or not so, depending on how you look at it) fact about the line is that it has the only non-accessible heavy rail station on the subway at Bowdoin
That’s impressive that there’s only one!
I never knew the blue and red lines used to technically connect. Hopefully some day they'll intersect again, it's such a pain to transfer
Great video! Reminds me of the Metro North New Haven line which also switches between overhead and third rail
I've lived in Boston and have been taking the mbta my whole life so it's not something I give much thought too, so it was nice seeing something so menial to me be such an exciting thing for you :)
That’s interesting how the blue line subway in Boston has both a third rail and overhead electrification. I think I only knew about the overhead electrification since I’ve heard of that train. I like how all the subway trains are different there the way they operate, just like some of them in Philadelphia and even New York.
What a great overview of the Blue Line! I live in Revere and use it fairly often, so I'm glad to see a TRA report on my main line :) definitely hoping to see the extension to Charles/MGH and to Lynn, especially since the Lynn station is already built to accommodate Blue Line trains.
Sorry we didn’t make it all the way out to your stop!
So awesome.
Fun fact: Blue was chosen, because it went under water, originally to connect East Boston and Boston, Boston was once an island after all.
True!
Don't forget: The Green Line still uses electric wire, and the Silver Line did it also (in the tunnel). The trackless trolleys in Cambridge are gone 😞
Great video as always, Thom and Bear! In times past, Chicago's L had a few lines where they ran under trolley wires. The purple line in Evanston and Wilmette ran under trolley wire all the way from Howard to Linden. This might have been because much of it ran at ground level with grade crossings. I thought the Brown and Pink lines ran under trolley wire also, in the outer reaches where they ran at ground level, but at Thom's suggestion, I looked at old photos and they didn't--they ran on third rail all the way. But it is true for the Green line, which ran at ground level through Austin, Oak Park, and River Forest. On it, the trolley pole was raised at the last elevated station before the tracks went down to ground level.
Also running third rail was the Blue Line Forest Park branch. It ran with third rail all the way to the end of the line, Des Plaines Avenue Forest Park or earlier to Westchester. There is a definite pattern here, because the Pink Line and the Forest Park branch were built by the same company, the Metropolitan West Side Elevated. This may have influenced the connecting Chicago Aurora and Elgin interurban, which ran on third rail on the main line all the way to the edge of Aurora, where it ran down the street, so trolley wire was a necessity. The interurban's branches to Elgin and St. Charles never got converted to third rail, so they used trolley wire all the way from where they left the main line.
The other exception is the Yellow Line, from Howard to Dempster St. Skokie. It ran on third rail through the cut and elevated sections westward from Howard until (I believe) Gross Point Road in Skokie. There, the overhead catenary took over. In the days of the old North Shore Line interurban, the conductor had to lean out the back window and raise the trolley pole as the train roared along at 70 miles per hour! Coming back to Chicago, he had to lower the pole and hook it at the same place. When the CTA took over, running mostly single cars with one-person crews, on their new cars they replaced the trolley poles with what they called "pan-trolleys" which looked like double trolley poles with a sliding pantograph-style shoe at the top. These could be raised or lowered by a pushbutton on the operator's console.
Having three different power collection systems on different lines severely limited the portability of cars from one line to another. That is why the overhead wires have been removed completely. You can still see some of the old frames they hung from on the Yellow Line because many of the frames anchored to electric transmission towers at one end. Remember that at one time, the Chicago Rapid Transit, the North Shore Line, and the electric company had all been owned by the same monopoly.
I’m not sure about pink and brown either, would be interesting to look up!
@@Thom-TRA I looked up the pink and brown lines. They did not appear to have trolley poles and wires, in spite of their having significant portions of their lines at ground level. Perhaps the decision on whether to use overhead wire on ground-level lines was a political one based on the demands of the suburbs that granted the franchises? I don't know.
