The Great American Train Chase, Part Seven

Overnight from Boston brings me into Union Terminal, Washington. One stop north on Metro Rail is New Your Avenues. Here the Metro station overlooks the feeders for Union Terminal. Some traffic are switching like Amtrak 541, Switching Washington Terminal, New York Avenue, Washington, DC






or The VRE movement back to the yard.





Than there are the numerous MARC and Amtrak trains heading out.















Than there is the exciting move of the day. VRE is moving to the yard but it is passed inbound by acela express and The Northeast Regional, one passing the other.




This is a nice spot for watching trains, however, Metro Rail can cause problems with video. Now back to Union Terminal. (to be continued)

The Great American Train Chase, Part Six

Only one more train watching event must be done. It is only noon. so there is plenty of time for all. Since Ruggles Station is where Orange line and Commuter Rail parallel, a video of Orange line from the Commuter Rail platform. Orange Line pictures are not require but become a part of the tie breaker should all other items be equal:





One favorite thing about the Boston subway is the fact that the duel power on the Blue Line. The Blue Line coaches are shorter than the Orange and Red due to smaller radii curves. But the Blue Line is third rail power like the Red and Orange, while underground. At the Airport, the Blue will switch to pantographs. So off to the airport to see and film the switch over:





I made my way back to Northeastern University station, to video Green Line. The Green Line was older. It was above ground than buried into one of America's subways. It stated using trolleys and now it is rightly refereed to as light rail and one the required. The old PCC trolleys were used 25 years ago and slowly replaced by the Light Rail Vehicles now used. Some of these were transferred to Ashmont to Mattapan High Speed Line.





With both cars, we have the older white roof LRV latched up with the newer.

With a few hours of daylight remaining. I made my way to the Prudential Center and the observation deck to try my hand taking pictures of the Red Line crossing Longfellow Bridge. I is hazy but here it is:





Now a little looking around and making my way to Back Bay. I will take the overnight Northeast Regional back to Washington. To be continued

The Great American Train Chase, Part Five

Finishing up at Mattapan and various stops for run by, I make my way back into Back Bay. I chose the red line and yellow line back to Ruggles Station on the yellow and on Commuter Rail. Research shows it as a good crossover. From the T station you can see commuter rail and from commuter rail you can see the Orange Line T. What research and ititiial view would tell me is that the commuter rail platform is close out from the station, due to repair.

It was a great location for within an hour I got three commuter rail, Amtrak Northeast Regional, and a Acela Express. One of the commuter rail had the new engines. Here is the photos:

First up is MBTA 912, Southbound, Providence Stoughton Line

Next Amtrak 2163, Acela Express, Southbound


MBTA 612, Northbound, Needham Line

Amtrak 190, Northeast Regional, Northbound

MBTA 613, Southbound, Needham Line

The Great American Train Chase, Part Four

I finally arrive in Boston on the overnight Northeast Regional. I arrive at Back Bay rather than South Station because it is across platform to the orange line which will take me immediately to North Station. Well, almost. I toyed with many options for this part of the chase. There is a park across the river from North Station which serves as a good spot. Along the river on the same side also afforded a good location. However, the fact that it was drizzling, I took a dryer option and went into North Station and went to the platform to watch and video under cover. Any of these location can be described as like shooting fish in a barrel. The amount of rail traffic in and out of North Station, especially at rush hour, makes keeping track (no pun intended) of the trains a bit much. I will not try. I wanted to watch until the leaving of Amtrak Downeaster. For some reason the pictures did not survive. So here in an hour in North Station, Boston, MA



Despite the rain, I go some good stuff. Again public transit takes me to Ashmont to ride and video The Mattapan High Speed Line. These are the old PCC's from the Green Line.


(to be continues)

The Great American Train Chase, Part Three

Metro Rail returns our chaser to Alexandria. Still there is time to fan. Beginning with Amtrak 171, Northeast Regional Southbound bound for Lynchburg



Followed by VRE 331, Southbound to Manassas,


VRE 305, Southbound for Fredericksburg, and


VRE 338, Northbound from Fredericksburg.


It was getting late so I added one more train to the list before relaxing, Amtrak 19, Crescent, Southbound

Just one more thing, some picture and video of Metro, DC, Southbound, King Street Station.




At this point, I must point some rules. There are two additional points situations. First there are buy back points. These are points gained from additional pictures, beyond the minimum. These can be use to buy missed situations, should they occur Second there are those train scenes that will be use to break ties, but are neither required nor helpful other wise.
The pictures taken in Washington and Alexandria are buy back. According to our judges one buy back point for Washington and 1 for Alexandria. To be continued

The Great American Train Chase, Part Two

Arrival in Alexandria is on time. Contestant boards Metro Rail and makes his way to a point in SW Washington. Here, he is above traffic and looking down on tracks coming out of Union Station. It has the advantage of being on a bridge and we being above. He sets of his video recorder in time to get Southbound VRE 327 at 3:57:



The next scheduled is northbound VRE 336 on time at 3:55:



Just as he begins recording the Southbound VRE 303, at at 3:57, he sees a policeman approaching, a obstacle in this part of the chase. It seems that using a tripod, even a six inch tall tripod, is not allowed in DC. :


I decided that prudence would be to leave and take video from Alexandria (to be cont.).

The Great American Train Chase, was out and back, Boston

Good evening. We begin out revised Great American Train Chase. Our contestant will board the Silver Star in Southern Pines, NC, bound for the eventual destination of Boston, MA. He or she will photograph or video minimum of trains or train related stuff. He/she will be due back by the arrival of the Silver Star in Southern Pines, on Saturday. If he arrives back on time, he/she will proceed on the the next trip in the American Train Chase, If not he/she will be eliminated from the chase. For this session of the chase, He/she will be required to photograph MBTA commuter rail from South Station and from North Station. Mattapan High Speed Line and Green Line Light Rail will be required.

Wed. Morning he boards the Silver Star.

The Silver Star only goes as far as New York City. Transfer to the Northeast Regional or Acela Express will be needs to complete trip. It just so happens that there is a Regional scheduled to go from Washington DC to Boston, overnight.....perfect. This Regional originates in Newport News, VA. Our contestant decides to make the transfer in Alexandria in order to catch some views of the Virginia Railway Express. (end of Day one part one, to be continues)