As I mentioned in the thread for your "coming attraction," the Rockaway line of the A train (NYC's "Blue Line"!) also goes by a horse track (Aqueduct and formerly at Suffolk Downs), an airport (JFK and Logan), and a beach (Rockaway Beach and Revere Beach). No dog track (formerly at Wonderland) in NYC, though...
Blue Line's nice. clean, doesn't screech like Green Line.
0:37 I can see my house from here!
Good looking house!
Awesome 💯 Happy Saturday from Palm Beach Florida! Metro-North MTA New Haven Line makes this third rail to overhead power in between stations around the north Bronx, south Westchester in NY 👌
Happy Saturday to you too!
@@Thom-TRA awesome guy!
Blue line trains are similar to the Metro North trains on the New Haven line in CT and NY. They are overhead in CT as a commuter line and have reached the third rail in NY like a Metro train. This is most likely because the overhead allows for higher speed trains and the 3rd rail is better in subterranean applications.
4:50 In South Korea, traditional heavy rail rapid transits are built only with overhead electtification. The third rail is only for rubber tire railways or an AGT system. So some South Koreans tend to have a wrong stereotype that "If you see a third rail, then that is not a heavy rail rapid transit system".
South Korea, now that’s a country I want to go back to to ride the train!
i didn't expect to be so excited to see a video about a local train line but also i guess your username is just true trains are awesome
Let’s goooo
I pretty much only take the blue line to get to the airport, and very occasionally to meet up with a friend who wants to be touristy at the Aquarium stop
If you rake the 88 shuttle to the water transportaion docks, you can take the 3rd public transit route from the airport to the city. The ferry takes 15 minutes, and drops you off at Rowes Wharf in Boston. Last MBTA line, I think not!
Unfortunately the ferry to the airport is so infrequent I’ve never been able to take it
well done video! Nice meeting you and Lindsey last Monday! I did make it home safe! Come visit me at the museum next time you are in the area if I am there!
Nice to meet you too!
I love the Boston T. I had to move away, but whenever I get back for a game, I ride the trains just for fun. I live in Oceanside CA and am blessed to have the Coaster, the most beautiful route down the coast . During COVID, I amused myself by riding every mile of the San Diego trolley system. It's really nice, but it's not the T.
I’ve always wanted to ride the Coaster and go to San Diego!
I live in Boston on the Green B, and used to live in Lynn - took the blue line all the time. Good job!
Nice video it's cool how the train switches modes
Too bad you didn’t make it out to Revere Beach. It looks like it was a nice day. All those stations from Wood Island to Wonderland are new since I lived in Revere.
The switch used to happen at the maverick square station until 2008 maybe? Not sure if it still does this but you could tell that the HVAC and lights would turn off for 15-30 seconds or more while the swich over occurred.
There used to be a Dunkin Donuts inside fare control on the Green Line platform at Government Center station.
It's still there. Has very unpredictable hours though.
Great video Thom. I would like visiting Boston and trying out the transit.
Boston is one of my favorite towns in the US!
I’ve literally never got a RUclips recommendation related to trains before yet I get the video at the top of my feed less than 24 hours after I rode the Boston blue line for the first time ever
It’s like they knew… welcome to train RUclips! Hope you stay
I was just in Boston this week and I rode most of their transit lines including the Blue! Boston is my new favorite US city
That’s awesome!
The Yellow and Purple Lines on the "L" used to have dual mode electrification too. The purple line converted to third rail in the 1970s but the Yellow Line kept its dual setup until 2004. Overhead wires were used from Dempster to Crawford (aka Pulaski) where it transitioned to third rail for the rest of the route to Howard. I know you mentioned this in your yellow line video but you can still see a ton of abandoned structures that used to carry the overhead wires. Cool to see the T does this too and still does it to this day!
wrong city
That was before the Linden Ave. branch was called the Purple Line. Until 1955, the North Shore Line used to connect with the Elevated at Linden Ave. in Wilmette. The Purple Line was the Skokie Valley Branch of the North Shore Line until abandonment in 1963. The CTA purchased the tracks to maintain access to their Skokie shops. Rapid transit service resumed from Dempster as the Skokie Swift in 1964.
@@paulhurst7748 the Purple/Evanston line didn't use the Skokie valley route. There was no L service on that branch between 1948 and 1964.
Have you hit the Mattapan Line?
It is generally grouped in with the red line, but it's a separate gauge and fleet of train cars.
Yes, see my video from 2 years ago
Very well done
Thanks!
Nice well done as always. Thanks for visiting boston!
Thank you for watching!
It could be that the third rail is the live and the overhead is neutral. Or it could be that the overhead is the additional live power source, and the running rails are the neutral.
Or, and this is gonna sound crazy, you could try watching the video and find out why it’s like this without having to guess.
@@Thom-TRA i like guessing ¦|
Welcome to Boston
I take the amtrak solo to go to my dads im a minor and I asked one of the conductors and they heard that the new acelas are going to be in service next year
Interesting.The blue line used to switch between overhead wire and third rail at Maverick, the next station after Airport heading toward downtown Boston.
Shoutout to the Metro-North New Haven Line, which also switches between third rail and overhead wires
Yep
6:24 Another US location where you can see it is at the Pelham station on Metro North's New Haven line in New York. It doesn't happen at the station but you should see it happen from there. It does the switch while moving.
11:50 the nyc mta 6 train does this too at its southern terminus. If you stay on it while it does its turnaround, you will see the very first ever nyc subway station, City Hall. Opened in 1904 and closed in 1945.
You actually don't need to buy charlie cards anymore. Most stations and busses have these tablets on the gates (you can see one 2:56) that you can tap your debit or credit card on. It's still rolling out but its in most places I've seen now.
This video was filmed in June. Tap to pay didn’t roll out until July. See every other comment for the same response…
These videos are so educational and entertaining👍
Thank you!
You know the MBTA better then I, and I live 1 hour from Boston. Lol. I've started going more often to Boston last year because of concerts. We drive to Medford/Tufts station and take those trains in.
Excellent video. I didn't know the line has duel current collection. Boston also has a rich transit history like New York City. I also enjoy the trolley system. Keep up the good videos !
Many people like to hate on Boston’s transit, and yes, it needs a lot of TLC, but I still appreciate it nonetheless!
I have taken these trains my entire life and I’ve never noticed that there’s no third rail at Wood Island and that the overhead line actually lowers at the Airport Station! Wow
Hi Thom...
As you may or may not remember, I'm an NYCT Train Operator and I wish I could work that Blue Line just so I could deploy the pantograghs on the overhead wires...
And besides I like their equipment but I only wish you could've gotten a cab shot just to see the configuration of the controls...
Thank you once again for another fun video...
Thanks for watching!
Best line imo, a little slow as of recently however. Take it almost every day
6:37 Metro North New Haven line has a change over near Pelham station. They also do the change over while moving
I didn’t realize metro north was a subway line.
Been to Boston a few times and I love the city. Funny enough the blue line is the only one I haven't been on either, hopefully I'll find an excuse to ride one next time.
The only other metro line in the US to use overhead power is the Red Line in Cleveland
I do think that the Subway in Oslo, Norway, has some similar operations. Check with Your Connections..
Fun fact, the "Blue Line" operates over the trackage of the former Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad. This railroad was unique, in that the interurban railroad, was narrow gauge. Specifically 3 foot narrow gauge. The overhead electrification started then, and there is, reportedly, some of the original catenary poles still in use. Even though the BRB&L was abandoned in the 1940's.
He mentions this in the video.
I would argue that third-rail makes.sense underground from a maintenance standpoint while overhead wires work well above ground. It is a unique blend but it seems to work well.
All your videos look like the subway lines in Boston - they are unique and with unusual history!!!
Haha, thanks! This is the best comment!